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If you wish to have a presence on the web, your domain name is one of the most important decisions you will need to make. We offer these tips.
Dot
what?
There are
many different extensions available. If you are a business, we recommend
a .com suffix. It is the first extension that most people try when searching
for a site. Also, since it is one of the oldest extensions, .com shows
that your business has been around for a while and has a well established
presence on the web.
Avoid
trademarked names
There
are two really good reasons for this. First, it’s not very nice. We have
all heard the stories about the zany guy who thought ahead and bought
"some-huge-multi-million-dollar-company.com" and sold
it to the company for enough money with which to retire. But, remember
that those companies have spent lots of time and money creating their
brand, and you wouldn't like it if the tables were turned. The second
reason to avoid trademarked names is that companies are no longer opening
their pocketbooks to get their names back. They are calling their lawyers.
Also, pending legislation will soon make it very difficult to register
someone else’s trademarked name.
Register
your domain ASAP
Domain names
are being snatched up faster than candy at a parade. You must register
soon unless you want to get stuck with "the-domain-name-that-no-one-wanted.net".
You do not have to have a webmaster or an E-commerce department or a web
design consultant or even a web page. Just register before you lose the
opportunity to get the name you really want.
One
may not be enough
Sometimes,
it isn’t a bad idea to register several similar domain names. If you have
"yourname.com", register "yourname.net" so no one else takes it. You can
register your full company and a shorter, easier-to-remember version.
Some people even register common misspellings of their company’s name.
Character
types
Just a reminder:
domain names can only use letters, numbers, and hyphens ("-"). Spaces
and other symbols are not allowed, and they cannot begin or end with a
hyphen. Domain names are not case sensitive. Most domain names cannot
exceed 22 characters, not including the extension.
Ask
around
When you have
settled on several available name choices, see what your friends and clients
have to say. A name that may make perfect sense to you may be too hard
for other people to remember. Is your domain easy to say? Is it hard to
spell? Do you have to explain why you chose the name?
Choose
a Professional!
When choosing
a registration service provider, make sure you are dealing with a trustworthy
and experienced professional. Your domain name and all content associated
with it are not something to be treated lightly. This domain name could
become worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and many companies on the
Internet do not appropriately handle this process. Make sure your company
has a track record of successful business relationships; this will indicate
experience and fairness in operation.
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