Domain Name Information

 
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Domain Name Information

The first thing you need to do when creating a website is to get your own domain name.  Don't know what that is, why you need it or how to get one?  This page contains all of that domain name information and more. 

What is a Domain Name?

A domain name is your address on the web.  It's the information that customers type in to find your website.  It's what comes after the www. in www.domain.com. The domain name for this site is 4creatingawebsite.com. 

A domain name can be any combination of letters and/or numbers up to 63 characters.  The official domain name extensions are .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info, .us and .ws.  There are also other extensions like .tv and .tk but don't waste your time with those.  Stick with a recognized one. 

How to Choose a Good Domain Name

Here is some information and tips to help you select the best domain name for you:

Keep it short.  The shorter, the better.  It’s best to keep your domain name less than 15 characters if possible.  A shorter name is easier for people to remember and it also reduces the likelihood that your visitor will mistype it or spell it wrong.  For example, BuyIt.com has a lot less chance of being mistyped than isellthispleasebuyitfrommetoday.com.

Keep it sweet.  The more memorable the name, the easier it is for people to remember.  You can have the best site in the world, but if people can’t remember your domain name it will cut down on your return visitors.  It’s hard enough to get traffic on the web without “losing” visitors that want to come back but can’t find you.

Keep it simple.  Make sure the domain name is easy for people to spell.  Don't spell words unusually.  Unless you have incredible branding, people will type in the common spelling of your domain and your competition will get visitors who were looking for you.  For example, BlueRight.com is much better than BluRite.com 

Choose a domain name that reflects your business.  Don’t just choose a random name.  For example, if your sell horse supplies, you should choose a name that has the word “horse supplies” in it such as YourHorseSupplies.com.  Or, your domain name should refer to horses in some way, like whoa.com.  The former will help you in the search engines.  The latter will be memorable.  

When in doubt, choose a .com.  If you are debating between several different domain names, go with the .com.  It’s what most people think of when they are typing in a domain name.  It’s true the best names are gone, but you can still find a good .com if you look. Thousands of .coms expire and are released back in the market each month so there is always a steady supply of new domains coming into the market.

Special tip:  If you can afford it, you may also want to get your name followed by .com along with whatever domain name you decide to get.   I think the way the internet is going it is smart to do and you will be very glad you have it later on. 

Best Place to Get a Domain Name

Some people try to save money and get a freebie website and domain name.  I'm all for free whenever possible, but free websites and domain names just aren't worth it.  Click here for information on why it's better to pay.   

I get my domain names from Act Now Domains.  They are pretty cheap and they are really reliable.  I have over 300 domain names there.

I've tried a couple of other places but never could get help when I needed it with those places.  Act Now Domains has people available 24 hours a day by phone and email.  Plus, it's just really easy to use compared to most out there. 

Here's a price comparison so you can see how their prices compare to others.  Domain names are paid for yearly:

Registrar

Price/Year

     

Act Now Domains

$3.99 - SALE! when you get a website

Act Now Domains currently has a great sale going on  where if you get a website builder or web hosting, your domain name is only $3.99.  I don't know how long this sale will last, but it's a good deal.

$12.75

Special Note:  I had a lot of people ask me various questions about the actual process of building their websites so I wrote up a little tutorial on it and I use Act Now Domains as the sample web builder.  If you decide to get a domain and website from Act Now Domains, get a copy of the free build a website tutorial I wrote and follow along on the guide as you go through the steps of buying, setting up and building your website.  It will make everything a lot easier and faster for you.

Regardless of who you decide to get your domain and website from the info in the tutorial can be useful to you as a lot of web builders have a similar set up and icon panel. 

TheComRegistry $19.95
Network Solutions $35.00
Register.com $35.00

Update:  All domain registrars are now required to charge $0.20 for every domain registration, transfer and renewal.  This is something the organization that controls domain registrations is making them do.  This fee is added when you checkout so don't be surprised if you see it.  The registrar isn't trying to scam you or make you pay extra.  It's a fee everyone has to pay and the registrars have to charge it.

How to Get a Domain Name

All you need to do to get a domain name is go to the registrar you want to use (Domain name companies like Act Now Domains are called registrars.)  They will have a search box.  Just type the domain name you want in the search box and it will tell you if the domain is available. 

If it is, just follow the steps and pay for it.  If it isn't, search for another name.  You can use their search tool to find variations of the domain name.  It may take you a bit of time to find the one you want, but keep looking you will. 

Okay, now that you know the domain name information and know how to get a domain name, let's go to

Step 2 How to Choose a Web Host -->

 

 

 

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Domain Name Information

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