OK, so you have decided that you have something to sell on the Internet? You need a site where you can sell your items to customers!
If you need a website, that means that your first step is to purchase a domain name for your site! What is a domain name? Well, one of my sites is “www.WowPhilippines.com” so “WowPhilippines.com” is the domain name! You get a domain name by visiting a company that sells domains. There are lots of places where you can register your domain when I need a domain name I generally buy it at GoDaddy. You can generally purchase your domain name for about $9 or so through GoDaddy. Some domains cost a bit more, some a bit less, but most names can be gotten for about that price. Some country-specific names are more. Here in the Philippines where I live “.ph” domain names are about $35 per year. But, there is nothing stopping a person in the Philippines from buying a “normal” .com name, they don’t have to stick with the .ph name just because they live here.
Personally, unless you have a very specific reason to do so, I recommend that you stay away from country-specific names. There are exceptions. For example, the Island nation of Tuvalu has the “.tv” domain suffix, and if you are setting up a video site, it might be a nice to have .tv at the end of your name. However, in most instances, I feel that .com are the way to go. The only problem is, though, that .com names are getting harder and harder to get because so many have been taken already. However, if you search enough, you will find one that is a good fit for your business.
What do I mean by a “good fit?” Well, you want something that ties in with your business, or with the products that you sell. For example, my site at WowPhilippines.com is a site that sells gifts for delivery in the Philippines. If you had a site that sold electric razors to the US market, WowPhilippines.com would not be a good domain name for you! However, for my particular business, it is a very desirable domain. So, brainstorm and come up with names that tie in with your business model. When you find one that is available, grab it! An example that would not be a good fit would be if you got the domain “flowers.com” and you intended to sell weight lifting equipment on the site. You get my drift!
You should also be careful in choosing domains too. Analyze the name and make sure that it does not contain any vulgar words or sayings. For example, when you combine multiple words to make a single domain name, sometimes if you combine those words, and somebody reads it in a way that is different than you intended, it might say something that is completely different than your intention, so be aware of that.
OK, so you should choose your domain, based on the business that will be set up on the site. What’s your next step? Get your site set up and make sure it functions properly! Stop by this site tomorrow and I’ll fill you in on that step!
It has become increasingly difficult to find good domain names. It has now reached the point where I consider purchasing domain names that relate to what I do on the off-chance that I find a use for them. For example, last year I was searching for something else and came across ultimatehighschools.com and ultimatecolleges.com. No idea what I might use them for, but I went ahead and bought. I also buy from GoDaddy, so it was only about $18. I think it’s a good investment. Some work out and some don’t, but that is the nature of business, I think.
Hi Tom – Yes, .com’s are getting harder and harder to find. But, with so many unique combinations of words, they can be found, much like your story about the ultimatehighschools.com and colleges. You are right, though, if you find something that you think you might use someday, snatch it up! Worst case is that you can grab it, park it and put up some advertising to pay for the name, and make a little extra money. Someday you might use it for a site!
Good that you mentioned the parking there, Bob. As Tom mentioned, any half-decent domain name need cost nothing, long term. If you don’t use it you park it and it would be reare indeed it disn’t being in more thna the $8 or $10 it cost for the year.
My good friend Eric has a free methos for finding good business-related domans in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydr3746afcU
Another source that makes good sense before you make an investment is:
http://www.pickydomains.com/
You give them the idea behind your business and your likes and dislikes and they put a whole team to work on coming up with domain names that ‘fit’ If you like what they produce, there is a fee ($50 I think) if you don’t feel they have come up with anyhting good, money back.
(these are not affiliate links or sales poages by the way, just resources I have used myself that work)
The idea that there are no ‘good’ domains left is false, especially for sites that you want to be found by search engines … the money is in the keywords.
Hi Dave Starr – I really agree that almost any domain name, even the worst of them should be able to bring in enough to at least pay for the registration and for the hosting! For years I have toyed with the idea of getting into “domaining” as an income producer. I think it can be a tough game, though. I also think it could be fun and educational too, though.
I think domaining is a tough racket. When you have entrepreneurial companies like GoDaddy in the mix, it’s hard to make it either cheaper or more customer-friendly. Differentiating yourself from the pack is tough. I know that GoDaddy has a way to sell their products using your branding, though.
Hi Tom – When I say “Domaining” I am not talking about the selling of Domains. Domaining is basically the practice of buying URL’s and putting ads on them, basically parking them with Ads. A lot of people make some real serious money doing this.
I personally know some people who are making in excess of $10k per month doing nothing but domaining.
For more info, check here.