Register Your Domain Name

Your domain name is your identity on the Internet that will allow people to locate your website. It does not have to match the name of your business but the more similar they are will help your business in establishing branding continuity.

It is a good possibility that the domain you are considering is owned by someone else. However, just because someone else owns it does not mean that it is being used. There is a practice of "parking" domain names (which I personally think is very inconsiderate). Parking is when someone purchases a domain or multiple domain names with no intent of ever using them but instead, selling them to the highest bidder. Some domain names have been "held hostage" for hundreds even thousands of dollars because someone really wanted it. If you purchase a domain name and no longer need it, you can just let it expire.

Many hosting companies will give you many options for how long you want to register your new domain - one, two, even up to ten years. If you opt for longer than a year, the domain name will automatically renew. Just conduct a quick domain search to check the availability of the name or names you want. A good web site is www.domainsearch.com.

When registering a domain name, you will often be given a list of suggestions that are similar in nature or the same domain name with additional extensions. For example, if you wanted to register doggytoys.com, suggestions may be made such as doggytoys.biz, doggytoys.info or dogtoys.com, etc.

A few suggestions for selecting a domain name:

• The shorter, the better - Basically, try to keep the name as simple as possible.

• Try not to use hyphens - It is tempting to throw a hyphen in the middle of a domain name if the one you want is in use. For example, if "howtobakecookies.com" is taken, you may consider registering "how-to-bake-cookies.com." It can certainly be done but I would try to avoid it. It tells the world that the domain you wanted wasn't available so you just threw in some hyphens. Use that awesome business savvy to come up with another name...without hyphens.

• Try to avoid words that are hard to spell - You do not want to go through the trouble of having to spell a word in the domain name whenever you give it to someone

• Try to avoid using numbers in the name - Many times because a domain name is taken, people may substitute a number for a name. For example, if you want to register the domain "howtobakecookies.com" and it is taken, you may be tempted to register "how2bakecookies.com" instead. Sometimes, this may seem like the best option but keep searching to see what other names you can use. You might have to get a little creative..."cookielovers.com..." (just a thought...)

If you get too frustrated with not being able to find a domain name that you like, try thinking out of the box a little bit. Who would have thought that the words Google, Yahoo, Bing or Ebay would become a part of our every day language and a part of our normal web surfing activity?