Getting a Business Domain Name

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You will want to register your own domain name to use for your business.  There are free website sources available out there where you don’t need your own domain name, but typically you get what you pay for.  The free sites are filled with advertisements and pop-up windows that annoy potential customers.  Additionally, it takes away from the credibility of your business if you are using a free website and makes it more difficult for your customers to trust you.  Selling on internet is all about trust since a person does not actually have a chance to meet you face to face and see that you are not trying to scam them.

If you have chosen to go with the option of using an existing storefront like Yahoo Shops instead of setting up your own website, your domain name will be included with your package so there is no need to register one separately.

You can register a domain name through a variety of domain name providers.  Ideally the domain should be your business name.  So for example, if your business name is “Bertha’s Big Jewelry Store” you would want to register the domain name berthasbigjewelrystore.com.  If at all possible always try to register a .com domain name instead of any of the other domain name extensions. It is much easier for your customers to remember and will be easier for them to find your website again.

I should mention that getting the domain name you want can be exceedingly difficult.  There is such a huge demand for .com domain names that many are already taken.  Additionally, many people will buy domain names and just hold onto them in the hopes that someone else will eventually want them and will be willing to pay them lots of money for the domain they are holding.  This can be very frustrating if the domain name you want is already taken.  If that is the case, you may need to consider other options for your domain.

You might need to try adding a small word such as “the” or “my” to the beginning of your domain.  If you do this, then I would encourage you to promote your business name the same way. Another option is to try the domain with hyphens between the words. If all else fails you can register a domain with a different extension than .com (such as .net or .org). Be aware, though, that you may lose lots of business this way since people almost always type in .com out of habit when they are typing a domain name.

Domain names typically cost around $10.00 per year.  There are many domain registrars out there that you can choose from.  I personally recommend GoDaddy.com because they have low prices, easy domain management and excellent customer service. If you would like to register your domain with GoDaddy.com you can use the following link: www.GoDaddy.com