Choosing and Registering a Domain Name for Your Website

By Ricardo d Argence

In order to register a domain name you have to use the services of a domain name registrar. The organization responsible for providing standards and procedures for certifying companies as domain name registrars is the ICAAN. The domain name industry is regulated and overseen by this organization.

The master databese domains that are on InterNIC servers can only be accessed and modified by a domain name registrar. The registers have special domain name and they determine the fee for you too.

A domain name is used to establish your identity on the internet, as well as serving to establish a brand. Marketing is influenced by your domain name. You can use your business name as your URL. Try to find an available URL that describes your business if your business name is not available. Purchasing a business name domain name isn't the only way to go, and when a keyword domain name could do just fine.

Use common sense when choosing a domain name because your domain name, or URL, can have an impact in both the online and offline marketing of your website. Long or difficult to spell domain names can make people ignore your web site and it has to be pretty good for them to stick with it. Short domain names register better with people's memory and are easy to remember.

After you choose a domain name, you need to get it registered with a domain name registrar service. Charges are likely to consist of a one-time installation cost to cover the background technical job that has to be done. Then pay your service provider a monthly, semi-annual or annual fee for Web site hosting services.

You can find online tools for your site with your domain registrar.

I strongly recommend purchasing a .com domain name as opposed to a .net, .info, .biz or anything else. If your chosen domain name is not available in a .com, keep looking until you find one that isn't taken. There is nothing wrong with the other extensions but when you have a .com extension, it sounds like you've been on the net a long time.

Then you might consider looking at the lenght of time your competitors have regstered their domain names, if you want to stay ahead of your competition. If your domain name expires, there's a good chance that someone will register your domain name immediately after it expires. Renewal of domain names regularly is an assurance that you keep it for several years.

Keep in mind that your domain name is an extension of your business. Internet marketing will give you better results as long as you pay attention and practice what I've told you in this article.

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