Selecting A Domain Name That Clicks

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!

About the Author

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