Domain Names

Choosing the Right Domain Name

Domain names are to websites as book covers are to novels.  If they are not interesting enough, or don’t properly convey what a website is about, visitor will have no desire to enter them in their browsers.  Yet, excessive creativity doesn’t make for a good domain name either.  Why is this so?  It’s because if a domain name is creative but not keyword-rich, search engine bots won’t be able to index it in search engine listings.  So, ultimately, your domain name must be both catchy yet search engine optimized.  This article will explain how you can achieve both objectives.
First and foremost you will need to find a popular search engine keyword that can be incorporated into your domain name.  A keyword analyzer can help you in this task.  These can be found pretty easily with a basic search engine query.  When you find one, enter in a keyword that best summarizes the purpose of your website.  The keyword analyzer will return different versions of this keyword.  If the more specific instances can also fit within the nature of your website, choose one.  This is because when it comes to search engine optimization, more specific keywords are better since they are less likely to be used by other webmasters.
Now you can start selecting your actual domain name.  Most domain name companies will allow you to see whether or not your domain name is available.  If it is not available, it will return a list of recommended domain names.  Take advantage of this tool by first entering your selected keyword.  If your keyword as a domain name is not available, consider the suggestions the domain name company gives.  If the main keyword is still included in these suggestions and it ends with .com, consider it.  Otherwise, you will have to be more creative.
For example, you can use ‘filler’ words, numbers or phrases within your domain name to still include your selected keyword.  Fillers could be ‘a,’ ‘an’ or ‘the.’  Search engines tend to not look at these words, so you still have a good shot at getting indexed while having a domain name that is memorable and catchy.  You can also consider fillers at the end of a phrase, such as ’101′.
What if you do these things and you still can’t get .com?  Well, there are some situations where it is better to stick with a lesser-used extension because the keyword is just that popular.  Extensions that still get noticed include .net, .biz and .org.  Additionally, you can also consider using country or state-based extensions if you don’t mind international or local-based marketing.  It’s better to be number 1 in France’s version of Google than to be number 200 or worse in America’s version of Google.
In conclusion, choosing a domain name that will get the right buzz from both humans and search engines doesn’t have to be hard.  The keyword analyzer will help you with 90% of your domain name, while your wit with fillers can help you the other 10%.  And, if after an immense amount of pondering, you still can’t get the .com, you can opt for other extensions.

Cheap Domain Names

In order for people to access a website, they must first enter in its associated domain name.  This is a word or phrase that denotes the name of the site and/or summarizes what it is about.  Even free web hosting companies offer domain names, but there’s an essential difference.  With free web hosting companies, the domain names offered are in the form of third level domain names.
This means their domain name must be included when a person is trying to access the third level domain.  The only problem with this is that it makes a domain name long and hard to remember.  For this reason it’s best if a person considers just buying their own domain name.  And with the availability of cheap domain names, it is possible to get one that is very affordable.
Cheap domain names can range from being completely free to around $6.95.  Usually free domain names that are worth anything are included with a web hosting package.  So, a customer is technically still paying a fee.  The other types of domain names that require a fee can be purchased separately without a web hosting package.  The prices for these start at $1.00 and go up from there.
When a person purchases a cheap domain name, the overall registration process is the same as it would be for regularly-priced domains.  This means that first they would have to see if their domain name is available.  To do this they must enter in their desired domain name in a special text box, then select the extension they want.  If the domain name is available, they are free to purchase it.  If it is not available, they will have to choose another domain name.  Cheap domain name companies will offer suggestions on alternative domain names when this scenario occurs.
Are there any downsides to using cheap domain names?  Unfortunately, yes.  If a cheap domain name company is unscrupulous, a person may never receive a domain name at all.  What happens is the company tells the customer to wait a few days for the domain name to become active.  However, at the end of the timeframe, the domain name still doesn’t work.  And since the company is unscrupulous anyway, emailing customer service won’t do anything.
How can a person ensure they don’t encounter a fraudulent cheap domain name company?  First and foremost they need to check to see if it is registered with the Better Business Bureau.  This is an organization that ensures businesses are operating in a legitimate manner.  Secondly, they need to see if the company has normal contact information, such as an address and a telephone number.  Thirdly, they should see if the company has a bad reputation on message board dedicated to webmasters.  Of course, one may not always get an opinion on a particular company but if they do they will know to stay clear of it.
Yet, if a cheap domain name company is legitimate, there is no other disadvantage to getting a discounted domain name.  They work just like regularly priced domain names, so if a person has one available to them they definitely need to take advantage of it.