One would think that registering a domain is the first step when setting up your website. This is not quite true. Hopefully you had done your research first to identify your niche keywords, in other words, the primary key terms that people are looking for in relation to your business.

Your domain name should reflect what your site or your business is about. It should be descriptive and easy to remember. If you can register your domain name by using your best niche keyword you will also score a few points in trying to get your site high up in the search engine rankings.

Just note, however, that while this was especially true a couple of years ago, the prevalence of garbage made-for-adsense type of sites to try and register a domain name with keywords in have led to this factor being overused and abused. Search engines are wising up to the fact that a domain name like www.red-widgets-blue-widgets-purple-widgets-cheap-widgets.com might not really be a real business and you should therefore be careful not to STUFF your domain name with keywords.

Here are some tips to choosing a good domain name:

1) If your company has a distinctive name that you use in your marketing campaigns, and if your company is well known among your customers it is best to try and register your company name as your domain name. For example, it will be better for Standard Bank to register standardbank.co.za as opposed to bankingservices.co.za. Branding yourself as a company that provides a specific service is very important.

2) But if your company does not have such a strongly branded presence in the market, or if you are offering a product or service that you specifically want to market through the internet without even HAVING a company, then a descriptive name might be a better option (e.g. www.health-products.co.za)

3) Hyphens are easier to read in print, are easier to ‘understand’ by the search engines (remember that a key linking strategy is to have text links contain your targeted keywords. If your domain name is legible to search engines and it is used to link to your site, you score some points since your keywords are already contained in your domain name), and gives you more choice. The negatives about hyphens is that they are difficult for people to hear! You will probably have difficulty in spelling out your domain name over the phone or in conversation when it contains hyphens.

It is also true to say that a name without the hyphens are also seen as being more professional (often the hyphenated name is seen as being a bit johnny-come-lately as well as spammy due to the reasons mentioned above). Search engines are also getting more and more proficient in understanding text that are embedded within domain names (even without the hyphens) and using a hyphenated site purely so that the search engines can understand them is probably not necessary these days.

4) But a good piece of advice is that when you register a domain name is to register as many variants (with hyphens as well as without hyphens) and as many domain extensions (.com, .net, .info, .biz) as you can afford. Registering domain names are really not that expensive and you will be protecting the investment into your company and your website brand. Remember that there are unscrupulous domain squatters (typo squatters) out there that will register variants of your domain name to either try and sell it back to you at a high cost, or to try and capture some of your traffic.

5) It is extremely difficult to come up with a good .com domain name these days. Most good domain names have been taken already. Here is a good resource page that contains a list of language tools that you can use to try and mix and match words or portions of words to come up with a good domain name. http://marcusvorwaller.com/blog/archives/2005/08/09/how-to-find-a-great-domain-name/

6) If you are located in a country other than the United States, always try and register your domain name with your local Top Level Domain extension (e.g. .co.uk, .co.za) since the local version of Google will give preference to names with extensions matching your own country.

7) Always try and register your domain with an independent registrar and NOT with your hosting provider. If you ever want to move your website to another hosting provider, it will just be easier to do it if your domain name registrar is also not your hosting provider. You might find it more difficult to get your website away from a bad hosting provider if they have control over your domain name as well.

Christine Anderssen is the owner of Tailormade4you. After 20 years in the coporate IT world she recently decided to start working for the worst boss imaginable - herself! Tailormade4you offers Web Hosting; Web Design and Web Development services for small businesses. We use Open Source Technology enables us to build your website quickly and efficiently. Visit us for tutorials on how to use Joomla to build websites.

The value of the domain name is like the value of real estate. If your real estate is valued at 100,000 this year it will be at least 110,000 the next year. This is a good 10% increase. It applies the same to a Domain name. The older the domain the value increases, not 10 % but at least 100% every year.

A domain purchased at 10$ this year could be taking a value chart as below

On completion of the 1st year 20$
On completion of the 2nd Year 40$
On completion of the 3rd Year 80$
On completion of the 4th year 160$
On completion of the 5th year 320$
On completion of the 6th year 640$
On completion of the 7th year 1280$
On completion of the 8th year 2560$
On completion of the 9th year 5120$

On the 10th year your domain is valued at a mighty 5120$.

But mind you, you could be holding a domain aged 20 years but the value would be just 20$ if you have invested in the wrong domain. You could compare this as a house bought in the middle of a desert with the nearest gas station 100 miles away.

It is very essential to know the value of the domain with regard to various aspects apart from the age. The following factors determine the value of a domain name. Go through each one of them and asses the value of the domain

1. Age
2. The TLD (.com, .net, .org, . us, .co.uk
3. Keyword in the domain name
4. Page rank the domain has acquired over the period of time
5. inbound links (Its most likely that there have been inbound links if the domain was active
6. Alexa Ranking

Rajeev Sahadevan is the owner of a website design company in India. He has over 30 Website businesses online ranging from "Internet Business Review" to Real Estate in India. With experience in Marketing on the web and excellent creativity He has survived the Internet Business for a decade.

Q:Should I get a domain name with my name in it or go with names that mention my niche?

Great question!

Here is what I suggest:

1. Get your name if you do not already have it - if yourname.com is gone, get yournameonline.com

2. I go a little crazy with domain names and have about 150 so keep that in mind with my suggestions.

3. Godaddy.com is having a sale right now with domain names going for $7.20 including tax instead of $9.20.

4. The coachyourname.com names are a good idea.

5. Then you want to get domain names that include your niche, for example for me, articlewritingandmarketingsecrets.com, privatepracticemarketingsecrets.com, etc.

6. These are enough to get started with. You can add more as you grow.

7. If it fine to have domainname.com/ to start off. As you grow you can get domains that point to specific things in your site, for example, TheArticleEmpireMentorProgram.com, TheArticleGuyTeleSeminars.com, PrivatePracticeMarketingPodcast.com, etc.

8. MAIN RULE!! - Do not search for a good domain name unless you are prepared to buy! Companies that buy domain names for resale are somehow able to scan what is being put it into searches and then buy ones that are good out from under you if you do not get them right away.

Hope that answers your question, and let me know if there are more.

Be careful that you do not go hog wild buying up all kinds of domain names. It is a simple fact that you do not have to spend tons of money to do your private practice marketing.

Did you know that the best ways to market your practice do not cost a thing? You can learn about hundreds of these tips and subscribe to a free 7 day e-program on The Top 7 Free Ways to Market Your Practice at http://www.PrivatePracticeMarketingonaBudget.com from private practice mentor coach Jeff Herring.

My high school economics teacher used to say, "There is no such thing as a free lunch". He implied that someone, somewhere, was paying for it.

Advertising offers for free domain names popup often on websites. Are users paying for that free name in some form? Is there a catch to having a free domain name?

There are several issues to be aware of when considering a free domain offer:

First, is it a real domain or a subdomain? The physical difference is www.yourdomain.com versus yourdomain.theirservice.com. The former is far easier for users to read and remember. The functional difference is a matter of ownership. You would own yourdomain.com, but the service would own the subdomain version. Owning a real legitimate domain name is critical to any websites success. MAny people fail to realize this fact. Buy a real domain for your website and your future success won’t be hampered by a lousy subdomain domain.

A lot of free "real" domains are offered by web hosting companies. Web hosts will offer free domains with a web hosting package. Be careful signing up for such service. You may end up with a free domain but a year’s worth of junky web hosting service. The best advice is to keep your domains registered and web sites hosted with different companies. As my high school economic teacher also used to say, "Don’t put all your eggs in one basket."

Finally, seriously consider what domain ownership means. Domain ownership means possessing virtual real estate. Domain names have value and can be bought, sold, traded and developed. They are an investment. Don’t let anyone or anything keep you from true domain ownership even if the offer is free.

Paul Flyer writes about domain name registration on his Recommended Web Tools website. For more information on choosing, registering and managing domain names, download his free ebook, The Domain Name Handbook at http://www.recommendedwebtools.com/index.php/domain-name-handbook/

Many times when approaching the web with an entrepreneur’s mind, most people just go for the widespread techniques of using affiliate programs, some Adsense code on their pages and then they begin the “mother of all struggles”, they work and fight all the year long for some organic traffic that will convert into money to their pockets.

Things can get really hard sometimes for many webpreneurs and not everyone makes it to the end. Achieving the goal of making a living from the internet is not an easy task. Those widely used techniques to make money from the web can get really crowded with the just mentioned consequence of a high rate of failures due to the fierce competition.

But what if you entered a fresh market, full of innovative techniques, then you learn it has been barely discovered by the big crowd and it’s just ready to explode with profits. That’s what many business people think is happening right now with the internet domain registration and reselling industry around the world.

The web has become the new real estate boom for years to come. Now business men are not thinking about buying old houses or new condos in a promising neighborhood. The new “lands” are laying on the web. Every domain name has an intrinsic value that will grow with time. For some of them the value will become very high, for others just regular and for some of them it may always be just peanuts.

So things are very similar to the regular real estate business we used to know. You have to pick wisely when dealing with this kind of business. In short, the right neighborhood is important. Once you learn how to asses the value of a domain name and the better you become in spotting the deals the most money you will make with your business. And the web has a big advantage over regular real state, you don’t need thousands of dollars to start your business or acquire a valuable “virtual real estate”, in many cases with less than $100 you can get real jewels. The only secret is using the right techniques to spot the deals that will turn around into a hefty sum of cash.

According to CNNMoney; Domain Names, the real estate of the Web, have been delivering far greater returns than investing in regular real estate. Learn why here:

=>> http://www.askingplanet.com/Domain-Profiteer/

What is a domain name? A domain name is a unique name, kind of like an e-mail address is unique, which is registered in a database called WHOIS through an organization called Network Solutions, Inc. (NSI). The domain name corresponds to a unique set of numbers called an IP (Internet Protocol) address. The reason we use domain names instead of IP addresses is that they are closer to our language. It would be difficult to market a site like this: "Go to 64.233.167.99 or 216.109.112.135 to search the internet!" A much easier way to do this is to say "Go to www.Google.com or www.yahoo.com to search the internet!" (Both Google and Yahoo are trade marked by Google, Inc., and Yahoo, Inc., respectively).

A domain name points to a computer called a "name server". The name server knows that your domain name corresponds to your web hosting server’s IP address and it routes the person who typed in your domain name to your web hosting server - to your web site. That is how people anywhere in the world can see your web site by typing your domain name.

In 1992, the National Science Foundation granted an exclusive contract to NSI to be the sole registrar of top level domain names. NSI also had a cooperative agreement with United States Department of Commerce ("DoC"). With no competition, consumers were at the mercy of NSI.

In 1998, NSI and the DoC amended their cooperative agreement to allow for competing registrars. NSI was forced to provide domain name registration to the competing registrars at wholesale prices, rather than the standard $34.99 annual fee. NSI still charges $34.99 per year.

In late 1998, the DoC assigned the responsibility of overseeing the transition to a competitive market for domain names and accreditation of new registrars to a new organization called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

In 1999, ICANN began taking applications from companies who wanted to become registrars - and then capitalism took over: companies had to compete for business. Prices came down and service improved, however some are better than others. For a more detailed history of this transition, visit www.icann.org/registrars/accreditation-history.htm.

Even with the positive effects of competition in the domain name marketplace, the process of internet domain name registration remains a mystery for many.

There are a lot of companies that want to charge you hundreds of dollars to do the simple task of domain name registration for you. There are some registration companies who will charge you $35 just to register a domain. And there are web site consultants who charge over $100 to do the work for you. But you can do it yourself in about 15 minutes and it can cost as little as $1.99 for a year. If you do some research, learn a little and work smart, you can save yourself some money - and some headaches.

About the author:
Nicholas LaPolla has been working in the computer industry as a consultant and full time employee of various IT departments since 1987.

Nick started building web based applications, web sites and database back ends in 1996. He is a strong consumer advocate and enjoys helping people learn how to work with their computers and the Internet. He also enjoys helping people, friends, family and strangers alike, find the resources and the help they need when they get into a bind. Nick currently works full time for a national radio ministry as a web applications programmer.

http://www.howtogetadomainname.com is Nick’s first of many consumer education and advice sites.

Whether you own one, two or one hundred domain names, you need the ability to manage the domain names in your portfolio. Here is a list of skills you need, starting with the most basic and ending with the more advanced.

• Evaluating good domains names. There is skill involved in selecting quality domain names. Knowing key characteristics can make a large difference in the way your domains can later be marketed and sold. Beginners looking to make money buying and selling domain names often make their biggest mistakes right here.
• Finding good domain name registrars - This comes down to more than price. Reputation, service and ease of use all play a part.
• Registering domain names - the simplest of all the skills, chances are you have accomplished this at least once already. The process of registering new domain names is the most common way to add domains to your portfolio.
• Changing DNS Servers - whether you want to park your domain name or develop a website, you will have to learn how to change the DNS settings of the domain. If you can copy and paste, than this is a no-brainer.

Learning all these skill will make you master of you domain. Literally.

Paul Flyer writes about domain name tools on his Recommended Web Tools website. For more information on choosing, registering and managing domain names, download his free ebook, The Domain Name Handbook at http://www.recommendedwebtools.com/index.php/domain-name-handbook/

Picking a name for your website is always difficult. Hyphens or no hyphens? Is it a good name? Is it too obscure? Are you "in love" with the name?

I have been through it several times.

But here is a WARNING on what I have noticed.

I went to do a domain search at a very big, popular domain registration company before I named my latest website www.turn-debt-into-wealth.com.

That name was about the 4th favorite name that I had.

I spent two days brainstorming and I had a list of about a dozen pretty good names.

Anyway, I searched my two favorite names and BOTH were available - according to this domain registration site. Yippee!

I wanted to "sleep on them" before I made my final choice. I went back the next day and found, much to my dismay, that they had both been registered overnight and that I had to make an "offer" to get them. I guess that means they were now going to be sold to me at a vastly inflated price. Hmm. BOTH of them… That seemed a really odd co-incidence!

I was rather depressed about this so, I checked on my THIRD favorite name. It was available. I went back the next day just to check before I registered it and guess what? Yep, same thing. It had now been "taken." Double hmm. Or should I say: "triple hmm." I was beginning to smell a rat. In fact, the air was definitely tinged.

Anyway, to cut a long story short… my 4th name that I eventually registered was not going to get checked at that site or any other site.

I figured that somebody there was capturing intended names and deliberately making them unavailable so that you had to spend a lot more money to buy them.

I registered my eventual domain name. It was available but I was still annoyed because I thought I had been conned at that other site where I had done my checking.

Now I know that this is probably vindictive but here is what I did…

FIRST, I chucked out the three names that I could not have. I just purged them from my mind - no good dwelling on them. They were gone - either by honest or dishonest means. But they were gone. Move on.

Then…

I made up some really silly names that included my keywords. They were really dumb. I went back to that "domain (un)availability" site and I fed in about 20 of the worst names that I could come up with.

I hope the folks there took all of them. They might as well have them - NOBODY in their right mind would want any of them. I never bothered to check. I suspect that place is running a nice little con and I detest that sort of thing. Hence, my counter-play. I know. I shouldn’t have done it but they bit me twice.

So, BEFORE you register just be really careful where you do your checking. In fact, I’d advise not to check any of your proposed names until you try your best name and, if it is available - buy it IMMEDIATELY.

I hope this really helps people who are looking to register a domain name.

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Your best friend calls to tell you about a really cool domain name she thought of for a website.

Your first question should be: so what?

While that question may damper your friend’s enthusiasm and potentially hurt your friendship, you would not be a friend if you didn’t ask that question. Cool ideas need substance and a cool domain name all by itself doesn’t mean much. While a domain name might be "cool", consider you need to accomplish one of two tasks in order for that domain to create value.

First, is it a domain name other would want? Is there a market for it? If the answer is no, then you need to develop the site (which is task number two). If the answer is yes, then your friend may have truly been onto something.

Even cool domain names need to meet some criteria of quality:

• length does not exceed 21 characters
• up to four meaningful words in contextt
• no hyphens
• no numbers
• uses generic term

If the domain name passes the quality test, then it very well maybe attractive to the domain name marketplace. There are no guarantees here. Understanding the domain name marketplace takes time and experience. Just because you own a quality domain name does not mean you can garner one hundred thousand dollars for that name.

Second, ideas for cool domain names are associated with an idea for website content. This content could be informational, a game, a service or an application. The bottom line is substance. All domains, whether you want to label them as cool names or lame names, are greatly increased in value when their is substantive content associated with them.

The next question after asking, so what? is to ask whether you are willing to do what it takes to make your cool idea succeed?

It is all well and good to register that cool domain, but it will take courage, patience and skill to make it work.

Paul Flyer writes about owning domain names on his Recommended Web Tools website. For more information on choosing, registering and managing domain names, download his free ebook, The Domain Name Handbook at http://www.recommendedwebtools.com/index.php/domain-name-handbook

First off, let me start with the fact that I have been following the domain name market for many years now. It has become one of those hobbies of pure blind entertainment that you don’t really know why you got interested in it in the first place.

When I first started following domain names I was looking for unregistered domain names, and to my disappointment, I found that it seemed like all the decent names were already taken. So, after dealing with that initial blow, I found that domains were being auctioned/sold…sounds good? yes, until you realize people trying to sell domains want absorbent amounts of money for even mediocre domain names.

Somewheres around the time I disregarded the idea of buying domains for inflated prices I found that good domains were expiring every day, meaning they could be reclaimed by anyone. This really perked my interest at the time, as this was public information(provided by tld maintainers), and I figured I could snag up something decent without too much hassle.

After finding a domain name I liked I used godaddy.com’s backorder service which is roughly $20 a pop, not bad, but the problem is they only have a small number of registrars to try to snatch up a deleted domain and will almost never get a decent name successfully(the credit can be reused if it fails). This is not the case for snapnames.com, pool.com, and enom.com. If it is a decent domain name you can count on it going to one of them after it expires, and that’s no good as it goes on auction for a base price of $60 on most of them and general jumps rapidly from there as the bidding frenzy begins, even for moderate domain names.

So, recently, I came full circle and started thinking about unregistered domain names again. I decided to do a google search for "unregistered domain name lists", and what I found wasn’t what I was looking for, had lists of domains that were out of date, or annoyed me trying to make money off me.

For example, one of the sites I found was "makewords.com", which is a nice site and has good made up words, but I was after the same kind of domains that were being bid on either on public auction sites or expired domain name sites, mostly core dictionary words in my case.

Then, deeper into my google searching, I found a couple sites that listed the kind of unregistered domain names i was after, yay! …or not, the sites I found had outdated lists of dictionary-based words that when you go to register them you find they have already been taken. Quite annoying.

Finally, the deepest into my google searching, I found a site that wanted you to pay to have a short list of dictionary-based domains e-mailed to you. Yuck.

After the years of seeing these money-grubbing domain name related sites with pay-fees and/or ads all over the place(which I have done myself, sadly) I decided I would return to making something just for the fun of it, and make a non-pay/ad-free site that did what I could not find. I plan on keeping it this way as long as my hosting plan isn’t affected by bandwidth or affected in some other monetary way, which I don’t think is likely to be a problem.

So, I began making a domain searching/polling engine to find unregistered domain names that were of the same caliber being picked off on the expiring domain name catchers mentioned before. I decided that I would make a semi-simple algorithm to rate each domain name found, so I could quickly run down an ordered list of high-rated domain names to see if I was interested. I also decided this domain name searching engine would make an ever-evolving list, and only store the domain names found for a short period of time, a few days, so as not be disappointed to find them all registered.

During the final stages of making the engine I noticed it found a domain called "geek.name", and I thought "That’s easy to remember and quite applicable to the project i’m making". So, POOF! The website for the project had been set. I soon designed a website to accompany the engine, and here we are.

So, all that’s left are the links for the result of the project:

http://geek.name/ - find your unregistered geeky domain name. http://rss.geek.name/ - geek.name’s live feed.