Free Website, Printing and Graphic Design Tips

You can register your domain name from any one of the many sites designed this purpose. Two examples of such sites are: Register.com and Simple URL.  It is important that you review their services when comparing. Cost should not be the only deciding factor. Typically, you will be asked to enter the name you desire and if it’s available, you can purchase it right then and there. If your first choice has already been taken you will have to submit alternate names until you find one that’s available.  
You can also purchase your domain name from the hosting service you will be using. This is usually the better approach. If you register your domain name and utilize hosting services from the same company there will be less confusion. If you choose to register and host with the same company make sure that if you decide to change to another hosting service in the future that you can “take the domain name with you”. It is important that your domain name is registered to you not to your web developer, designer or hosting service!

When deciding what you’d like your website’s domain name to be there are several factors you should keep in mind.
1. Try to use words that are key words for your business. If, for example, you are in the business of house cleaning then housecleaning.com, smittyshousecleaning.com, smittys cleaning.com, etc. would be good choices. When potential clients conduct an online search they are going to use the words that most commonly describe your services or products first. You want those words on your website and in your domain name if possible.
2. Keeping the above suggestion in mind, try to keep the name short and simple. The more characters people have to type the more likely there will be an error and your web page may not “come up”.
3. Finally, stay away from using unusual spelling techniques (cryptic stuff similar to the ”words” found on vanity license plates). For example spelling the word “graphics” as “graFics” can become a problem along the way. As I have well learned.