There’s been a lot of hype in recent years about all the good domain names being taken. Nonsense. It all comes down to creativity and a few simple tips on how to make your favorite names do-able!

After you’ve created an exhaustive list of your best domain name ideas, begin researching your favorite names on a registration site. If your favorite name is taken, try some simple variations.

For example, suppose you’ve decided on a content site about camera tips and techniques.

At the time of this writing, the domain cameratechniques.com is already taken. But, add an additional word on the front or tail end and you’ll find lots of available options.

Some variations on cameratechniques.com:

cameratechniquesTODAY.com
cameratechniquesONLINE.com
EASYcameratechniques.com
TODAYScameratechniques.com
BESTcameratechniques.com

You get the picture.

Short, descriptive additions to your desired domain name will not only get you online faster, but can actually enhance the your domain name. With the flood of sites out there today, adding more specifics on what a visitor will find at your site only makes it more attractive. And more clickable!

Once you’ve found a name that’s the perfect fit, buy it for goodness sake! It’s amazing how quickly a site will begin to take shape once the domain name is in place.

Visit http://www.goflyasite.com to learn how to build your own Website. Dee Gold has been building Websites personally and professionally for more than 10 years. Today she strives to help others weave their own corner of the web without losing their minds or spending a fortune. As a renowned reviewer of online services, Dee helps developers of all skill-levels improve their site content, clarity and conversion.

A sub-domain is an individual and separate web folder that can be created and attached to the main domain. This sub-domain can have its own FTP password. It can also have its own private CGI-Bin folders, and all other characteristics of an individual domain. But this sub-domain need not be registered as a separate domain and this means that the affiliate need not spend additional money for the setting up of the sub-domain.

How can a sub-domain help an entrepreneur achieve success in his affiliate marketing business? A sub-domain can help the affiliate in two ways. These are optimization in search engines and diversification of the affiliate’s website.

Optimization in Search Engines

Sub-domains are usually recognized by search engines as an individual online entity. And since it is a separate URL (as identified by search engines), it will be listed on its own and not be a part the main domain. In affiliate marketing, such a situation is advantageous. The affiliate can promote products in a dedicated website that will most probably be ranked high, provided that all other search engine optimization techniques are used.

Of course, there is a specification that the affiliate must comply with. That is, the sub-domain’s name must be attached to the main domain’s name using a dot. For example, the URL will be “subdomain.maindomain.com”. The affiliate should avoid using the hyphen, such as in http://subdomain-maindomain.com. The hyphenated name will need to be registered as a separate domain and this will demand additional expenses for the affiliate.

Diversification of the Affiliate’s Website

The contents of the website of an affiliate should be relevant to each other. This means that products that are extremely different from each other should not be located in one website. Otherwise, the affiliate runs the risk of discouraging and confusing the Internet visitor. But how will an affiliate promote products that are wholly unrelated to each other but are both interesting and financially feasible?

The affiliate can create sub-domains. One sub-domain will be dedicated to one product, while another will be focused on another product which is distinct from the first one. In this way, when the visitor opens the website, he will only find the products and information that he is looking for. He will not be distracted by the presence of another product banner that he has no interest in knowing about.

Of course, the creation of sub-domains may need to be consulted with the web host. Some web hosts offer free sub-domains while others demand a charge. The creation of sub-domains also involves work. But, after such work, the income of the affiliate will significantly increase.

Peter Garant’s affiliate marketing site offers high quality but cheap unique website content to webmasters who wants to maximize traffic and revenue on their affiliate sites.

With today’s sophisticated technology people from all over the world are able to share their ideas, share their products and network with people in their particular industry. These same website owners rely on the search engines to drive people to their websites. It does not matter to the search engines whether or not you have been around for six months or ten years. The owners of these search engines create their own particular criteria.

With Google’s latest “Big Daddy” there has been more confusion and dissolution among website owners.

The following questions related to the Google and Google’s “Big Daddy” seems to pop up every time a change is made:

1) My website was on page one of Google but it’s on page two. What do I do now? It took me three years to get it.

2) My website was on page one of Google, now it’s on page seventeen. Now no one will see my website. How am I going to survive? Will I have to lay off people?”

3) How do I get my website back on page one?

4) When will Google realize they are affecting companies all over the world?

5) My website’s over two years old. How can you survive not knowing the rules?

6) Why is Google doing this?

7) Why doesn’t Google help us to understand what they are doing?

8) I am so happy with this new “Big Daddy”. People can finally see my website.

9) The first position website has nothing to do with the keyword search. How come Google is allowing this site?

10) How do I get Google to recognize my website?

The concerns are valid and the approach to take when Google makes a change is really a wait a see situation. It’s believed Google’s “Big Daddy” relates to new data centers they are currently working with and developing. Through these new data centers comes hope that Google will recognize the value of your website and display it for all to see.

As each day passes I believe you will see more changes to the following:

• Show Google’s cache of
• Find web pages that are similar to
• Find web pages that link to
• Find web pages from the site
• Find web pages that contain the term

You can find the above information by entering your website address into the search at google.com

Mr. Howard Keith over the past couple of years has discovered various ways to help your website get ranked.

Mr. Howard Keith has an extensive background in website marketing and promotion. Through his trial and error phase he has been able to successfully market his sites. He recently branched out into reliable online shopping and web hosting at http://www.reliable-marketing.com

Mr. Keith also oversees a Help Stop Gambling Addiction Resources To Stop Compulsive Gambling website in order to help compulsive gamblers and family and friends of gamblers move forward in order to lead a more productive life. http://www.istoppedgambling.com/

But besides the web hosting services there is a domain market where the battle is even more cruel. The Wall Street Journal today published an article about domain dispute over .NU domain extension.

.NU indicates "Niue", a tiny South Pacific island near Tonga. Dot-nu is the national internet suffix of this country but it has become very popular in Sweden because ".nu" means "now" in swedish.

A internet entrepreneur Bill Semich, from Massachusetts got .Nu licence in the late 90’s and started exploring it. He thought .nu would be a cheaper alternative to expensive at this time dot-com domains. The american market has not took in the idea of dot-nu domains, however good news came from Sweden where about 110,000 domains has been sold from Mr. Semich’s company called "NU Domain Ltd.".

Once the domain name business of the american businessman has become profitable the Niue island authorities has opened dispute against the ownership over the domain name. Getting money from exploring exploiting the NU domain is important for the island and its 1200 inhabitants. The local government says that it can raise money from dot-nu selling.

Whos’s Right and Whos’ Wrong

The big questions is should the governments have to receive the right to control their country’s top level domain (TLD) or it is better a private companies to maintain domain under certain regulations?

Mr. Semich who invested more that $100.000 in its dot-nu business has brought the internet to Niue. He made the people from the small island the world’s first nation with free internet access to all citizens by building an wireless network in Niue. He say his company pays voluntary a part of its profit to the local government.

The expression of his interest was at first welcomed by the Niue’s authorities. Now the managing director of the local Telecom says that taking control over the domain name is "a huge issue of national development for us" and insist the Niue must take the ownership over dot-nu from the businessman.

This is typical bureaucratic reaction you can see worldwide. Governments did not pay attention on internet and online communications in the 80’s and in the beginning of 90′ and even put obstacles to new internet companies. There are still countries like Cuba, where the possession of computer and the use of internet connection is prohibited.

Now governments realize the importance and the power of the internet and most of them are trying to control it. The niue government claimed in 2003 that Mr. Semich company must be licenced and the telecom minister shut down the internet service that hos company provided to the citizens. The minister Toke Talagi even sent request to ICCAN to transfer the ownership and management of the dot-nu to the island’s government.

The things would went wrong for the US entrepreneur but local people began to miss the internet service. So restoring the internet service has become a big political issue and a part of the election campaign in Niue in late 2003. A few days before election day, the interim prime minister allowed the "NU Domain Ltd." to reopen the islands wireless network.

People got their free wi-fi. Now the authorities are negotiating with the american businessman to increase the benefits the Niue receives from the domain name.

The story is available on WSJ’s web site. The article’s name is "Catchy Web Name Sparks a Battle".

About the author and the Blog

DawHB.com was launched on March 14th. The blog covers the web hosting industry, starting with newbie advise and extending to high-end issues. The blog publisher has been in the web hosting industry since 1999, working as a CEO of a web hosting company and then moving to the website marketing and advertising business. He manages a network of web hosting, web design and web master related service directories that cover US, European and other regional markets.

More articles at DawHB.com web hosting blog (http://www.dawhb.com/)

More than 1.3 million .EU domain extensions have already been registered according to Eurid. Most of them, about 700,000 are registered on the first day when any European citizen was allowed to apply.

The German consumers were leading the race for new names in their first registration day.

The .EU "land rush" period began on 7 April and followed a 4 month "sunrise" period that was open only to holders of trademarks. Many European businesses has already gained control over domains relevant to their brands.

About 300 000 .EU domains were registered during the "sunrise", but this number was outrun within the first four "land rush" hours. At this time were registered 702 684 domains. The first five applications filled in on the start of the open .EU registration period were

dekoration.eu, buchung.eu, tankstellen.eu, exhibitionist.eu, eurorechner.eu

Registration peak reached 76 domain applications processed every second.

.EU to Boost the European Online Market

BBC reported that Eurid managing director Marc Van Wesemael issued a statement that said the agency was satisfied to see a significant interest from website owners.

"We are satisfied to see that the interest in .eu has been so large and that many already regard .eu as a useful complement to internet’s national top level domain names," said Van Wesemael.

But is ".EU opening" becoming a landmark between the era of national online market and the new global european economy. At this time the domain, hosting and all other markets in Europe are virtual only. Consumers were keen to purchase services and products mainly on their domestic websites. Only a small percentage of european now shopping with companies and .com stores located outside their own country. Different languages in EU, 25 official and many local dialect put obstacle in process of globalizing the EU’s online market. ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) for example approved the .cat domain las year to pave way of people who want to host and publish websites in catalan language. Even Catalunya is part of Spain, Catalan people claim they have their own ethnic and "national" identity.

Using the .EU is a chance Europe to build its own online market that includes all member states. With 456 million population Europe is the worlds biggest and riches market. At the same time European Union is far behind US when it comes to .com economy.

But now with Germans leading the race by owning 419,866 of the 1,318,171 active .eu domains and UK users getting 270 292 of new european names, the process of globalizing the european web could only the first step of uniting the divided European online market.

About the author and the Blog

DawHB.com was launched on March 14th. The blog covers the web hosting industry, starting with newbie advise and extending to high-end issues. The blog publisher has been in the web hosting industry since 1999, working as a CEO of a web hosting company and then moving to the website marketing and advertising business. He manages a network of web hosting, web design and web master related service directories that cover US, European and other regional markets.

(http://www.dawhb.com/)

I started using the internet in 1990, and the web in 1994. I remember when Yahoo! was only 1 page, and it was believed that there were only 100 web pages in the world. Companies were hiring html developers (with 5 - 7 years experience of course), and domain names were free.

I’ve owned my domain name for almost 9 years now. At one time, there was no such thing as "cybersquating", "typo domains", etc. Now its and issue that many of us have to deal with at any time or another.

I’ve discovered that people will resort to great lengths to protect their identity once they’ve squatted on a domain, but there are many tools to track down the truth about who they are.

How Squattors Hide - Fake Registration Info

One tactic I found used is that squattors will use fake registration information to hide the true owner of a domain name. I found one "company" that owned hundreds of domain names, many of large corporations, but registered each one using a different mailing address and a different name. Many of the names were silly like "Arthur Arthurson", but the company erred by listing all of its domains on link farms, exposing their tactic.

Front Companies

Another method the same company used would be to provide a contact phone number for a fictitious sounding company. For example, if they owned the domain "exxon.com", they would make a front company and call it "Exxon Secretarial Services". They then tried to create a realistic looking corporate web site. This method was exposed because they used the same phone number for all of their front companies. Searching Google for the phone number turned up a large number of fake businesses.

Changing Company Names

I am aware of another squattor who besides being heavily involved in the porn business owns a few domains that it really shouldn’t have. Over the years, they have changed their company name but kept the same physical address, a sign that someone is after them and they keep on running. Their names tend to follow the same theme, so the company might be called "Diamond Web Services" this year, but maybe "Sapphire Web Services" last year. Keeping the same contact address exposes that they are in fact the same company. Using whois history tools, you can see how they change their company name ever year.

Denying Ownership

Most smart squattors will claim that they don’t own the domain name, but they are just holding it for someone else. This creates a layer of anonymity that is hard to crack. The truth of the matter is that the registrant has control of the domain name, and anyone who is simply the administrator should be listed as the Administrative Contact. If someone is listed as the Registrant than they are by all means the owner of the domain name.

Foreign Registrations

One company I cam across used a foreign registration in a distant country to hide its true identity. One might think it is hard or impossible to negotiate with a foreign entity, if you can even speak the same language. But in the case, the foreign registration was just a cover for another domestic company that was trying to hide the fact that it was a competitor. The mistake was that the registrant was squatting on 2 domains, and on one he left as an email contact the address of the domestic company, which led to the true identity.

Escrow Services

Escrow services allow anyone to sell domain names without anyone knowing who is the true owner or who is receiving the proceeds from any sale. I contacted some escrow services regarding cyber squatting and was told that since true domain ownership is a complicated issue, they do not get involved. One cybersquattor was exposed because the NIC required a signed letter from the existing registrant, which exposed his true identity. This led to identifying other domains that he was squatting on.

Tools to Uncover Squattors

Whois history allows domain owners to see the whois records for many popular domain names. Not all domains will be listed, but surprisingly many are. I was able to use this to track previous owners for the past 6 years. Find this tool at http://www.domaintools.com/

HTML codes tend to be used repeatedly by squattors. Many squattors will use paid parking sites to earn revenue off of domains. However, in some, affiliate codes will be used by the individual, allowing multiple sites to be tracked to the same individual.

Google and USENET can be useful. Not only did I uncover the name of a squattor, but I found someone else who was looking for him. A great way to track these people down is to combine forces and work together. Post keywords identifying the squattor in domain forums along with your contact information.

Using domain name sales records, I was able to determine when certain domains transferred hands. I could also tell how much the owner paid for the domain name.

Find out which domains are hosted on an IP address at http://www.webhosting.info/. Some IP’s might have a small number of domains hosted, while others might have hundreds of thousands. This tool is useful to find what other domains a squattor might own, some of which might be yours.

Dave Tiberio operates CheapBooks.com.

Subnet mask shows which bits of an IP address (read the article IP Addresses, by the same author) represent the network and which represent the host.

By default we have:

IP addresses - Subnet mask
Class A - 255.0.0.0
Class B - 255.255.0.0
Class C - 255.255.255.0

Example:
IP address 192.168.8.4 ( class C ). The first 24 bytes represent the network - 192.168.8.0 - and the last 8 bits the host - 4 -.

When a host A wants to be connected to a host B, the host A uses its subnet mask to check if the host B is on the same LAN - local area network - or on a remote network. For this purpose it is used the boolean ANDing process.

Example:
Host A IP address ( class B ) 172.16.2.4 - Subnet mask ( class B ) 255.255.0.0
Host B IP address ( class B ) 172.16.2.5

Host A IP in binary:
10101100 00010000 00000010 00000100

Host B IP in binary:
10101100 00010000 00000010 00000101

Subnet mask in binary:
11111111 11111111 00000000 00000000

– ANDing process for Host A
10101100 00010000 00000010 00000100
11111111 11111111 00000000 00000000
—————————————–
10101100 00010000 00000000 00000000 Result for HOST A

– ANDing process for Host B
10101100 00010000 00000010 00000101
11111111 11111111 00000000 00000000
—————————————–
10101100 00010000 00000000 00000000 Result for HOST B

The calculation works in this way:
- 1 when the first and second bits are both 1.
- 0 when they are 0 and 1, 0 when they are 0 and 0.

Since result A = result B the two hosts are on the same network, so the communication is possible without using a gateway ( normally a router ) to establish a connection to another network.

There are two ways to write an IP address using subnet mask:
Example:
1) 49.22.2.3 255.0.0.0 - class A IP and subnet mask
2) 192.168.1.3/24 - class C IP and subnet mask ( showing its bits ) 255 in binary is 11111111 - 8 bits -.

Since in a class C subnet mask there are three 255 groups we have 24 bits.

Subnets

Sometime it is useful to divide a network in smaller networks. Let’s suppose we want divide a network, with a class B - IP address, in 8 subnets. The class B subnet mask is 255.255.0.0

We must use some of the 16 bits of the host portion ( borrowing process ) to create the 8 subnets. Since the subnets are 8, we need 8 different combinations plus 1 ( the broadcast ): 9 in total.

In binary 9 = 1001, that is 4 bits.

Subnet mask:
11111111 11111111 00000000 00000000
Inserting 4 bits in the third group ( the first of the host portion ):
11111111 11111111 11110000 00000000
the third group becomes 11110000 = 240 ( base 10 )
It means that we have a new subnet mask: 255.255.240.0

Generally speaking:
The calculation for the number of subnets is 2^x -2
where x is the bits number for the subnet mask.
( In the example above x = 4 )

The calculation for subnets addresses is
256 - s
where s is the value of the subnet mask: in the same example s = 240

The calculation for the hosts number is
2^y -2
where y is the number of the remaining bits: in the same example y = 12 because

———————-bits left (12)
11111111 11111111 11110000 00000000
—————– bits
—————-inserted
——————(4)

The IP addresses numbers are between the IP of the first subnet and the IP of the last subnet with the exclusion of the broadcast and network IP. Broadcast IP have all the bits of the host portion = 1 Network IP have all the bits of the host portion = 0

Final Example: Let’s divide a network with IP address 192.168.5.0 ( class C ) in two subnets. The necessary combinations are 3. In binary it is 11, so we have 2 bits. The class C subnetmask is 255.255.255.0 After the borrowing process, it’s last group becomes 11000000 which is 192 (base 10). The new subnet mask is 255.255.255.192

Hosts number is 2^6 -2 = 62 ( y = 6 )

Subnets addresses: 256 - 192 = 64 ( s = 192 ) Then 192.168.5.64 and 192.168.5.128 It starts with 64 and goes on adding 64

IP addresses: from 192.168.5.65 to 192.168.5.126 for the first subnet. from 192.168.5.129 to 192.168.5.190 for the second subnet Note: the broadcast address for the first subnet is 11000000.10101000.00000101.01111111, the fourth group is 127 (base 10 ) and the broadcast address of the second subnet is 11000000.10101000.00000101.10111111, the fourth group is 191 ( base 10 )

Renato Piccini - Florence - Italy
Computers Networks technician
http://www.softgrafic.com

Your domain identifies your business in the eyes of the people searching for the product or products you are selling on your website and in the eyes of the search engines. So, is choosing a domain important? The answer is yes. I hope to enlighten you to some important elements to creating and owning a domain name.

What Is A Domain Name

What is a Domain Name? Your website has a unique address called an IP address. The domain name–in essence, is the IP address with a naming convention. It is far easier for people to remember a name instead of a bunch of numbers.

Creating A Domain Name

Many people new to the Internet and to the Internet Business, do not realize the importance of a Domain Name, they just think they can put up any creative name and people will come. If you’re lucky, that may be true, but in truth, your creativity should incorporate the following tips:

When creating a domain name, you should keep in mind the following tips:

1. If it is possible, go with a ".com" extension. This is the most common, and easier for people to remember. In my case, no .com was available, so I opted for the .biz. Since I’m in a business of affiliate marketing — I felt it perfect for my needs.

2. The name itself — Do not use dashes or numbers in your domain name–it is hard for people to remember, unless it is central to the theme of your site.

3. Keep your name as compact as possible — the fewer words in the naming/description of your website will makes it easier for people to remember your site name, and that is definitely what you want.

Protecting Your Domain Name

Once you have your domain name, and your website is flourishing — you must protect your domain.

So how do you protect your domain? At the end of the year, the registrar will send you a notice that your domain name is about to expire. Inadvertantly, you may be thinking, that they just want your money, and they can darn well wait til the date it is due to get your money! Well, I wouldn’t do that. There is a very legitimate process called "drop catching"– that can easily destroy all your hard work in one instance.

Drop Catching

Drop catching is a legal process by which people can quickly grab domain names that have expired and use the link to create a website consisting of advertisements — or worse yet, resell them to make a profit off of your hard earned traffic. So, it is wise that you do not wait til the last minute to pay your registration. You do not want to log-in to your site, to find an error, or find out that suddenly you are no longer in business.

The rules of the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), gives domain registrars 45 days after the expiration date to notify the website owner that their domain name is going to be dropped from the registry. After the 45 days, you have a 30 day grace period, then your domain is up for grabs. However ..

Some domain services have created an auction process for expired names, such as GoDaddy.com, that begins the auctioning of domain names in as little of 30 days after the expiration date, to prospective buyers. However, GoDaddy.com does state to the prospective buyer in the auction process, that the original owners still have the option of reclaiming their name.

What’s in a name? If it’s a domain name, it can be your future online. So choose wisely, and protect what you worked, or have been working for — a business online.

Vickie J Scanlon — Visit her site at: My Affiliate Place for a repository of tools, articles, ebooks, affiliate opportunities and information, software, webhost providers and computers for the Affiliate/Internet Marketing person online.

Have you ever thought about having one of your registered domain names appraised, because you were considering selling it and wanted to know what a fair price would be? Maybe you’re just curious about how much your domain is worth? Did the high fees for detailed appraisal services turn you off of the idea, or are you still considering it?

Here’s a simple fact: Domain names, just like any other product or service, are worth whatever the market will bear.

What that means is that if a domain appraiser tells you that your domain name is worth $2500, but the most you can raise in an auction is $50, then your domain is really worth $50, not $2500. It’s basic economics. The market works on a supply-demand system. You’re supplying a certain domain name, and its value is entirely determined by how much demand there is for that name. If only one person in the world is interested in buying it from you, its value will be pretty low (unless of course you’re a squatter who jumped on a domain someone let expire, and you’re demanding an obscene price for it). On the other hand, if thousands of people desperately want the domain name that you’re selling, the price some people are willing to pay can skyrocket, making your domain name worth thousands.

How domains are appraised

Domain appraisal isn’t an exact science. A number of factors are considered, ranging from the length of the domain to the domain extension. Here are some of the considerations:

The domain extension – A .com domain is always valued higher than a .net, .org, or other extension for the same name.

The length of the domain name – Domains tend to be valued highest if you avoid going over 12 – 15 characters.

Dashes and Numbers – You’ll receive a higher appraisal if you avoid using numbers and dashes in your domain name.

Domain Prefixes – You’ll receive a lower appraisal if your domain name starts with any kind of prefix, whether it be an e, i, the, an, etc.

Name Recognition – If you’re able to register a domain that can be easily recognized, such as one common dictionary word, you’ll receive a higher appraisal.

Name Relevance – If your domain specifically tells what services or products could be offered by its web site, then you’ll receive a higher appraisal.

Marketability – Could the domain name be marketed and promoted easily? Does it lend itself to an easy logo and site campaign? Can it be pronounced easily in a radio campaign without being confusing, such as having multiple possible spellings? Does it look attractive in print? If the answer to each question is yes, then you’ll receive a higher appraisal.

Worth the cost?

If nothing else, you need to understand that domain name appraisals are extremely subjective, and you could receive very different appraisals from two different appraisal companies. In a general sense, unless you absolutely must, a domain name appraisal is likely not worth the expense. When selling a domain name, many buyers require that you provide them with one. Some even tell you what appraisal companies they will and won’t accept. If that’s the case, agree to get the appraisal, but kindly let the customer know that if they demand one, they’ll be responsible for the fee up-front, or you’ll add it to their bill when processing the sale. Other than that, if you want an honest opinion on one of your domain names, there are countless free forums on the Web where experienced professionals in buying and selling domains will give you their free input, based on what they’ve seen similar domains sell for recently. It might be a better use of your time to get various opinions that way, and decide for yourself what you feel your domain is worth. And if you considered getting a domain appraisal simply out of curiosity, remember this: your company’s domain name is as valuable as you feel it is. If you couldn’t run your company without it, it’s priceless.

Learn more domain name tips and advice at http://www.domainnamescenter.com or read web development articles at http://www.webdevshed.com

It doesn’t matter what type of business you are preparing to start– if you plan to have a presence on the Internet, choosing a proper domain name is an important step that should be given serious consideration.

Take a moment and think about some of your favorite websites’ URL’s. More than likely they will have a couple of things in common: 1) they express, in some way, the content of the website and 2) are short in the number of characters utilized. These are both good points to keep in mind when choosing your domain name. Let’s take a closer look.

CONTENT OF SITE: Many effective domain names can tell a potential visitor what the website is about without even clicking on the link: I.E. Wal-Mart. Most people, if not everyone in this galaxy, know that the Wal-Mart .com domain is going to have something to do with the giant retailer. The association is immediate. This is the effect for which all online businesses should strive.

From a visitor’s standpoint, a domain name consistent with the content lends credibility to the website. Search engines may not be as concerned about the domain name given the importance of the title meta tag right now, but that doesn’t change the potential visitor’s interpretation of your URL when viewing search results. Think about it. If your search query results for “bicycle repair” presented you with a choice between two websites, one of which was “easybicyclepair dot com” and the other “mynameissmith dot com”, which one would you most likely choose? It’s basically a no-brainer.

SHORT AND TO THE POINT: If at all possible, make your domain name short. This translates to less typing for the surfers, as well as a lesser amount of recall required remembering the location of your site (just in case they forgot to bookmark it). Securing a short domain name isn’t always an easy task to accomplish. Many of the short names are already taken, so it may require a little brainstorming on your part to create something you’re happy with that’s short & also associated with your content. Though it may take a little longer to pinpoint just the right name, it will pay off in the long run.

For instance, you could come up with a domain that’s “catchy” or even “cute” with a little extra effort & time spent. This will definitely help solidify your site’s location in your visitor’s minds. Advertisers have long known this to be true & have utilized its potential through television, radio and billboard ads for years. A good domain name will do the same thing as an ad jingle: get stuck in a person’s head. If you can create something short & catchy that also points to your content, you’ll have the best of both worlds. Furthermore, if you ever do plan to advertise through those other avenues, a catchy domain name could mean the difference between a potential customer either forgetting your site or wondering why they can’t seem to get your dot com out of their head.

IN CONCLUSION: Don’t overlook the importance of choosing a good domain name as a vital step in your business-building plan. While the domain name doesn’t always mean the difference between success and failure, a short, descriptive and catchy domain name may just be money in the bank.

Copyright 2006 Craig Binkley

Craig Binkley is a husband, father and a home business owner. Visit his Work From Home Directory located at http://www.workfromhomehelper.com for legitimate work from home opportunities and ideas.