Do you want to travel the world and see just how beautiful it is? Owning your own business can give you that freedom and building it online is a great place to start that freedom. As I said before in my Build a Website section, if you want to build an online business you need to get a website. Well that still holds true. There are so many questions that come with that idea though.
- How do I find a domain name?
- What should you avoid in domain names?
- Should I buy an expired domain?
- How do I buy a domain?
And these are just the start of it. But don’t get overwhelmed. I am here to help walk you through the process Let us start simple by saying how purchasing a domain name and how to register a domain name are the same thing.
How to Find a Domain Name?
The first thing that comes to mind when you are looking for a domain name is to use the name of your company. This is a great starting point. If you don’t have a company name or just want to start a blog, then you can start with what your site will be about. Take the ideas you have and start some keyword searches. The most comprehensive keyword search tool I have found is Jaaxy.com. The information it gives you is amazing in a short period of time.
Once you have the keyword search completed then try to match your domain name with the keyword search. This can help you build traffic as long as it is associated with your websites topic, then it is targeted traffic.
Things You Should Avoid in Domain Names.
The top of the list is actually what you should get. Try to get a .com domain. There are other extensions such as .biz, .org, .net and .co to name a few. If your first choice in a domain name is not available keep trying. A domain with a .com extension will have the greatest search ability. If you are set on the name you have chosen and the .com is already taken then you could use .net or .org extensions as they are your second best choices for the search ability of your site with search engines.
Don’t have a domain name too long. If it is too long people will forget what it is in the process of typing it in. You want to have people remember your site and keep coming back for more.
Make sure that your domain is easy to spell and does not sound like another site. If your site is called “Waystobelieve” what if your audience spells it “Waystobeleive”? They will never find you. Try to stay away from common misspelled words. The same is true with things that sound like another thing. Don’t make your sight name “Blat” because someone might think it was “Brat” Driving your traffic to someplace else.
Also make sure that your site contains no hyphens or numbers. While it might seem easy to add a hyphen so you can get your .com. Don’t do it. People will get lost and not make it to your site. It might also seem cute to name it something like “Pennies4u” the same happens here people may remember the name but forget it was “4” and “u” instead of “for” and “you”.
The last suggestion I would say to avoid is making the site name too trendy. Trends come and go and if your name is too trendy it will go with the flow and be gone all too soon.
Should I Buy and Expired Domain?
An expired domain can be a good asset, but it can also come with all kinds of skeletons in the closet. I personally choose not to buy an expired domain unless it is my domain that expired because I did not renew it quick enough. As soon as you buy an expired domain and put new content on it the previous rankings go down until you build your site up and get the appropriate rankings.
How to Buy a Domain Name?
Now that I have given you some suggestions on what to avoid, how to find a domain name, and if you should buy an expired domain name. Let me tell you how to buy a domain name. There are many places you can buy domains. I personally like www.namecheap.com. The website is very easy to use, you can easily search to see if your domain is available and they are easy to purchase. If you have a host you can easy transfer you new domain to your existing server at no cost from namecheap. They also have one of the fastest website registrations that I have seen. Some places where you purchase domains can take several hours to have your website registered and ready to use once you purchase it. Here I have been able to register a new site and transfer it to my server within minutes. I was amazed. After all when you purchase a new domain you really want to get started right away. This is the place that lets you do just that.
So now go find your domain name and build your website. Start your business and have fun at it.
If you have any questions or comments please leave them below. I love your feedback!