A domain name is one of the most essential parts of your web presence. This is reflected in the fact that the so many of the good domains were snapped up long ago. Those which are available often go for unbelievable prices. In the late 1990′s, getting a domain name was fairly easy, a little pricey but easy. There were still catchy names available and businesses across various sectors were far less competitive. Registering a domain has become extremely difficult in recent times and obtaining the one you want is never guaranteed. This article will explain why you must register a good domain name in order to thrive on today’s internet.
Picking Your TLD
Some say that the extension of TLD (Top Level Domain) is of little importance, some say it makes all the difference. We happen to believe that those seemingly insignificant letters are very critical to your web presence. There are many extensions you can choose from but .com is the cream of the crop. Because the majority of web surfers are the most familiar with this extension, it gives you the best chance of increasing visibility through a blog, personal or business site. If there is absolutely no chance of obtaining a .com domain, only then should you consider alternatives such as .net. and .org.
Keyword vs. Branding
There has been much debate about which type of domain provides the best results – one that contains a keyword or one focused on branding. Implementing keywords will certainly give a boost to your rankings when targeted properly but it may limit your marketability. If you’re looking to make your domain name the talk of your niche, optimizing it for search engines may not be the best move. In this case, you can try to experiment with a few keywords to see if you can leverage the best of both worlds.
A Word on Numbers and Dashes
Unless you absolutely need them, it is advisable to refrain from inserting numbers into your domain name. From an SEO standpoint, numbers have no prevalence and provide no value. Although dashes are increasingly dropping in value, they are showing to be useful in regard to optimization. With the right combination, a dash can help you create a domain name that is both catchy and search engine appealing.
Securing Your Name
After settling on a good name and finding yourself a reliable registrar, you may want to consider registering it for two or three years. Why do this? Because once you settle on something that fits, you want to hold onto it for as long as possible. The longer your domain is active in cyberspace, the more familiar it will become with the search engines and prospects. If not, you stand the risk of losing all you worked to build and having to start from scratch. In addition, there is a great chance that your domain name will be snatched up by someone who can make more of it than you. Domains are like endangered species so you can’t afford to let a good one slide by.
December 31st, 2009 at 2:17 pm
In order to create a web site, or custom email address, you need to purchase a domain name. A domain name functions as you address on the Internet, and is one of the most important aspects of your company’s presence on the Web.Most people will choose a domain name that is similar to their business name. Others choose a name that reflects their personal interests, or even their own name. Your domain name should be unique, and as short as possible, and be easy to spell, remember, and say. Many registrars offer special tools to help you select a domain if you are having trouble finding one available that you like. Everyone knows that Yahoo! offers services like email, the news, and search, but did you know they also offer domain registration services?Yahoo! offers you the ability to register a domain in a number of different extensions. Extensions like .com, .net, or .org are the most common. Examples of other common, but less popular available extensions include .info, .ws, and .tv.Yahoo! domain registration starts at $9.95 a year and offers a number of features, including24 hour toll-free support, a free starter web page, private domain registration, domain locking, domain forwarding, and complete DNS control.Domain registration prices vary, but Yahoo! domain registrations are more affordable than some other big names, who can charge much more. For businesses, Yahoo!’s domain registration service fits perfectly with the Yahoo! Small Business Web Hosting Service.Domain registrars often run new customer specials to gain market share. Yahoo!’s $1.99 domain registration offer is an excellent example. The offer is only good for new customers and covers only the first year of registration, but is one of the best values available in domain registration. Or, by signing up for Yahoo! Small Business Web Hosting, you can get a domain name for free.
January 1st, 2010 at 1:34 am
Here are the top ten most frequently asked questions regarding on Internet domain name registration:Q1. Which characters are allowed in Internet domain names?A: For normal ASCII domain names, the letters a-z, the numbers 0-9, and one special character, the hyphen or dash “-”. Note that domains cannot start or end with a hyphen. For the new tested IDNs (Internationalized Domain Names), the full range of Unicode characters are available. This allows nearly all of the languages on the planet to be represented within domain names, including Thai, Arabic, Lao, Hebrew, French, German etc.Q2. How many characters can a Internet domain name have?A: Generic domains (gTLDs) can have 63 characters in the second level, plus the top level domain, .com, .net etc.Q3. How long can I register a Internet domain name for?A: In most cases, you are allowed to register a Internet domain name for period of one to ten years. Longer periods are not currently allowed by the registry.Q4. How long do Internet domain registrations take to make & process?A: Typically ten minutes or so. Once you have chosen the name and paid the fee, most registration systems will register your name in near real-time.Q5. Do I “own” a domain name I register?A: Not really, it is more like a rental agreement. But importantly, you have the exclusive right to renew the agreement with the registry at the end of the initial registration period, so effectively you can keep the name as long as you want.Q6. Why does my Internet domain name still show as unregistered in a WHOIS tool?A: WHOIS tools are meant to show the nameserver / contact information for domain names held by a particular ICANN registrar. They are typical not updated in real-time and thus are not good indicators of current domain registration status.Q7. How will I know if a Internet domain registration attempt has been successful?A: WHOIS tool takes anything up to 48 hrs to be updated so can’t be relied on. A better indicator is whether you receive a confirmation e-mail from the domain registrar. You could also try registering the name again. By doing so, the registrar will do a “live” availability check on the name, which will indicate to you whether the name has been registered or not. This is not the same as a WHOIS look-up.Q8. How long do domain names take to be active after registration?A: Approximately 24 – 48 hrs, though because nameservers work as a distributed network, it can take up to 72 hrs or more before your domain name is accessible to all Internet users worldwide.Q9. Can I register a Internet domain for later use?A: There is no problem in registering domain names first, and using them later on. In fact, it is estimated that among 80% to 90% of all domain names are “idle”.Q10. Can I get a refund if I make a mistake & register the wrong name?A: Nearly all domain registrars operate a strict no refund policy. This is because they are charged a non-refundable fee by the registry to perform the registration.