Choosing the right domain name can be a daunting chore for many, myself included. Although it’s not a science, there are a few things I’ve learned over the years.

First off you want to try and pick a name that is easy to remember and just as important, easy to spell. You’d be surprised how many people who have a hard time with spelling, spell check is one of my indispensable tools. Try not to use odd spellings such as toyz instead of toys. How many people will remember it?

I also only look for domain names in the .com version. Most surfers know there are many other extensions such as .net or .org, but .com was the first and the one that usually comes to mind first. If you gave some one your domain name such as dogsworld, it’s most likely they would try dogsworld.com. Not to mention if a .com is taken and you choose the .net version, you could be branding for the competition and helping them get more traffic. Don’t think you want to send traffic elsewhere.

Many people will argue that you must have keywords in your domain name, keywords related to the type of website you are building. While I don’t disagree, it raises a few problems. For one, if your in a competitive market, you might have a tough time getting a domain with keywords in it. Even if you do, the domain might end up being so long, surfers might not remember it all. Internetmarketingebooksandvideostudygudies.com, who’s going to remember all that? I personally have ranked domains well without keywords in them and have witnessed many others doing the same. It’s not the end all be all.

I also try to stay away from getting domains with a “-” in them. Again it comes back to making it easy for surfers to remember your url. If you have my-site.com v.s. mysite.com, which do you think surfers will remember easier? Will they remember to tell their friends there is a “-” in your url? Many times not.

Although it should be a no-brainer, don’t register a domain name with a trademark or famous name. I doubt you have deep enough pockets to fight off a ebay or a walmart, and they will go after you.

Take you time picking the right name, it can be that important.

  convert this post to pdf

Every day I see new people flocking to the net to make money, looking for the goose that laid the golden website. Most have no clue where to start, just like I did some years back. No fear, it’s really not that bad. Let’s get started..

The Very Very Bare Basics if your serious about making a real income on the Internet:

Quality Reliable Hosting - Without a doubt, the most important part of the plan. you could have the best website, the killer products and incredible copy, it’s nothing if buyers can’t get to your pages. Don’t even think about using a free hosting service, unless your looking to only earn beer money. I use Atci Hosting, they have superior support and plans to fit any ones needs or wants.

Domain Name - Your official name on the net, call it your very own piece of Internet real estate. Take your time and choose the name wisely and make sure to register it in your name with your contact information, don’t let your host register it for you. I have used Domain Name Systems for several years without a problem and superior service.

Computer - I would guess since your reading this, you already have that part covered. If you can browse the Internet, you’ve got what you need.

Software - Windows notepad. Yep, you heard me right. HTML (hyper text markup language) pages are simple files you can create in a word processor program, actually the simplier the better. Some more advanced word processor programs add un-wanted characters. Save your file as webpage.html and your good to go. For the first couple of years I was creating web-pages all I used was notepad. It’s not a bad idea to start with notepad so you learn the code and have some idea what your doing. I eventually graduated to a program called Macromedia Dreamweaver But it can be on the expensive side. The only other required software you’ll need it an ftp (file transfer protocol) program. There are quite a large number of ftp programs, the only one I’ve used and can recommend is Cute Ftp.  On a side note, if you do happen to get your hands on a copy of Dreamweaver, it comes with a built in ftp program. Kinda nice huh?

So what are your waiting for? Go make a website and make some money! If you need more help, let me know.

  convert this post to pdf