Web Design

To some, choosing a domain name sounds like an easy thing to do. It can be, but sometimes you can run into unexpected problems. Many businesses register their company name as their domain name. If this is your plan, hopefully it is not already taken. Many times you will find that it is taken, unless your company possesses a rare name. If it is available, then good. You can now register the name you want and it will match your company name. If the name is already taken, there are plenty of alternative ways to register a great domain name. Some of these alternatives may be better than the original idea of registering the name of your business.

1. Register an easy to remember domain name

Think about this, If you have a long company name, then having your website name mirror this name may not be a good idea at all. Rather than using the company name, use an easy to remember name instead. One that describes the products or services you offer. Example, if you own a coffee shop or sell coffee related products and your company name is Beantime. It may be best to use a domain name that utilizes the word coffee in some way. With that said, it will be difficult to find a.com domain name with the word coffee. Lucky for us, there are many domain extensions to choose from. Many of these other name extensions are gaining popularity and you will have an easier time finding the domain name you want to register. One extension in particular is the new.co extension. Great for company, commerce, community, ect., it’s a good way to get the domain name you want because the.com is taken.

2. There are premium domain names available

You can get the domain name you want if you are willing to pay for it. Many owners of premium domain names don’t even use them for business purposes. They hold them in hope to someday make a profit. They want someone to come along and purchase it for hundreds, thousands or maybe more, depending on how bad the buyer wants it. These are usually one word domains and a general term. Example, pizza.com sold for millions so did business.com. Chances of getting domains like this are slim. You can however, check domain hosting sites for auctions and sites where people can list premium domains for sale. The whois database holds names and contact information of domain owners, you can check it and see who owns the domain you’re looking for. Who knows, maybe they will sell it to you.

Ok, I have a domain name registered… Now What?

Now you need to build your website, then you need to get the files on a hosting server. Many times your website designer/developer will handle all this for you. If you are creating your own website, there are great companies that are inexpensive and can help you get the best hosting product for your needs. These companies will usually offer emails, online ad credits etc., when you sign-up.

A server works based on the client server model, your browser/you is considered the client and the web server, serves you the information that you ask for. This is usually done through http, although there are other protocols this is the most widely used. You will usually see the http: in your web browsers address bar before any www. web address. Basically, hosting a website can be defined as; putting your website files on a server, so that viewers can access them using their web browser software. Now that you know a little more about domains and hosting you can begin your domain search and you will have your website up and running in no time.