How To Choose A Domain Name

DOMAIN REGISTRATION

Names function as labels – ways of identifying things. They help us understand who or what we see and how they function. Once we are familiar with the names, we may even be able to locate people or things through association. Domain registration works in much the same way. It is a way to label your website, so that people can locate it through name association.

Each website has its own set of identifying numbers. These numbers are called IP addresses and allow computers to find the particular website. Most IP addresses are four sets of digits separated by periods. Therefore, an IP address might appear as 143.64.86.564 to identify a specific website. Domain registration creates a more simple way to access the IP address and ultimately the website. Think of how many websites we visit in a given week. Now imagine what it would be like to have to remember the IP addresses for each website. That would be very difficult. Domain registration assigns a domain name to each IP address, making websites easier to recall. This way, we only have to recall the website address as a name rather than a long series of numbers. It’s much more efficient for Internet users to visit www.mywebpage.com than trying to access the site by using 143.64.86.564.

The latest problem with domain registration is that most of the simple, unique, and catchy names are already taken. For example, www.mywebpage.com is a very clear, concise name for a website. However, many other people seek to have the same domain name. As an alternative, the domain name may be slightly modified to www.my-web-page.com or something similar. Even still, possibilities are limited. To combat this problem, new top level domains have been created, to allow for more possibilities. Some common top level domains are .org, .info, and .net. This adds flexibility in domain registration, but thousands of new websites are created daily. So, many countries are giving away or selling top level domain names for public use. For example, if you were to consider domain registration in Canada, the domain name would be www.mywebpage.ca.

While these different alternatives (modifications and top level domains) create more options, they do come with one major drawback. The popularity of the .com top level domain often overshadows the other top level domains. This may cause confusion for those trying to access the website. Many people enter .com out of habit. If they are searching for the domain registered in Canada, they will be directed to the wrong website. This is why domain registration takes a lot of consideration and research. The actual process of registering a domain name is not hard at all. It’s as simple as filling out a few electronic forms. The difficult part is finding a unique and concise domain name that is not already registered to someone else.

The best way to secure a name for domain registration is to compile a list of words and phrases related to the website. At least twenty different alternatives should be on the list. Put the words in various combinations to increase the number of selections. Then perform a free search of the master domain name database. If select a name that is already registered, you may offer to purchase it from the registrant. Sale prices may range from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.

DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION

Your domain name is the conduit to your website. It is the identity you give your web pages that allow surfers and customers to find you and engage in commerce with you. A catchy, memorable domain name will be your biggest asset in promoting your online enterprise.

Since the rise of the internet in the early nineties web masters and entrepreneurs have scrambled to transform the world wide web into a medium for commerce. Registering every possible product as a domain name from Toys.com and Books.com to CreditCards.com and 90DaysSameAsCash.com these savvy web masters have used up most of the valuable descriptive names and phrases.

If you are one of the lucky few to discover a virgin name then you will need an understanding of the Domain Name Registration process.

Domain Names are entries in a master data base called a registry. The domain name registry is used by computers to find other computers on the internet by cross referencing their locations or IP numbers. With the domain name registration you are entering data that relates your contact information and your host computer's IP numbers to a human friendly name that web surfers can use to find your website.

Although a once daunting task, domain name registration has become a matter of filling out online forms and entering payment information. You need to choose a registrar; registrars are the middle men responsible for tracking and maintaining the domain registry and collecting your money. There has been explosive growth in the domain name registration business since the US government deregulated the industry in 1999. Choose your registrar judiciously since he will be intrusted to safe guard your domain name.

DOMAIN NAME

How To Choose A Domain Name

Your Domain Name is the doorway to your website. A good name makes your site inviting and easy to find and will encourage visitors to return again. Follow these guidelines and tips for choosing a Domain name that entices visitors and bolsters your online success.

1. Your number one goal is to choose a domain name that helps people find your site, your products and your services. Always keep this in mind.
2. Your Domain Name should describe the goods or service you offer. BobsPlace.com would be a poor choice if you are selling antique dining tables. A much better domain would be AntiqueDiningTables.com. Choose an unique brand name only if you are willing to invest the capitol and time to promote brand awareness.
3. Your domain name should match the business you are in which should match your site name. If your company offers auto cad services then the best domain name would be AutoCadServices.com And your website's name could be "Auto Cad Services".
4. Choose a name that is memorable. Refer to number one goal. If visitors and clients can't remember the name of your site then your chances of retaining business is nill.
5. Choose a domain name that is easily readable. CoinsExchange.com can be read two ways but don't make it any more confusing than that. Avoid acronyms, initials and abreviations; they make your domain name too cryptic.
6. Keep the domain name short. Short makes the domain more memorable and it gives users less chance to mistype when entering the name into their browser. CarSub.com is a great name!
7. Use keywords in your domain name. Keywords not only excite the search engines but also paint an image in your customers mind about what to expect from your site. A user searching for bottle brushes will know they hit pay dirt with BottleBrushes.com
8. Always choose dot.com as a top level domain. Surfers will consistently type .com in their browser before any other TLD. If your competitor has .com and you have .biz, you lose.
9. Limit your domain to two words if you can. Three words or more becomes unwieldy and awkward to remember. An exception would be a common, everyday phrase. 90DaysSameAsCash.com works well but see our next tip.
10. Hyphens and numbers are a no-no. Imagine telling someone your domain name and then reminding them to use a hyphen between this word and that word and, oh yea, don't spell the numbers. It just leads to confusion. The only exception is a common phrase like 90DaysSameAsCash.com.
11. Try not to use "and" or "the" in your domain name unless you have to and never use "the" as the first word in the name. If a surfer forgets the "the" you have lost another one to the competition.
12. Don't wait too long to decide on your name. The internet is full of tales of lost opportunity and the big one that got away. NameSeek offers free domain parking while you work on hosting.
13. Buy the name first then develop the site. Establishing your identity is a function of site development so you need your identity first. You can take advantage of NameSeek's free domain parking as you develop.
14. If there is a singular and a plural version of your name, get both. Also go for common misspellings; don't lose plurals and misspellings to your competition. You can have many domain names that all refresh visitors to one site.
15. Avoid profanity in your domain name even if you seek an adult site. Some search engines may decide to ban a purely tasteless or vulgar name but profanity is also tacky and unprofessional.

DOMAIN

What is a Domain?

A Domain is where you hang out. If you hang out in New York City then NYC is your domain. In computer jargon a domain is the network where your computer hangs out, either a local subnet or on the internet.

A domain is a group of networked computers that contain a common communication address and share common resources. Domains are based on a hierarchical naming scheme or a tree structure called the Domain Namespace. In a namespace, names are used to represent other types of information such as IP Numbers.

Computers use IP or Internet Protocol numbers to find each other in a network. These numbers typically look like 192.168.122.244. To make it easy on humans the IP numbers are given friendly names known as Domain Names. Yahoo.com and Google.com are domain names and are much easier to remember than 216.109.112.135

Networks use a distributed data base known as the Domain Name System to translate the human friendly names into IP numbers computers can use. Computers will query other computers known as Name Servers to translate the domain names to numbers. The whole Domain Name System is designed to be transparent to the end user. The only thing the user has to remember is the Domain Name of the site they wish to visit.