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Selecting A Domain Name That Clicks!
by BB Lee (C)2005
mailto:smallbizbits@yahoo.com

(736 Words)

After making the decision to join the World Wide Web Business
Community. Another important step awaits your attention.

You will certainly want to select a Domain Name for your
business.

That's right! Your very own Domain Name for your online
business.

Selecting the right domain name is often a hard task for
many new online business owners.

They want a catchy name that will get attention plus deliver
the paying customers to their website. Unfortunately, many
online business owners insist on the wrong name. One that
is not only improper for their business but also might give
potential customers the wrong impression.

I've heard of quite a few online business owners naming their
new business after a family pet, a child, or significant other.
Not necessarily in that order!

But, alas, that "catchy" name might make it difficult for
potential customers to find your website or you might attract
the wrong crowd.

And speaking on the wrong crowd...
"I guess you've heard the joke about the elderly woman who
hooked impressive rugs for a living and decided to start a website
called hookers.com. Well, she received many hits to her website from
many disappointed lecherous male surfers, so the story
goes."

Before deciding the proper Domain Name let's cover a few basics:

What's A Domain Name?
In basic terms a domain name is your business name on the World
Wide Web. This is how customers will find your website. The
domain will show your location and whether your website is
commercial (com) organizational (org) educational(edu)
governmental(gov) or any one of several other suffixes.

How Might A Domain Reflect Your Business?
If you repair cars, your domain might be:
-www.autorepairs.com
-www.Qualityautorepairs.com

If you design websites a good domain might be:
-www.Qualitywebdesigners.com
-www.cheapwebdesigns.com

If you sell house plants a good domain name might be:
www.houseplantsforyou.com
www.houseplants.com

If you repair computers a good domain name might be:
www.computerservice.com
www.computer-repair.com

By reflecting exactly what your business concerns it will be
easier for potential customers to find your website even if
they don't know the exact URL (Universal Resource Locator)
They might simply go to a search engine like Google.com and
type the kind of business they are looking for. Suppose you
own a home based computer repair service on the Internet.
A potential customer types "computer repair" on
google...and up pops your website! They visit your website.
Contact you about your repair services. Cool...huh?

What's The Deal With The Suffix?
Selecting a suffix is important. Even though com, net, org,
gov, edu, tv, enjoy amazing popularity, It would be wise to
select com. Why? Because it is the most popular.
Plus "com" is the one your browser will automatically fill in if
someone types in your business name without the suffix. Once
again this will make it easier for a potential customer
to locate your website. Only use net, org, or any other
suffix if "com" is not available.

Availability?
After selecting your Domain Name you should
determine if that name is available. You might want to
download a domain lookup tool. Or use a domain lookup
service online. Many webhosting services have a domain
lookup tool readily available.

Domain Lookup Tool
http://www.whois.net

Download Doman Lookup Tools at:
http://www.downloads.com

If your desired Domain Name is available NOW is the perfect
time to decide if you want to register the name and select
a web hosting package. Usually you will have the option to
register the name for a year, two years, three for a
predetermined price. I've seen prices
starting at $9.99 and up per year.

Note: Many webhositng services offer free domain registration
with a webhosting package. Many webhosting packages start at
around $15.00 and up per month for a starter website.

Sources
Yahoo Hosting
-http://geocities.yahoo.com/

Let's Review:
-Decide You Want A Professional Name That Gets Attention.
-Select A Name That Describes Your Business.
-Select A Name That Will Be Easy To Find Online.
-Check Availability.
-Register Your Domain With Optional Hosting Package.

After reading this informative article you should have a good
understanding on selecting a Domain Name That Clicks!

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BB Lee is the editor of SmallBizBits Newsletter.
SmallBizBits will give you the information you need to
start a home based business. Each issue features
original articles, tips, business ideas, downloads,
plus more. http://www.smallbizbitsnews.com



About the Author
BB Lee is a freelance writer and the editor of SmallBizBits News. A free online home based business newsletter packed with info on starting a business from home.