How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Business

Author: Paul Coulter

A website's domain name (also know as a website address or URL) is an important consideration when developing your online presence. Choosing an appropriate domain name is the first step in the process of building online credibility. Remember to choose carefully because this online address may be where your business resides for the rest of its operating life. Now, some important tips to consider before choosing your domain name:


Choosing Your Domain Extension

A domain extension or top level domain is simply the suffix of your website address: (.com, .net, .org, .ca, etc.) Most Internet users are familiar with the ".com" extension, and will generally use this extension by default when typing an address into their browser. Choosing a ".com" extension should be your fist choice in case your potential customers forget that your address is "www.mybusiness.NET", and visit your competitor at "www.mybusiness.COM" by mistake. Choosing the ".com" extension gives your website the most credibility in the eyes of your customers.

If your business only caters to the local community, then it makes sense to get a country specific domain name, such as the ".ca" extension. A country specific domain benefits you in two ways: both your customers and search engines such as Google will know that your website is registered to a Canadian and operates in Canada. Potential customers will feel more comfortable knowing that they are dealing with a Canadian company, and not a U.S. based business pretending to be a Canadian company. Also, search engines will give your website higher placement in the search results when a user is performing a Canadian specific search.

I personally recommend that my clients, if possible, register both the ".com" AND ".ca" extension. This way, your Canadian based website will benefit from using the ".ca" extension, while at the same time ensuring that they reach your website if they accidentally type the ".com" extension into their browser.


Using Your Business Name

The first choice for any domain name would be your business' name. This ensures that your customers will remember your website's address. You can't expect your potential customers to remember a phrase that just relates to your business.


Choosing Choice Keywords

Including specific keywords in your website's address will help your rankings in popular search engines such as Google or Yahoo. It is best to choose a keyword that you think your potential customers will use to search for your business. A search engine optimization (SEO) professional such as Cost Effective Design can assist you in choosing your keyword(s). These type of domain names are used in instances where the client does not want to use the business name because it is either already registered by another company, or the company name is simply too long. Any company that is serious about generating traffic through search engines should acquire a domain name with a keyword in addition to your business name.


Don't Confuse Your Customers

If possible, try not to use domain names that include: "2" for "To" or "4" for "For" or "u" for "You". These may make your domain look "cool" or "hip", but in reality they are not very practical. These domain names create a problem when directing your clients to your website verbally or over the phone. For example, if you owned www.UsedCars4U.com, every time you verbally directed someone to your website, you would have to specify that the URL uses the actual number 4, and letter U.


To Use, Or Not to Use Hyphens

Given that more and more businesses are registering domain names every day, getting the website address you want is becoming increasingly difficult. One or two word domain names are usually already registered, forcing new registrants to choose URLs containing three or four words. To some people, these URLs can look like a big mess of words. Using hyphens in between the words can make them visually more appealing. For example, "www.used-cars-for-you.com, looks better than "www.usedcarsforyou.com. The jury is still out on hyphenated domain names. The advantages are that they look better and search engines can easily distinguish the separate keywords for better search placements, but the disadvantages are that they are difficult to verbally communicate and type.
The best solution would be to register both the hyphenated, and the un-hyphenated version of the domain name to ensure that there is no confusion.


Domain Name Length

Even though you are allowed to use 67 characters for a domain name, the general rule of thumb is: shorter is better. Although, in some instances, the website address may be more memorable if it is more descriptive. For example a domain consisting of initials only, such as "www.waa.com", may not create a lasting impression compared to the domain name "www.windsorautoassociation.com". Therefore, it is best to choose a name that, while short, contains enough description for your customers to easily remember.


Buying an Existing Domain Name

Maybe the domain name you really want is already registered, either by a legitimate company, or by a "domain squatter" who merely registered the name to sell for a profit at a later date. You can make an offer for these types of domains, although they make cost several hundred, or even thousands of dollars. There are advantages to purchasing an existing domain name. In addition to getting the domain you want, it may also rank highly in the search engines for certain keywords and / or generate topic specific traffic that you will benefit your business.

About the Author
Paul Coulter owns and operates a custom web design company in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. If you would like to read more web design articles geared towared small business, or would like to contact Paul, visit his website: Cost Effective Web Design, Windsor ON

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Paul Coulter owns and operates a full service custom web design company in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Paul has over 10 years experience designing and promoting websites for clients. Paul also possesses a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Windsor.

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Buying Long Domain Names? Is it worth it?

Author: Anthony Martello

The long held wisdom is that domain names should be short and memorable. Of course, it is great when you can get a short name that really works for your business but sometimes that is tough. So why not go for a longer one?

The idea that domain names must be short is not as valid as it once was. There are many successful web sites that have long domain names such as FreeCreditReport.com. This article will teach you when it is okay to buy a long domain name and why you would want to.

The Long and Short of Domain Names
Long domain names are a good way to go when your Web site is only going to generate traffic from online advertising such as Google's AdWords or natural search engine results. On the Internet people find your site by clicking on hyperlinks which already have your Web site's domain name typed in for them. So if you have a long domain name it is already there for your visitor and they do not have to remember it.

For example, suppose you own a Web Hosting Company and you specialize in offering cheap web hosting. Why not call your site CheapWebSiteHosting.com? It's long but it communicates a lot to the customer and perhaps even more valuable is that it will communicate important information to search engines about your site. How you ask?

Search engines use the words in your domain name as one method of discovering what your web site is about and they use that information to help determine where to rank you in the search results list. So if you have the words "cheap web site hosting" in your domain name then search engines will use that information to possibly rank you higher than a domain name that does not contain those words. So by naming your site "CheapWebSiteHosting.com" you have an advantage over SmithWebSiteHosting.com when people search the phrase "cheap web site hosting."

So, if your business is tightly focused on cheap hosting anyway you might as well use those words in your domain name if it means that search engines will match you better than those sites without those keywords in their domain name.

Domain Names in Mass Media
What about non-internet marketing? Are long domain names okay for radio or television? The answer is yes as long as it can be remembered. If you watch tv at all I'm sure you've seen ads for freecreditreport.com. That's a pretty long domain name considering not too long ago you needed to have a name like amazon.com or eBay.com to be viable. But even as I am writing this the domain name freecreditreport.com came to mind instantly. Thats a pretty good domain name for a long one. In our sample scenario, I would say that a site called cheapwebsitehosting.com will be remembered by people who have an interest in saving money on hosting. The key is to put together words in your domain name that flow naturally. "Cheap Web Site Hosting" is natural English. But WebSiteHostingCheap.com would almost certainly be a problem in the mass media.

So, should you go for a long domain name next time you buy a domain name? That will ultimately depend on whether you can get a short version that you find suitable and how important the slight edge in search engine results is worth to you. But at least you can keep these factors in mind you buy a domain name. You just may find that a long domain name is a reasonable way to go for your business.

Anthony Martello is the owner of Buy Cheap Domain Names which specializes in selling Cheap Domain Names and Cheap Web Site Hosting. You are free to use this article on your website if the above keyword links are left intact and point to our Web site.

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This the right domain name for you.

Author: Hani Masgidi

Your first step into the Internet world and in starting your online empire is choosing your domain name, which will be the first thing to be seen by external visitors or your customers, That is why you need to pay more attention to the domain name you will choose .
Most of us love to name their companies or brands with something the like or an idea they have in mind, like naming it with their family name or their wife's name and sometimes things they believe. Wait a miniature; you might need to give it another thought when it comes to registering your domain name.
You will need to decide your content � subject- of your website and your targeted visitors before selecting your domain name.
Buy only ".com" and don't trouble yourself with the others. Although the domain name players have gone to some trouble to publicize and market to us about the availability of other extensions such as .org, .net, .us and others�there is still no real reason to buy anything but ".com."
Double check your domain names for odd or unintentional meanings. This one is a bit mixed, because if your domain name turns out to be something quite funny, it might be just that much more memorable and bring you free traffic. But you may not want to be remembered in that way, and the traffic that results could be a detriment to you. (The wrong target market just clogs up your system, uses bandwidth, and creates customer service inquiries you don't want.)
Your domain name would play an important role in your internet marketing process as most of the search engines prefer to see your website keywords reflected in your domain to give you a higher rank for those keywords.
At the end we better highlight some of the available domain name extensions, the most common domain names end with .com, .net, etc. Country specific domain names will end with com.au for commercial domain names from Australia, co.uk commercial domain names from United Kingdom, .co.jp for commercial domain names from in Japan, etc. For organizations, domain names will end with .org or be country specific- .org.au for organization in Australia, .org.uk for organization in united kingdom, etc.
And you should remember that your domain name is how your website is found on the internet by your potential customers. It is your unique identifier and two organizations can not have the same domain name. Your domain name is not really purchased or bought; it is actually leased for a year to 10 years.

All you need to know about Blogging, RSS & Feeds
at http://www.domainhostingclub.com/RSS-Feeds-filetype-rss/

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I have contributed in setting up several contact centers, and have been managing some of them . Out of my own experience in the contact center solution and the CRM industry I am writing this today.

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Registering Effective Domain Name

Author: Eka Man

If you are thinking about building a website, registering domain name is an important step. Registering an effective domain name is just as important as choosing a company name. It can also communicate to your customers the type of products or service you sell online. An easy and understanding to remember domain name is the goal of every site owner. So I have some tips to registering the best domain name.

Please bear in mind that domain name is very important and more important than web hosting

First, What is Domain Name?

The name of website. A unique name that represents each computer on the Internet world. The DNS (Domain Name Server ) converts the domain name to an IP ( Internet Protocol ) that is similar to the telaphone number. Because it is hard to remember IP adress, the DNS make it easier by using letters instread of typing 123.45.67.890. So, you can type www.yourdomainname.com that makes more convinent.

� Domain name has to contain a mininum of 2 characters but no more than 67 characters. The shorter is the better
� Domain name is not case sensitive, so www.yourdomainname.com is not different from WWW.YOURDOMAINNAME.COM . But using capitalised text is quiet unpolite.
� Domain name contains letters, numbers, hyphens but no space. However, you cannot use hyphens as the first or last characters of your domain name.

Type of Domain names.
� Paid Domane Name like www.yourdoname.com or www.yourdomame.biz etc. The advantage is that you own the domain name, but you have to pay for it.
� Free Domain Name like www.freedoname.co.nr or www.freedomain.cjb.net . These are free but you do not own the domain name. Also, there may be advertiments and many terms of service.
� Domain Name from free host such as www.geocity.com/yourdomain or http://yourdomain.companyname.com that is very hard to remember.Also, 90% of them have the advertiment (Banner or Pop up).

How to Registering Domain Name.

Before registering domain name, you have to check the Domain Name Avaliability at www.whois.com . When you have the domain name you want, go to a domain name registering company or web hosting company. And register it .
After that, you have to make Domain name and web hosting know each other by setting Name server and DNS of web hosting at your domain name.
For example, this is the name server of hypermart.net

Primary server :ns1.hypermart.net IP = 206.253.222.65
Secondary server :ns2.hypermart.net IP = 206.253.222.66

Finish.
Importantly, choosing a good company to register domain name by�..
� Do you retain sole ownership of domain name ?
� Does the domain name registering company allow you to tranfer the domain to another company?
� Is there an online control panel for domain name administration?
� Is it easy to change the domain name server (DNS) ? In case that you change the web hosting company.

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How to Purchase Domain Names for Offline Promotion

Author: Alan Grissett

In this article, you'll discover a key element of your Web site and how you can use it to drive traffic to your site from offline sources. What is this "basic element" of your site, you ask? It's your domain name - your business' virtual address.

To figure out why a business' domain name is important to its Web site's offline promotions, a little background into domain names is in order. To begin with, there are two main classes of domain names, gTLDs (general Top Level Domains) and ccTLDs (country code Top Level Domains). The seven original gTLDs are .com, .net, .org, .mil, .edu, .gov, and .int. As of the writing of this article, seven new gTLDs are in the process of being launched by ICANN, the governing body of TLDs. They are .aero, .biz, .coop, .info, .museum, .name, and .pro. The gTLDs were developed to represent specific types of entities, such as commercial organizations (.com), educational institutions (.edu), or cooperatives (.coop). The ccTLDs were developed to represent entities from specific regions, such as the United States (.us), France (.fr), or Japan (.jp).

In most cases, if you find the right registrar, you can purchase domain names with any extension, no matter why you need the name or where you are based. Does this mean you should though? Unless you need to protect your intellectual property rights in a name, probably not. The best choice by far is a good solid "dot com". Why? Because people are familiar with it, and it's what people associate most with Internet addresses. This is very important in offline advertising, because if a potential customer sees your Web address, he or she will likely have to remember that address when it's time to pull up the old Web browser to visit the site. So generally speaking, a domain name ending in .com is most desirable for offline advertising.

Several other important issues to consider are the domain name length, use of hyphens in the domain name, and the name's overall "readability". The domain name length can have a direct impact on how effective that name is at driving traffic to a site. As you can probably imagine, the fewer the characters in a domain name, the better. The use of hyphens in a domain name can have a negative impact on a name's effectiveness, so they should be avoided if offline advertising is planned. A name's readability should also be taken into consideration when planning offline promotions. Do the words run together confusingly? Are the letters positioned in such a way that the name might be misread? If so, capitalization can be used in print to eliminate some of the confusion.

So what if you've already registered a name, and you find another name that you think would work better for offline advertising? That's simple. Register the new name, and get your host to set up an "alias" that will direct any traffic the new address receives to your existing Web site.

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domain registration - how to setup domain with DNS, IP Address, web host

Author: mufads

This article shows how to setup your domain and explains DNS,
Nameservers, IP Address, Forwarding, domain registration and trouble
shooting.

Introduction and scope
Almost Everyone who knows about the internet knows what a domain
name is. It is what identifies a unique website or email server.
When you send an email to someone@..., the domain.com forms
the domain name. When you type in http://domain.com in the address
bar of your browser, the domain.com is the domain name of the
website you are going to see.

But how does the computer know which page to show when there are
almost infinite number of domain names possible ? How does it know
where to fetch the webpage from ? This article answers these
question and explains what you need to do to register and setup your
domain and tell all the computers in the world that yourdomain.com
should show your web page.

How to choose a domain name ?
There are many top level domains (TLDs) the most popular are
the .com, .net and .org � Countries have their own
like .us, .in, .ca, .au etc and then there is the new breed of
domains like .tv, .info, .ws and so on but the most powerful king of
all is the .com Why ? Because it came first ? In the domain market,
single word domains sell for thousands of dollars and .com costs
around 10 times more than the others and is as difficult to get a
new name. There is a myth that domains with hypnens (dashes) are
better for search engine rankings, I think there may be some truth
in that myth, but domains without dashes always seem to cost more
than the ones with dashes. The best way to register a domain is to
determine the keywords you are going to target by using the free
trial of keyword popularity and competition analysis from
http://wordtracker.com and get a domain with those keywords in it.
Another school of thought abandons this approach and advocates brand
name domains like yahoo.com instead of everything-portal.com
google.com instead of the-only-search-engine.com and ebay.com
instead of online-junk-acutions.com - you get the picture.

Name Servers Explained

Every computer connected to the internet has an ip address that
looks like 123.234.123.234
An ip address consists of 4 numbers separated by dots, each number
ranging from 1 to 255. What this numbers mean is not important for
us, all we need to understand is that each computer on the internet
has a unique ip address and if the GoldenRobot wants to talk to R2D2
on the internet, it has to know the IP address of R2D2 (name
borrowed from the movie Star Wars).
But Wait a minute, does that mean that there are only
256*256*256*256 number of computers that can connect to the
internet, technically yes. But that number is large enough for now
until they start connecting ever microwave and freezer to the
internet (imagine your freezer automatically placing an order for 2
liters of milk to the grocery store when it detects that your milk
stock is diminishing!)

OK, now you must be thinking all the ip address stuff is fine, but
how does it relate to domain names ? Remember that I said "if the
GoldenRobot wants to talk to R2D2, it has to know the IP address of
R2D2 " - but all you give to your computer is the Domain Name of the
website you want to visit, so how can it get the ip address ? Enter
the NameServer.

The job of a nameserver is to resolve a domain name to an ip
address. Simple.

A nameserver is similar to a telephone directory except that instead
of mapping person names to phone numbers, it maps domain names to ip
addresses.

Imagine having just one telephone directory for all the people in
the world ! In the same way, if they had just one nameserver for all
domains, it would be unmanageably huge and all the computers would
have to contact that one nameserver to get the domains resolved to
ip addresses ! Even a super-duper-mega-monster-computer would not be
able to handle such a load !

So we have many nameservers. When you register a domain, you specify
which name server to use.

Now lets take our example
GoldenRobot wants to talk to R2D2
It will have to follow these steps
1> Look at the registrar entry for R2D2 to determine which
nameserver to use
2> Connect to that nameserver and ask it for the ip address of R2D2
3> Connect to R2D2 using this IP address

In reality it is a bit more complicated due nameserver cacheing, and
chained recursive lookups leading to authoritative and non
authoritative responses but our example illustrates the basic
concept and is sufficient knowledge to setup your domain.


One misconception that I would like to clarify, some people think
that each domain name maps to a unique ip address, not true. Just as
many people in a house can share a single telephone number, many
domain names can share a single ip address. The NameServer will
return the same ip address for all of these domains and when the
browser connects to that ip address, it says I am trying to reach
suchandsuch.com domain, the webserver then returns the correct page
for the domain requested. Obtaining a unique ip address (known as
dedicated ip) for your website is usually more expensive than
sharing the ip address.


How to setup your domain name

Form the discussion we just had, you would be able to appreciate
that in order for you to get your domain to point to your webpage,
you need to do the following in theory

1> Obtain the ip address for the web host where your WebPages
reside - this is the webserver ip
2> Make an entry (Called as DNS Entry) in a Nameserver to resolve
your domain name to this ip address.
3> Configure your domain to use this nameserver

Most of the time, step 2 will be transparent to you as most
webservers provide nameservers in which they make the DNS entry for
you when you purchase webspace from them. Also, many good domain
registrars provide their own nameservers that you can use.

While registering a domain or after registering a domain, you will
need to set it up to use two or more nameservers. It is common to
use multiple nameservers so that if one of them is down the others
may be used. You have three options to set the nameservers
1> nameserver provided by your web host
Your webhost will usually have their own nameservers. In their
documentation they may say you need to use something like
ns1.yourwebhost.com and ns2.yourwebhost.com - If you use these, you
need not bother about the webserver ip address or any other
settings, just configure your domain to use these and you are all
set.
2> nameserver provided by the registrar that you register your
domain with
If you use this option, you will need to know the ip address of your
webserver (provided by your webhost). As you will be using the
nameserver provided by your registrar, you will need to set it up to
point to the correct ip address for your website by creating a DNS
entry. The ip address for your webserver is called as the A record
and the ip address for your mail server is called as the MX record,
CNAME records are used if one domain needs to be similar to another
domain, but you do not need to understand these options for a basic
setup. Many top notch domain registrars in the industry provide
advanced DNS management like forwarding your domain to another site,
subdomains, email id management, wildcard dns etc
3> third party nameservers
This is an option that very advanced domain managers prefer when
they wish to have more features and greater control over their DNS
records which may not be provided by the registrar or the webhost.

Now a days, the line between the web hosts and the domain registrars
is fading as most domain registrars are providing web hosting and
most web hosts are providing domain registration. If you purchase
your domain registration and web hosting from the same company,
chances are that you may never need to do any setup at all.


What to look for in a registrar
It is always a good idea to register your domain with a domain
registration site rather than with your webhost so you can be able
to shift your webhost in case you need to without loosing your
domain.
A good domain registrar should provide you the following features

No Cost Domain Forwarding - To Point your domain to anywhere you
choose, you can even use a long free web host url and forward your
domain to it.
No Cost for Change of Registrant - Makes sure you can change
registrars (transfer out to another registrar) for your domain
without paying a heavy fee.
No Cost Domain Parking - You get one page saying your site is under
construction or something like that
Domain Name Locking - makes sure that no one can initiate a transfer
request until you unlock your domain
DNS Server Changes - You should be able to login to your own control
panel and make any changes yourself

I use http://value-name.com for all my domain needs, they provide 1
year registration for $8.75 and $7.75 for a domain transfer
including one year extension. They also have special prizing for
bulk registrations.

Trouble Shooting Domain Name Problems
What can you do if you have trouble setting up your domain? First of
all, remember that it may take up to 48 hours for your domain
changes to propagate across the internet. If you wish to verify the
settings on any domain, you can use our recommended whois tool from
http://biz-whiz.com/PostWrap-page-nstool.html

The whois report on any domain will tell you about the current
nameservers attached to that domain in addition to the contact
addresses, the registration date, expiry date and the date when the
last modifications were made to that domain record. If the
nameservers are not correct then you know you have to change them by
logging into your domain name control panel or by contacting your
registrar support. If the name servers that are shown are correct,
then you can use the nslookup tool (Advanced DNS Lookup) from
http://biz-whiz.com/PostWrap-page-nstool.html to determine the ip
address being returned for your domain by any nameserver. Here you
should enter one of the nameserver that you find in the whois output
and see what ip address it returns for your domain name.
If it does not return an ip address then the nameserver has to be
configured to point your domain to the correct ip address, or you
may be using the wrong nameserver.
If it returns an ip address, You can try typing the ip address
directly into the address bar of your web browser, if it gives a 404
page not found error, then either the ip address is wrong or the
webserver is down. If it returns some generic page but not your
webpage, that is all right, this is to be expected unless you are
using a dedicated ip address. Make sure that the IP address returned
is the correct one that your web host is providing to you. If you
are sure that the ip address is correct and still your website does
not show when you type in your domain name in the address bar of
your browser, then it may be that other people are able to access
your site and only you are not able to access it because your local
nameserver does not resolve your domain or resolves it wrongly. In
that case, if you can find out the nameserver your local machine is
using, you can enter that nameserver in the nslookup tool at and see
what ip address it is returning. If your local nameserver is
returning the wrong ip address all you need to do is wait till the
dns changes propagate to your local nameserver, If your local
nameserver is returning the right ip address, then you must contact
your web host to inform them that their webserver is not configured
to handle your domain.

Conclusion
We have covered a lot of ground here, from registering a domain to
setting, configuring and trouble shooting it. Even if you never need
to configure a domain, understanding the concepts behind what goes
on behind the scenes when you type a domain name in your browser
should make you feel good about yourself. And if you are one of
those people who eat domains for breakfast, this article should give
you a head start into the advanced configuration options available
and with a little practice, you will be well on your way to become a
Jedi Knight of domain management. May the force be with you, always.

By Mufad.
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Domain Names--Points To Consider When Choosing One

Author: Ba Kiwanuka

Domain Name Registration


Never register your domain name through your web hosting company however attractive the deal might appear. Why? Well one day you may wish to transfer your domain name to another web hosting provider and your current web host may not take kindly to this. It is not unusual in such cases for the web host to charge a transfer fee and even in extreme cases to unequivocally refuse the transfer of your domain name. If such a situation arises you can report the offending party to the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).


Another thing to consider when registering your domain name is not to rely solely on your domain name register to ensure that the domain name you have in mind is available and does not infringe on someone else's trademark rights (unless you enjoy being sued). To be doubly sure your domain name has no trademark infringement issues, after conducting a search for its availability on your domain name register's website, you can also check at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) http://www.uspto.gov.


When registering your domain name it's a good idea to register it for more than one year. The reason being that, other than the usual discounts you get for multi-year registrations from most domain name registers, Google (and perhaps the other search engines) consider multi-year registered domains as less likely to be spam sites. Consequently, right off the bat your site will have a search engine advantage (at least with Google), such as a shorter evaluation period in the Google Sandbox.


A final note about domain name registration; there are plenty of domain name registration companies out there, all eager and equally willing to register your new name. Domain name registration prices range from as little as $10 a year up to $35 per year and beyond. Generally there is little point in opting for the more expensive registers because you more or less get the same service. In fact some of the cheaper domain name registration companies provide better quality service.


However whatever service you use, make sure that your domain name is registered in your name. Some less scrupulous domain registration services have been known to register new domains with their own information. You can verify that your domain is registered with your particulars at: http://www.internic.net/whois.html.


The Domain Name Game


So what kind of domain name do you want? Do you want to pick a domain name incorporated with a targeted keyword, or do you want to take the memorable-brand route that the likes of Google, Yahoo and Amazon (to name but a few) have done with astounding success. Well, if your website is going to be business related or involved in some form of commerce it makes sense to have a well-searched-for-keyword incorporated within the domain name. The majority of online businesses are still found through search engine queries. By and large though, a good rule of thumb is to incorporate the most searched for term (for your market) in your domain name.


The shorter your domain name the more memorable it's going to be. However you'll discover that most one-word/two-word domain names have been snatched up already. One alternative you've got is to hyphenate your targeted keyword with another word. The jury is still out about hyphens though, but most seo experts concur that hyphenating a string of words makes a long domain name more search engine friendly. The downside is that when it comes to word-of-mouth dissemination most folks won't bother including those pesky hyphens, with the resulting consequence that intended referrals to your domain could end up on your competitor's doorstep. So as you can see, the whole process of naming your domain is a fine balancing act.


Cutesy Artsy Domain Names


There's a budding artist in all of us waiting for just the right moment and place to show the world we are the new Leonardo da Vinci. Be that as it may, but naming your domain is not the place to express that inner artist. Avoid cutesy names interspersed with numbers in place of words (e.g., 4 instead of for), they'll only confuse potential customers and torment you with heaps of regret somewhere down the road. In fact the best rule of thumb is to avoid numbers in your domain name altogether. However, if on the other hand your domain functions merely as a cyber-platform to let an uncaring world know you exist, then by all means let loose!


Bottom line...your domain name is your online identity, so try to choose something that is memorable, fares well with the search engines, and also inspires confidence and respect.


To Dot.com or Not to Dot.com


These days there're more and more choices for domain name extensions. This is great news because it is getting increasingly difficult to find a good domain name ending in .com that runs under twenty letters (okay that might be a wee bit of an exaggeration but you get the point). However the drawback with using anything other than a .com extension is human nature. You see people are creatures of conditioning and habit, and given a choice of precisely similar domain names, (other than the extension) you can bet most of us will instinctively beeline for the domain name with the .com extension--Without question the .com extension is the most recognizable.


Also think twice before settling for a top level country code domain such as co.uk. Unless you are located in that region and ship primarily within the area, such a domain name could have a negative impact on your business. Think about it...a potential customer based in the U.S. or another part of the world is not going to relish the prospect of forking out a mini fortune for shipping and handling fees when they can easily find a more local competitor. In the same vein try not to regionalize your domain name (unless your business caters to a market found only within that region) because you'll probably lose potential customers who reside elsewhere.


On a final note, if you anticipate a lot of your traffic is going to come via word-of-mouth referral, you might consider registering similar domain names and redirecting to your main url (e.g. www.africasafarizone.com and www.africansafarizone.com) before cyber-squatters (people who register domain names in hopes of selling them for a profit) get wind of your growing success and beat you to it.

Find A Quality Domain Name Registration Provider

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Ba Kiwanuka is the webmaster of http://www.internetbusinessmart.com

http://www.internetbusinessmart.com

Tips For Choosing A Domain Name

Author: Sammer Hakim

Your domain name acts as a lure for visitors to your site. It diffuses all over the Web into various search engines, discussion boards and forums to attract users to your site. Once it draws them in, the rest of your site is responsible for selling them your idea. But this initial period of drawing customers in requires a dynamite domain name. When selecting your domain name�
1. Keep It As Concise As Possible
You have the luxury of using up to 67 characters to register your domain but only use this space if you have to. Otherwise, keep it as short and sweet as possible. Although nearly all of site visits are via click-throughs and not typed in URL's, having a domain that's easy to remember can help you in both your online and offline promotions. So use the keyword search wisely and use the most popular search terms for a high impact domain.
2. Dot What?
.com � plain and simple.
Although there are numerous suffixes, don't use them. Even today, the most recognizable and most associated Web address is .com so stick with what works. If you feel a compelling urge to try something different like .net, .biz, etc. run the site parallel to a .com and prove to yourself which site is performing better. Also, many web browsers will automatically insert a .com by default if the ending suffix isn't inserted � another reason to use .com.
3. Avoid Trademarked Names
Unless you have an endless supply of time and money to spend fighting trademarked names, keep clear of other people's identities. Use an original domain name that is rich in keyword content to attract quality traffic. If you knock off somebody else's name/identity, it only harms your online reputation and can result in very costly lawsuits. And companies are more than willing to pay. Are you?
4. Register Your Domain NOW
Don't delay! The euphoria domain name buying has created is seeing droves of people rushing to grab the best names they can get their hands on. Don't con yourself thinking 'nobody will ever think up of this domain' � they are probably saying the same thing to themselves too. Don't talk yourself out of getting a hot domain name because of what might or might not happen. Just grab it first, and then you can do what you want with it later. And you don't need to be a computer nerd to get one. Just follow the simple instructions on this site and you will have your domain name minutes from now.
5. One Domain Name May Not Be Enough
You may have to register different versions of your domain if you are selling a large variety of products. You can do this by registering similar addresses consistent with your business and have them all direct to one website. You can increase your visibility on search engines by doing this and it gives the impression your company is a lot bigger (hence more secure and established) than what it really is. This helps to build faster credibility with your customers.
6. Character Types
This is pretty straightforward: Letters, dashes and numbers are ok, spaces and symbols aren't. Also domain names are not case-sensitive; it doesn't matter how you enter the address ie: domain.com is the same as DOMAIN.com.
7. Ask Around
Before you finalize your domain selection, make sure you use the appropriate keyword search tools and include the most frequently searched terms into your domain. Keep in mind, most people will find your domain name via search engines, not direct URL entries. This is more reason to ensure your keyword selection is relevant to your business. Also, ask reputable online experts if you aren't sure.
8. Don't Shell Out Large Amounts of $$$
In the Dark Ages of 1998, companies were charging enormous amounts of money plus a "mandatory" $70 InterNIC fee to register and host your domain. And customers were shelling out money only to realize, it was eating away at their profit margins. Since 'e' is for electronic, it was supposed to be streamlined and more efficient right? So why the high costs? Well, things have literally changed overnight. There are hundreds of companies now offering domain name registration services for very competitive rates.
You can get yours for next to pennies. Active-Domain has incredibly low prices together with several FREE services other companies still charge for like e-mail, sub-domains and site redirection.
One final tip: We can't emphasize this enough - as soon as you find your 'dream' domain and are excited about it � register it! Don't kick yourself later and lament on 'what could have been'. New domains are being registered every minute � don't let yours fall into the 'other guy's' hands.


Sammer Hakim has been instrumental in helping business owners select appropriate domain names through his site www.free-domain-name-articles.com. A copywrityer by profession, other topics he's extensively written about include website promotion, boosting response rates from sales materials and advertising.

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Benefit of Expired Domains

Author: Mike Freije

When you are creating a business or new website on the internet, as you probably know you will need a domain name. This of course is the obvious for any internet business, without a domain name you will not have a website, end of story. Now if you are new to the internet business world (where have you been?) you may not realize the importance of SEO tactics. SEO tactics, if done correctly, are designed to give you an advantage within the search engine ranks. Of course, you may be sitting there wondering, "What in the world are you talking about".

Well, this all leads to the title of the article and will answer the question what is the "Benefit of Expired Domains". You see when an domain has been in use by another person and this person allows the domain to expire without renewing, the domain name is placed back into the pool of "domains for sale". This is where the benefits begin to show, just like a new domain name, the expired domain name is available to anyone who wishes to purchase it. What is the difference between a new and expired domain name? Simple, the expired domain name has already been in use. This means that the previous own has likely invested a great deal of effort and time, not to mention money into the promotion of that domain name.

Furthermore, this means that the expired domain is likely all over the internet, with a multitude of back links. Think about it, taking possession of an expired domain name means less work for you and more time for other, more important issues. You will have the opportunity to take advantage of the work that someone else has already performed. The expired domain could already be listed with many search engines, forums, directories, and a wide variety of other websites that have this link already on them.

What does this mean? Because the previous owner already did most of the legwork, it leaves less for you to do. The traffic specific to that expired domain now becomes your traffic, which leads to your sales, and ultimately your revenue. All of this because someone else was kind enough to do the work for you already and let the domain name expire.

Now surely you would know by now, that if you were to purchase a brand new domain name, you would have to do all the advertising, promotion, SEO work, submission to search engines, forums, and directories yourself. That is a lot of time, effort, and money spent on your part and trust when we say it takes a lot of all of the above to make a new domain work. It makes sense to take advantage of an expired domain does it not? We think so, you should find the expired domain of your choice today and begin taking full advantage of the legwork that has already been done for you and use it for your website.

Author, Mike Freije, contributes articles on Internet Marketing for http://www.GlobalNewsArticles.com. For more information, visit http://www.yourexpireddomains.com

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Expired Domains Targeted Website Traffic

Author: Mike Freije

An average of 19,260 domain names expire every day. This number has increased tremendously since the same time last year when expired domain name figures were more like 1,200 daily. The expired domain name market is becoming increasingly popular with webmasters, who are locked in a fierce competition to stay one step ahead and get all the best domain names. The question is why do webmasters find someone else's old domain name so interesting?

What happens a lot of the time is people register a domain name, or purchase it for a year, they develop a web site and advertise it, to get targeted traffic. This takes a lot of time, money and effort, then due to unfortunate circumstances they may forget to re-register their domain, either they have lost interest, over looked a reminder that domain renewal was due or changed their e-mail address during the year that they used to register. Then just like that the domain name is up for sale.

Because of this, the domain, or address that they have created and all targeted traffic with the domain name becomes available for purchase. Thousands of these expired domain names are available every day. There are several tricks to knowing how to find these domain names, and how to know which domain names are valuable and which are not, and, most importantly, how to get to them first.

There are many benefits for picking up an expired domain name, unlike a new domain name, the expired name already has traffic that can come from search engine promotion, directories, forums, back links and a whole host of other promotion methods. Webmasters are using this to their advantage, either selling the domains for a profit, selling a web site with traffic already entering the site, or use as valuable sub domains for their own enterprise, thus increasing traffic to their own sites.

Quite often webmasters will register with an online service that notifies them daily of pending expiry of domain names, that will soon be up for purchase. This can keep a web master that desired extra step ahead of competitors. Competition for expired domain names, especially one word, catchy .com names is fierce, as they are in high demand and easy to remember, having most likely been around for a long time. So it is not surprising that some of them can be very valuable, for instance, a domain name could sell for $1M, yet it only costs $10 to re-register.

Benefits for acquiring an expired domain name are numerous, depending on what you want to do with it. For a small sum of around $10-$15 you have the potential of increasing traffic to your web site instantly, saving you a considerable amount of time, money and bother. It could be the cheapest targeted web site traffic around.

Author, Mike Freije, contributes articles on Internet Marketing for http://www.GlobalNewsArticles.com and http://www.freeinfoarticles.com . For more information, visit http://www.yourexpireddomains.com

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Domain Name Registration: Are You Sure You Know What To Do?

Author: James B

The domain name registration process is not too difficult, but it can take some time (usually 24-72 hrs) before your domain name propagates throughout the internet. I find that it normally takes less than 20 hrs, so keep that time in mind.

Propagation is simply the fact that it takes a while for your site to become visible on the internet due to a process called DNS (domain name server) transfer and various databases that have to be updated.

Although the domain name registration process is fairly easy, there are a few things that you should be aware of:

Steps to follow before a domain name transfer:

1. Do not just register any domain name that you like or that sounds good to you, except if your company name is well known. Do a bit of keyword research and see if you can incorporate your main keyword into the domain name.

2. Get your hosting account first, since you will need the DNS information during the domain name registration process. If you register the domain name first, the DNS information will point to the servers of your registrar until you transfer it.

3. Do not just go for the cheapest registrar. Remember, you normally get what you pay for... however, you should not have to pay more than $10 a year for a domain name.

Steps and tips to follow during the domain name registration process:

1. Choose your favorite registrar and register with them to get yourself a username and password. Each domain name registrar will have their own policies and procedures, so make sure that you read everything carefully before you register your domain name. You will also learn a lot by doing that.

2. Log into your account and type in your domain name to check if it is available.

3. Always register the .com version of a domain name wherever possible. If the .com extension of a domain name is not available, then register a .net or .org extension. However, try your best to register a .com domain by adding words like 2u, 4u at the back or words such as first, best or anything else that will fit in front.

You can also use domain name spinner software to help you choose your domain name.

4. Make sure that you register your domain name for at least 5-10 years. Wow! I will probably get a lot of flak for this, but it helps to establish credibility with the search engines. Just do not ask me where I got this information from, since it is extremely valuable.

I normally register my domain names for 5 years, but 10 is better. I know that it is a bit expensive, but if you make a great site, you will easily recover your investment.

5. Do not register domain names with dashes. There are too many of them around already and it looks silly (uhm... just my personal opinion). The main advantage however is that domain names without dashes also establishes credibility with the search engines. Avoid dashes at all costs.

6. Try and make your domain name as short as possible or at least something that can easily be remembered. After you have registered your domain name, make sure that the registrar lock function is activated otherwise someone else might be able to transfer your domain name without your permission.

This is extremely important, since you do not want to loose your domain name... and your shirt when someone else steals it from you.

7. Once the domain name registration process is complete, you should transfer your DNS information to your host. The sooner the better. When you sign up with your host, they will normally send you the DNS info along with your activation email or you can go to their forums (if they have one) and have a look around.

If all else fails, use their technical support. Most registrars require two DNS addresses and it looks something like this: ns1.cowboy-server.com, ns2.cowboy-server.com

While this is by no means a comprehensive guide to the domain name registration process, it is more or less what you should do and be aware of.

About the author: James B. is the Webmaster and Content Writer at Web Site Domain Names 2u.com

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What is Domaining?

Author: Dr. Domaining

Domaining is the business and/or hobby of buying, selling and developing domain names. The people that partake in domaining are known as domainers. Many domainers are very wealthy. Some even make tens of millions of dollars per year with their domain names. It is a very fun and exciting business and/or hobby to be involved in. You just register domains or purchase them in the domain name aftermarket, which is thriving at the time of this writing. Domain names are selling for millions upon millions of dollars.

Anybody can do it, it doesn't matter what your background is or where you are from, domaining is something that anybody can be involved in. The only thing that you really need is an Internet connection and a tiny bit of cash to get started. Since you are reading this article you obviously have the Internet connection, so what are you waiting for? Get out there and get started domaining today. You won't regret it. I promise you that.

I would recommend becoming a little bit familiar with how domaining works before getting too crazy. DomainingBlog.com is an incredible source for domainers looking for information on domaining. It is updated daily and is full of reported domain name sales, domaining news, tips and articles to help you make money domaining. It really is a great source and even has regular interviews with all of the biggest and best domainers and domaining related companies. So much great domaining knowledge is shared in these pieces. It really is recommended that you read them before getting started domaining. You will also want to sign-up for the free domaining newsletter at DomainingNewsletter.com. It will put you on the fast track to domaining success.

Another thing that you will probably want to do is go ahead and get yourself the best domaining software available to the public at the time of this writing. One thing that you will realize once you have success domaining is that it is more of a science than a lottery, like some people think. The software is available at DomainingSoftware.com and is simply amazing. It is truly an unbelievable piece of software that does everything you will need to get started making good money domaining. It can perform scans for you that are absolute necessary if you are going to be a successful domainer that would take you a month to do by hand and it does them in minutes. Not to mention, that it also manages all of your domains for you regardless of what registrar they are at. You don't want to lose track of them. I can tell you that much and I haven't even gotten to the tip of the iceberg. You will really have to go to DomainingSoftware.com and read all of the details for yourself. They will really boggle your mind. The creator is a domaining and software genius by the name of Luc Lezon and he has been interviewed at DomainingBlog.com. He is a really great guy that knows software and domaining extremely well.

Well, now that you know what domaining is, you can get started today. Who knows, maybe you will be the next domainer that sells their domain name for over ten million dollars. What would you do with ten million dollars? Put it back into domaining? Buy a deserted island and retire? In the end that is up to you.

Good luck and happy domaining!

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global domains international downline building 101 completely free

Author: Don Virden

If you are involved in network marketing then odds are you have heard of global domains international. Now what this article is going to show you is to properly build a downline in global domains international. There are thousands of people involved with global domains international and with good reason as they are the 37th fastest growing company in America and offer a great residual income that can and will support someone for years to come. The problem with global domains international is that many members do not how to properly build their downline with gdi. This will be an unofficial marketing plan to take your global domains international business and turn it into a 5 figure monthly income with hard work and following this very simple step by step guide.

My name is Don Virden and I have been in network marketing for about 5 years and have tried to build my downline in many different companies and have failed terribly. I found a proven technique that I inturn used to help me build my downline with global domains international and it has worked very well. If you follow this step by step guide you will be able to add another 5 to 10 people per day to your downline and of course this is completely free to do and to tell your downline members about also.

Step One � Give me a million dollars, no seriously though first of course you need to sign up for global domains international if you are not already a member but odds are if you are reading this then you are and just need help with building your downline. So to sign up simply go here http://www.3stepsecret.com/gditeam

Step Two � What you need to do is go to this website that lays out a very simple 6 steps to getting not only free training but also free traffic. When you are on the site simply go from step 1 to 6 and that's it. From this website there is audio training, text training, tele-training and much more. There is even a huge free marketing plan that involves myspace which will really explode your business. So go here to get started on this step http://www.gditeam.ws now the way they have this site setup is very straight forward and walks you through the whole thing which is why I liked it.

Step Three � This step is the easiest as it involves barely any work at all, simply give this information to all of your downline. What this will do is get them the proper training to build an income and in turn make you more money with global domains international. Everything in this article is 100% free and has worked for me very well so far as it will for you.

So all you need is to follow these 3 easy steps and that's it! I do this on a daily basis and it has made me realize how easy network marketing is if you have a simple guide to get you there. With global domains international we will all become very successful and if this article has helped you then please let me know so I can add your testimonial to my next article which will help many others who are trying to build a downline with global domains international also.

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How to earn money with domains

Author: Olivier Roy

First, you need to buy a domain, preferably a .com and as short as possible. We recommend using GoDaddy for the registration because their prices are incredibly low.

Tips for choosing a domain :
- lenght : it must be as short as possible but it should mean something not like kjs.com
- extension : preferably a .com or .net because the other extensions are worth less
- traffic : it's good if it already has traffic and links to it
- keyword : some keywords are worth more than the others ex : casino

Then, you can either park your domain on a parking program like Sedo or develop a website on it. If you decide to develop your domain, make sure you have a good webhost, a good design and good content. If you have a cheap host, you may have a lot of downtime or a poor technical support. In the meantime, you can list your domain for sale on some websites. Sedo also offer that kind of service.

Finally, you sell your domain or website to end-user or to another domainer. End-user will often offer more than domainer but they are harder to find.

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Webmaster of DomainVP.com - Domain valuation professionals
and SafeInvesting.info - your guide to making money online

http://www.domainvp.com

The Seven Steps to Finding a Great Domain Name

Author: Sharon Hewitt

The most important step in starting your online presence is the selection of your domain name. While this task can appear difficult, you can find a great domain name as long as you take your time and follow a logical process. A great domain name is one that is short enough to be easy to remember, easy to spell correctly, and memorable. This will be your online brand, so take your time and use our tools and you'll soon have your own great domain name. We offer a seven step process for you to follow to get the best name available for your web site.

1.) Start with a list of names that immediately come to mind that you would like to have. If you already have an existing business, group or club name - put it on the list. Many of your first choices may not be available, but keep them on your list for now. Fortunately, there are now more Top Level Domain (TLD) alternatives such as .net, .biz, .us, .org or .info. The ".Biz" extension is still new, but will become more popular in time. Another alternate is to use the extensions that were made for some of the smaller countries such as ".cc" (Cocos Islands), or ".tv" (Tuvalu).

2.) Use our Advanced Smart Search Utility to gain some more ideas. This free domain name generator will help to suggest available domain names. Search for one of your top names or keywords, and if it is not available you can then click on the "Smart Search" tab. You will then be presented with a variety of options including alternate extensions, dashes and popular prefixes and suffixes. You can also click on the "view all" to see all of the available names from that search.

3.) Use Keyword rich domain names - Assemble a list of keywords that can serve as a domain name or use a combination of keywords (example: killbugsfast.com). You can also use our keyword recommendation tool in our resource center. This resource is provided by Digital Point Solutions and can be located in the search engine optimization section of our resource center at this link: http://www.economywebdomains.com/domains-resource-center.htm

4.) Prefixes - One popular approach is to add a prefix in the beginning of a more generic name, as in eToys.com or eGreetings.com. Additional common prefixes to consider are e, z, my, and Ez.

5.) Suffixes - If you have an existing business, this can be very effective. Two good extensions are Online and Direct ( ex: MerrilLynchDirect.com). The more powerful your brand is, the more effective this option can be.

6.) Consider adding a Dash. Some names can be very effective with the use of a dash. If the website is primarily to be found via search engines, then the dash can be used very well. For search engine purposes, you can use a number of keywords separated by dashes. Use one of our recommended keyword resources and you can find many good phrases. For most businesses, we recommend that you limit the use of dashes (no more than one), as you should use the address on your business cards, in your email signature and all of your advertising campaigns.

7.) Creative combination words - Get creative and use action words that can be partially combined to create a new word. Brainstorm by using a combination of your sites keywords. A great example of this is a senior care provider named Evergive.

Remember this will be your brand, so take your time, make a complete list, Follow these seven steps and you should have a list of names to choose a great domain name.


Sharon Hewitt is founder and President of Economy Web Domains. For more information about registering your own domain name, or getting affordable web hosting, visit the website http://www.economywebdomains.com/

This article may be freely distributed if this resource box remains attached.

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Warning: Your Domain Name Could Infringe On Trademark Rights!

Author: Al Martinovic

Warning: Your Domain Name Could Infringe On Trademark
Rights! By Al Martinovic

If you have or are about to purchase a domain name, YOU
could be in trouble and you don't even know it yet...

See, what the domain sellers won't tell you is that the
domain name you are purchasing or have purchased can
possibly infringe on trademark rights and you can lose
that domain name or even worse.

Trademark and servicemark laws apply not only off-line
but on-line as well and they even apply to domain
names.

Now, a trademark generally applies to goods where as a
servicemark applies to services. For the purpose of
this article I will refer to trademarks as the same
rules apply.

A trademark can be a word, name, symbol, or device and
it is used to distinguish and indentify the goods and
services from one person or company from that of
another.

The purpose of a trademark is to prevent confusion in
the eyes of the consumer relating to particular goods
and services. Basically, they are in place to prevent
unfair competition.

So with that said, just because you purchased a
particular domain name it does not necessarily mean you
have exclusive rights to it.

If there is a trademark in your domain name, the mark
owner has a legal right to send you a "cease and
desist" letter and possibly take that domain name away
from you.

If you don't believe a word I've said so far then I
offer myself as proof because it happened to me. I
recently lost one of my domain names under this exact
same circumstance.

For legal reasons I can't tell you the domain name as I
agreed to make no further references to it, but there
were two words in my domain name that were associated
with a trademark.

Now, I wasn't aware of this when I purchased the domain
name. And I definitely wasn't aware of trademark laws.

Don't be ignorant on the subject like I was. You can
avoid any potential problems by educating yourself and
thereby preventing the samething from happening to you.

Don't make the same mistake that I did!

Do your research before you buy a domain name and make
sure there is NO trademark associated with that name.

There are trademark search engines where you can type
in a word or a phrase and it will tell you if it is a
trademark.

You can visit the United States Patent And Trademark
Office (USPTO) website to do a trademark search:

http://www.uspto.gov/

Now, in my case I chose not to fight the trademark
dispute and gave up my domain name voluntarily. I felt
it just wasn't worth the time, money and headaches to
launch a fight over this.

If this should ever happen to you, you do have rights
and there are proper channels to go through to settle
the dispute. Contact a lawyer who specializes in this
field.

And don't even think for one minute that this sort of
thing can't happen to you. Trust me. If you have a
trademark in your domain name it is only a matter of
time before you get that letter in the mail like I did.

There are numerous cases all over the internet
concerning disputes over trademark and domain names.

Don't you be one of them...

If you would like more information on the subject of
trademarks and domain names then I highly recommend you
visit this website:

http://www.chillingeffects.org/domain

This article and any links associated with it are for
informational purposes only and not intended as legal
advice. As always, speak to an attorney who specializes
in this field in the event of a dispute.

Al Martinovic is the publisher of the Millenium
Marketers Newsletter where you will find powerful
internet marketing concepts, killer strategies, useful
tips and no bull business advice.
http://www.milleniummarketers.com
mailto:almartinovic@...?subject=TSubscribe

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Whois

Author: abul kashem

AUTHOR NAME: Ameet Arurkar


Whois is a TCP query tool which allows users to sort through a database to find information about the owner of a IP address or domain. These searches are done via the internet, and were originally conducted with a command line interface. However, much of this equipment has been greatly simplified, and information can be accessed from multiple databases. Whois is used by a number of adminstrators.

Originally, Whois was used by system administrators who wanted to look up information on other system adminstrators using their IP address or domain. The use of whois lookup has evolved, and it is now used for either benevolent or corrupt purposes by people who are not system admins. The information within Whois is stored in one of two ways, and these are thick or thin. When a thick method for storing information is used, a single whois lookup server will store all the information for a operator.

With a thin model, the name of the whois server for a operator that holds the full information on the report will be looked up. If the information which is pulled up is not understood, the data from a thin lookup may be used as well. One of the problems with the whois lookup is that there is no clear distinction on how to tell the thick model from the thin. Much of the information for .com and .net domains can be found using Whois thin, while lower level domains such as .org operate on a thick model. A good website with information on whois can be found at whois-it.com.

When the internet first broke away from ARPANET, DARPA was responsible for handling all the information related to domains. The use of whois became widespread during the 1980s, when it became more standardized. Because whois was controlled by one institution, all the information resided on one server, and finding information was relatively easy. Though DARPA handled registration on Whois up until the end of the 1980s, this was eventually transferred over to third party institutions by the end of the 1990s.

As of 2005, ICAAN now handles whois. Despite the popularity of whois among many web users, there are a number of problems. Privacy is an important issue among many people today, and some feel that programs like whois allow blatant violations of privacy. Because the telephone number and address of the person owning the domain is available for any one to see, this can lead to a number of problems. Many spammers use the email addresses found in whois lookups, and can use this information to send spam to users.

Another problem with whois is the global appeal it has. Because it is based in the US, few countries use it, and this may come as a blessing to those who don't want their personal information falling into the hands of even more people. The whois lookup servers do not have the ability to tell which text is being used to process requests. There is also no centralized list of whois servers, and those who choose to write whois programs will need to manually look for individual servers.

ABOUT AUTHOR:
Ameet Arurkar is the Founder President of Stargate Holdings Inc. He has served as the President of Valvola Corporation and the Managing Director of Intelisys India Ltd and has an experience of over 8 years in Web Application Software and Ebusiness.

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Your Own .Com

Author: Art Luff

Before obtaining your web site you'll need to have and register a domain name for your site. Now a domain name is nothing more than the web address that potential clients and customers will use to locate your site. This is also called the URL of the website. This is what you and your customers will type into their internet browsers top window in order to go to a specific website.

Your web sites theme should be built around you domain name. So taking care to chose the right domain name is very important. You'll want your domain name to say something that describes the content or theme of your site. This can't be stressed enough.

The availability of your domain may take some trial and error. Since there are so many sites coming online every day, it stands to reason that your first choice, in all probability, will not be available. It may take many variations of your domain name of choice before you find one that is available.

However, there are services available in the internet that offers domain name search. These websites will search for similar domain names and tell you if the domain name you chose is unique or if it is unavailable before you register it.

When creating a website, thinking of a domain name for your website is the first thing you have to do. The next step would be finding out if your domain name is taken or if it is available. It can be very frustrating to find out that your chosen domain name is already being used and is unavailable. This is why it is recommended that you should think of several potential domain names for your website and try them out one by one.

To check for your domain name availability, there are websites that offer domain name search. These services usually come from websites that offer domain name registration. Your domain name can also be the same as other domain names, provided that the extension is different. An example of a domain name extension is the ".com". Today, there are different kinds of domain name extension. Here are some examples:

� .com

� .info

� .biz

� .net

� .us

Any and All of these extensions may be used for your upcoming website. If at all possible, try and stick with the .com extension.It is the most widely used and if you or a potential visitor forgets the extention. Your machine, will by default, resolve to the .com extension.

As I said before, the process of chosing your domain name may take a bit of time since there are thousands of new domains coming online every day. All needing and looking for a domain name. You'll be amazed at just how many variations of your particular domain will come back as unavailable. Don't give up. You'll eventually get the one you want.

Once you chose an available domain name for your website, the next step would be registering it. This can be done right from the source of search. If not there are numerous domain registration websites that offer this service. Domain name registration websites usually charges a fee for their domain name registration services. These websites differ in prices for domain name registration services; it is up to you to choose what domain name registration website you want to use. My choice would be Go-Daddy.com or Yahoo.com. Both have specials that offer your first years registration fee for cheap. Only to revert back to the regular $8.99 per year for the 2nd and 3rd years.

After registering your domain name, you will now be ready to create your website. Always remember that before creating a website, you will first need a domain name in order for you to put the contents of your website on the internet.

Art Luff is Webmaster/Owner of http://www.yournamecheap.com/ Visit his site to chose and register your domain for just $4.99 per year.

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Domain Name Registration: Steps and Tips

Author: James B

The domain name registration process is not too difficult, but it can take some time (usually 24-72 hrs) before your domain name "propagates" throughout the internet. I find that it normally takes less than 20 hrs, so keep that time in mind.

"Propagation" is simply the fact that it takes a while for your site to become visible on the internet due to a process called DNS (domain name server) transfer and various databases that have to be updated.

Although the domain name registration process is fairly easy, there are a few things that you should be aware of:

Steps to follow before a domain name transfer:

1. Don't just register any domain name that you like or that sounds good to you, except if your company name is well known. Do a bit of keyword research and see if you can incorporate your main keyword into the domain name.

2. Get your hosting account first, since you'll need the DNS information during the domain name registration process. If you register the domain name first, the DNS information will point to your registrar's servers until you transfer it.

3. Don't just go for the cheapest registrar. Remember, you normally get what you pay for... however, you shouldn't have to pay more than $10 a year for a domain name.

Steps and tips to follow during the domain name registration process:

1. Choose your favorite registrar and register with them to get yourself a username and password. Each domain name registrar will have their own policies and procedures, so make sure that you read everything carefully before you register your domain name. You'll also learn a lot by doing that.

2. Log into your account and type in your domain name to check if it's available.

3. Always register the .com version of a domain name wherever possible. If the .com extension of a domain name is not available, then register a .net or .org extension. However, try your best to register a .com domain by adding words like 2u, 4u at the back or words such as first, best or anything else that will fit in front.

You can also use domain name spinner software to help you choose your domain name.

4. Make sure that you register your domain name for at least 5-10 years. Wow! I'll probably get a lot of flak for this, but it helps to establish credibility with the search engines. Just don't ask me where I got this information from, since it's extremely valuable.

I normally register my domain names for 5 years, but 10 is better. I know that it's a bit expensive, but if you make a great site, you'll easily recover your investment.

5. Don't register domain names with dashes. There's too many of them around already and it looks silly (uhm... just my personal opinion). The main advantage however is that domain names without dashes also establishes credibility with the search engines. Avoid dashes at all costs.

6. Try and make your domain name as short as possible or at least something that can easily be remembered. After you have registered your domain name, make sure that the registrar lock function is activated otherwise someone else might be able to transfer your domain name without your permission.

This is extremely important, since you don't want to loose your domain name... and your shirt when someone else steals it from you.

7. Once the domain name registration process is complete, you should transfer your DNS information to your host. The sooner the better. When you sign up with your host, they'll normally send you the DNS info along with your activation email or you can go to their forums (if they have one) and have a look around.

If all else fails, use their technical support. Most registrars require two DNS addresses and it looks something like this: ns1.cowboy-server.com, ns2.cowboy-server.com

While this is by no means a comprehensive guide to the domain name registration process, it's more or less what you should do and be aware of.


About the author: James B. is the Webmaster and Content Writer at Web Site Domain Names 2u.com

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Register a Cheap Domain Name - Here's How

Author: Eddie Atkinson

With more and more individuals and businesses surfing the internet for products, services and information, it's becoming more evident every day that in order to be taken seriously in the business world, you need to build your identity on the World Wide Web. The first step in this somewhat tedious process is to register your domain name.

Primarily, there are three major steps within this process, the first of which is finding a reputable registrar to work with. Fly-by-night operations fill the web with many empty promises, so be sure to check the credibility of your chosen registrar before ordering. The Better Business Bureau is just one means of checking into a company. Customer references are another. There are plenty of domain name registrars out there for you to research, so don't allow one bad apple to spoil the bunch.

There are many different types of domain registrars that exist on the net. You will find many that are pricey, as well as many that are very cheap. Do your homework on the company at hand, making sure that you're not buying more than you need to keep the cost down. One caveat- if the price is too cheap, customer service might not be their forte. The best registrars have a balance of good customer service and affordable pricing.

Next on the agenda is deciding on an extension for your domain name. You will have many options: .com for a global commercial site, .org for a global organization (typically non-profit), or your country's extension- .us for the United States, .ca for Canada, .uk for the United Kingdom, etc. Most reputable registrars offer all of the common domain name extensions, but double check that your registrar offers the extension you need.

The final step is the choice of other services offered by your registrar of choice, including web hosting your site, email services directed to your new domain name (yourname@yoursite.com), as well as building blocks for you to add to your site as your company grows. A quality registrar's web site will be able to assist you with picking out the appropriate services, as well as the proper amount of these services, to best fill your company needs.

While shopping for the ideal company to register your own domain name can be painstaking work, the end result of your efforts will be the representation of you and your business on the World Wide Web.




Eddie Atkinson recommends Names Beyond to register a cheap domain name.

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A Quick Tip On Finding Buyers For Your Domain Names

Author: Edwin John

If you're convinced you have the best domain names, you may just be right!

Many small and medium sized businesses online, have poor and difficult sounding names.

If you could show them a better domain name and how they might profit from it, who knows, they may be very interested to acquire it for their business.

The key is to look for domain names that are similiar and/or inferior to yours.

Here's one way you might go about looking for potential prospects.


Use the search tool at DomainSurfer.com.

Say, if you owned MusicLand.com, just type in musicland in the search box. (also try, music-land, with the hyphen).

This will show you a list of domains that are similiar to yours. You might see a musiclandproductions.com, musiclandstation.com or a emusicland.com. All these are generally inferior to yours.

Click on the domains and see which ones have active websites. Don't spam every domain you come across! You want to limit your interest to those which actually have a proper commercial website. Forget about the inactive sites or those that are parked or those that look like personal home pages.

Lookup the WHOIS info for the owner's contact. The one you want is the registrant/administrative contact.

Compose a proper email regarding your business proposal. If possible, use the owner's name in your email. If you don't want to look like a spammer, don't use free mail like Yahoo or Hotmail. And make sure you include your full name & telephone number

Here is a sample email you can modify and use.

==============================================
Dear (name),

I am selling the rights to my domain name - (domain.com)
and am contacting a few companies that I think may be
able to use this web name successfully.

You can use this domain name in your operation as it has
good potential to increase traffic and business to your site.

Please contact me at your convenience if you are
interested in this domain name.

Thank you for your time.

Regards,
(your name)
(your email add)
(tel)
==============================================

It might be a good idea to also state what's so great about your domain.
Does it have good page rank? Search engine listings? Link popularity?
And what all these could mean to the prospect. More customers? Better search engine positions for their keyword?

So there you are.

All this will take time, effort and plenty of patience.

But if you are at the right place at the right time with the right domain, you'll be pocketing some nice cash.

All the best!


==================================
You can learn more ways to find buyers for your domain
names at http://www.OpenForSale.com
Edwin John is the creator of the "How I Sell My Domain Names:
A Weekend Crash Course" information package.
==================================

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Everybody Underestimates the Bulging Power of Domain Names: What You Do Not Know Will Hurt.

Author: Brandon Dmitrov

On the World Wide Web your domain name is your own unique identity. No two parties can ever hold the same domain name simultaneously; therefore your Internet identity is totally unique. If you have a business site on the Internet your domain name is your own online brand and in a sense you can use your domain name as your online business card. With your own domain name your web site, and e-mail addresses for example will have that professional look, being unique to your business. Many people often miss the importance of having and then keeping their domain name until they lose it. Once this happens they soon realize that they have lost their whole online identity.

How does a domain name work?

To understand why you need a domain name you first need to know how a domain name works.

A domain name is an addressing construct, used for finding and identifying computers on the Internet. Computers use Internet Protocol (IP) Addresses, which are a series of numbers used to identify each other on the Internet; however, many people find it hard to remember IP Addresses. Because of this, domain names were developed so that easily remembered names and phrases could be used to identify entities in the Internet instead of using an IP Address.

What should I use as a domain name?

You can use a word or phrase as a domain name. When thinking of a domain name, think of catchy words or phrases that are easy to remember and that will bring more traffic to your site. Try to use a domain name that is relevant to your web site. If your web site is a business site, it is a good idea to use the companies name as the domain name or if your site is a personal site try to think of a domain name that is related to the topic of your web site.

Also try to keep your domain name as short as possible, around 5 to 20 characters is fine. The shorter the domain name the easier it will be to remember.

One thing to keep in mind is assumed spelling issues; if you think up a 'clever' domain name such as 1luv4u.com � One Love For You (dating service), people may type in oneloveforyou.com believing this is the domain name; or oneluv4u.com, or 1love4you.com etc. This leads to brand problems. In this case the "oneloveforyou.com" name would be best. Another unfortunate example: Flo Office Supplies � flooffice.com?

How do I acquire a domain name?

There are two main ways you can get a domain name. You can either register your domain name yourself or you can get your web host or ISP (Internet Service Provider) to register it for you.

To register a domain name yourself you will need to choose a Registrar. A Registrar is an ICANN accredited domain registration company. There are hundreds of Registrars on the Internet nowadays. The market is becoming increasingly competitive; which means that you can purchase domains names for a low yearly fee.

Most web hosting companies will offer domain registration services to their clients. When you register a domain name through a web host they will register your domain name for you through their own approved registrar. An advantage to having your web host register your domain name for you is that, they have probably done this process many times before; they have all the necessary information ready at hand. This process will save you time and, as long as you give the 'correct' domain name desired, there will be no unfamiliar dealings with Registrars.

Why should I keep my domain name registered?

If you loose your domain name you can loose your whole online identity.

Because you can only register a domain name for a year or so, you will need to make sure that you renew it before the expiry date. Once your domain name expires you will no longer own that domain name. Your Registrar will then own it and be able to sell your domain name to the highest bidder. To make sure you don't loose your domain name you will need to make sure you renew your domain name at least two weeks before it expires.

Also make sure that your information is registered properly, especially if you didn't register your domain name yourself. Ensure that your information is displayed as the registrant, administrative and billing contacts; most importantly make sure that the email addresses for these contacts are ACTIVE. When you receive any information about your domain name, such as renewals, price changes, etc� an email will be sent to this email address. If you can't receive any mail from the email addresses listed under the domain names contact then you are at risk of not receiving important notifications about your domain names, which could result in loosing your domain name.

People often miss the importance of having their own unique domain name for their web sites. A domain name represents you, your company and your online presence; as does a 'business card'. If you don't have your own domain name you won't be able to promote your own online identity and web site on the World Wide Web.

With over a decade worth of experience and thousands of happy clients under our belt, 5 Shades Media is the number one choice for your web design, hosting and domain needs. Find out more at: http://www.5shades.com - Professional website design and hosting solutions.

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With over a decade worth of experience and thousands of happy clients under our belt, 5 Shades Media is the number one choice for your web design, hosting and domain needs. From custom websites to shopping carts. From Flash animation to logos, we offer everything you could ever want at a price you can afford! Through our articles, we hope to share what we've learned to help you navigate the net. Find out more at: http://www.5shades.com

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