When it comes time to make a domain purchase for your business the name you choose can make or break the early success of your online venture. Choose wisely and it can give an early boon to your Internet business. Choose the wrong one and it could confuse your visitors, loose you sales or even have you ignored by the search engines.

Getting Specific Can Help

In many instances the more specific you get with your domain name in terms of keywords relating to your business the better. For example, an online business that sells only wine gift baskets should choose a domain name which reflects this. ‘Winegiftbaskets.com’ or winebaskets.com’ is likely to bring in more targeted visitors that simply ‘carolsgiftbaskets.com’.

The Long and Short of Domain Names

In the world of domain names there are two general categories which most domain names fall into. Some choose the route of a longer, more descriptive domain name, as shown above, while other business owners try and cash in on a short and catchy domain name. There are merits to both types of domain purchase if you use them correctly.

In short a long tail keyword is a string of related words put together to form a search phrase. Search phrases like “puppy potty training” indicate the searcher is not only looking to potty train their dog but that the dog is still a puppy. A business that chooses a longer keyword phrase such as this relating to their product or service stands a better chance of their website ranking near the top for that specific phrase.

Ranking well in certain niches can be difficult, especially in competitive niches. By finding a two or three word phrase related to your product or service which has slightly less competition but still gets many searches you stand a good chance of receiving targeted traffic to your website simply by choosing a specific domain name phrase.

On the flip side many businesses forgo the longer, more descriptive domain names in lieu of a short, catchy domain name. Geico and eBay are perfect examples of companies that have gone this route and succeeded. Their names have become synonymous with their respective products and services but this wasn’t achieved without some clever marketing.

While choosing a more descriptive domain name is the safer bet, if you’ve got a good marketing plan and the time to implement it a one word domain name can pay off. Create a unique logo to represent your unique domain and spread it far and wide across the Internet.

What Not to Do When Buying a Domain Name

Finding the perfect domain name can often feel like looking for buried treasure. Often times when a new business owner become frustrated at the lack of suitable yet available domain names they resort to tactics such as adding hyphens between words in order to create a unique domain name. While this may seem like a quick and easy solution it is generally agreed upon that hyphenated domain names look unprofessional and are more difficult for people to remember when typing them in.

While the .com domain name should always be your first choice when making a domain purchase when it comes to hyphens you would be better off buying the non-hyphenated .net or even .org version of the same domain name instead. If you must hyphenate do so only once between a two word domain name and not a hyphen more.

It Gets Better with Age

While we as a society tend to covet items that are new and shiny when it comes to making a domain purchase you’re actually better off buying used. By used I mean domain names that have expired but where already used for an existing website or business for at least a year. Google likes aged websites as they have earned their keep by sticking around. Also these older domains can often come with extras attached to them such as backlinks from other websites to the pre-existing website.

Backlinks, along with a rating system Google uses called PageRank, are likes votes of confidence for that particular domain. When you purchased expired domains all these “extra goodies” automatically come with the package. Purchasing an expired domain may cost you a little more than a new one but it is considered a wise investment in your business’ future. Yes, you will still need to market your new business but you’ll have a leg up you didn’t by buying a new domain.

In the end the type of domain name you buy, be it a longer one or short and sweet, is a personal choice. Both have benefits to them and you’ll need to decide which would best suit your budding online business. Yet whichever you choose be aware that your domain purchase is an important part of your all over business strategy and should be treated as such.

Registrars Make Strides to Protect Internet from Phishing – MarketWatch

The Tech Herald

Registrars Make Strides to Protect Internet from Phishing MarketWatch - 16 hours ago "Since phishing campaigns often start with a domain registration, the domain name registrars are in the perfect position to make phishing more difficult. … Notorious registrar gets deactivation notice for president's sin Register ICANN De-Accredits EstDomains Washington Post EstDomains fighting for life VNUNet.com all 26 news articles

Source: news.google.com

Business Domain Name Portfolio Sale Launched by UAB Brokerage – PR-USA.net (press release)

Business Domain Name Portfolio Sale Launched by UAB Brokerage PR-USA.net (press release), Bulgaria - Oct 28, 2008 United Auction Brokers, the business brokerage firm, has launched the sale of the Channels Network Business Domain Name Portfolio, one of the most …

Source: news.google.com

Tucows Opens Hidden Treasure Chest of Premium Domains with YummyNames – CNW Telbec (Communiqués de presse)

Tucows Opens Hidden Treasure Chest of Premium Domains with YummyNames CNW Telbec (Communiqués de presse), Canada - 2 hours ago Created especially with marketers in mind, YummyNames allows people to search for and obtain the perfect domain name for their organization from tens of …

Source: news.google.com

Go Daddy Transforms Customer Feedback into Valuable Upgrades – MarketWatch

Go Daddy Transforms Customer Feedback into Valuable Upgrades MarketWatch - Oct 27, 2008 Go Daddy is the world's top Internet domain name registrar, is more than three times the size of its closest competitor, has beenhonored asArizona'sMost …

Source: news.google.com

Are one third of all domain names owned by speculators? – Domain informer

Are one third of all domain names owned by speculators? Domain informer, IL - 21 hours ago by Pingdom The domain name market is often likened to the real estate market, and a significant share of all domain names out there have been bought by …

Source: news.google.com

Investors Turn To Domain Names Amidst Property Market Slump – Domain Informer (press release)

Investors Turn To Domain Names Amidst Property Market Slump Domain Informer (press release), IL - 18 hours ago But business owners are finding it more difficult to come up with the right domain name – a name that captures a brand and has that easy-to-remember quality …

Source: news.google.com

Reiterating Bad Faith And Similarity In The Use Of Domain Names – Mondaq News Alerts (subscription)

Reiterating Bad Faith And Similarity In The Use Of Domain Names Mondaq News Alerts (subscription), UK - Oct 28, 2008 Domains By Proxy [2008 (37) PTC 624 (WIPO)] The first of these registrations dates back to 1987, while the domain name under contention gcookingschools.com …

Source: news.google.com

Election '08: What's in a domain name – New York Times

Election '08: What's in a domain name New York Times, United States - Oct 27, 2008 By THOMAS A. POWELL AND JOE LIMA, IDG The tale told by other Internet traffic trends (see Internet traffic tracking favors Obama), also rings true when …

Source: news.google.com

Domain Name Speculation News – ComputerWeekly.com

Domain Name Speculation News ComputerWeekly.com, UK - Oct 27, 2008 Find the latest Domain Name Speculation news and information from ComputerWeekly.com. Use this page to find Domain Name Speculation news, videos, …

Source: news.google.com

Web hosting refers to an Internet hosting service that offers online systems to different users for storing any kind of information like video, images etc. In cheap hosting packages no doubt, prices are very cheap but you have to live with limited resources like CPU time and other server related resources. It’s not so difficult to find these services at cheap rates but there are certain things that should be keep in mind while looking for cheap web hosting services. A gaudy lacework hosting establishment should accept the needs of your action and ball game with you to support you hoard them. You can easily find cheap web hosting service provider with careful research.

Users should find the best as well as cheap service provider that satisfies their requirements. More advanced web site developers can make use any specialized software like a content management system, web log, customer support, discussion board or a shopping cart system in order to get the most out of the hosting package features. You should perform some extra research at the time of selecting cheap web hosting services. The most common problem regarding cheap web hosting is that there’s no direct relationship between data transfer usage and server resources CPU and memory usage. Sometimes web hosting companies offer inferior services at cheap rates so be careful at the time of choosing cheap web services provider.

When shopping for cheap web hosting, be sure to compare web site hosting packages not only prices. Sometimes they provide dedicated server via another web host that’s why another web hosting company maintain server. For as obvious as pre eminent dollars a span your website can be grateful the benefit of cheap web hosting. You should determine whether you’re comfortable with the service area support or not.

You don’t want to have to get up at three o’clock in the morning in order to make a phone call to find out if your website has met its bandwidth limits for the month. Web hosting service provider normally offers services at cheap rates because they are not responsible for the maintenance of their own server equipment.

You should also check whether the service provider offers as much disk space as you want. One of the biggest traits you want to look for when finding cheap web hosting, is to find a company that understands that for some businesses, Be sure that the chosen cheap web hosting service provider would meet your expectations. Having their website go offline is tantamount to their actual brick and mortar store locking its doors in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday. In today’s competitive market there are so many providers that are providing the best services at cheap rates.

With thousands of web hosting companies in the market it can be difficult if not impossible to know which web site hosting companies truly provide an excellent hosting solution at an excellent price. When you have an established domain name with a good web hosting company, you can get reports on your traffic and which of your pages your customers are visiting most often, as well as many other statistics.

Your web host will charge you a fee for monthly service that ranges from $10 or $20 to the more expensive $50.00 per month. Plan to pay between $300 and $500 per year to your web host.

Always avoid free or very inexpensive web hosting services, because you may experience bouts of server down times and you are likely to have significant limitations in storage, number of email addresses, FTP upload etc.

Be sure your web host can accommodate e-commerce and storefronts, wireless capability, bogs, forums, chats, online interactive helps and anything else you want to add onto your site.

Estimate what your growth needs are and ensure that this web host can serve you as you grow. The last thing you want to do is change host mid way unless you absolutely have to do so.

Check your bandwidth capability to be sure that, if your website traffic grows rapidly, your customers will not have to wait to download or view information. Three things to look for in a web hosting company are:

1. Excellent Customer Support: Your hosting provider should be there for you 24/7 and give you instant access to the technicians you need to solve your problem. Ask them how long it takes for them to typically respond to your problem. A good test is to call them in the mid night to check if you get to a live, level 3 support.

2. A Sound Infrastructure: Check whether they offer a multi-homed network powered by multiple bandwidth providers to ensure redundancy. Some offer a 100% guarantee on its network availability or network uptime.

3. Financial Stability: If you’re running very critical operations, you can’t afford to be with a hosting company that may not be in business in a few months.

Choosing an appropriate domain name is very important. First and foremost, when it comes to domain names, try to stay away from the silly, stupid, ridiculous or clever. Keep your domain name simple and make it something your customers can remember if they lose the link to your business website.

Take note that, while your domain name on Geocities or AOL may seem like the least expensive way to go, it may also get you dropped from certain search engines. Some search engines ignore domain addresses that reside on these ‘free servers’ or on the ‘cheap’ servers.

Even if your site is recognized and considered by search engines, a professional domain name that uses your primary company name or associated words is likely to get more attention and be considered as a stable business by your prospective customers.

Purchasing domain names are not that expensive which cost about $100 and there are many companies that can register the name for you, provided it is available and has not already been used by another company.

Using one of your keywords in your domain name can increase your score on some search engines. For example, solderingirons.com could be more effective as Electric-soldering-irons.com, if that domain name was available.

You might also choose to establish more than one domain name using keywords and then link your ‘doorway’ domain sites to your primary site. But you will have to pay for each of the domain name and also the monthly hosting fees. It all depends on the type and size of your business and your competition.

Keep in mind that some search engines disregard ‘doorway’ sites. So put at least a page of content on the doorway site with some useful information and then link it to your primary site. But don’t design it as an empty page. The other reason being, you can have one, three, five, or even more email addresses that all contain your business name, and give your business a professional feel. When customers get emails from dominicstone@solderingirons.com they feel as if they are dealing with a stable, professional business operation.

No need for customers to understand how you manage all your email boxes on your domain. They just need to feel your business is dependable and reputable.