Seven Frequently Asked Questions About Choosing A Domain Name

 

One of the most common questions I'm asked by my clients is "What domain name should I use for my website?". In response, I would recommend considering several factors. In the following article, I will go through these factors in a question and answer format:

1. Should I choose a country code domain name (like .CO.UK or .CA), or a global top-level domain like .COM?

If your target market is specific to one country, I would recommend using a country code domain name, especially if you sell physical products that can only be delivered within that country. Many people I have spoken to tell me that they are often uncertain of where online stores are located, and it is not until they reach checkout and are asked to pay in a foreign currency that they are not able to order the products in their shopping basket due to the website not selling internationally. Having a country code domain name instantly lets your potential customers know that you are located in the same country as them, and that your service is designed specifically for that nation.

Alternatively, if you have a website developed for the purpose of sharing information, with little or no content which is only relevant in one part of the world, my advice would be to choose a global top-level domain such as .com.

2. Should I break up words within my domain name with hyphens? Is 'widget-shop.com' better than 'widgetshop.com'?

There seems to be a general consensus within the search engine optimisation industry that using hyphens helps search engines deduce what the actual words within an URL are, therefore leading to those pages being ranked higher in the search engine results. However, there is also speculation that using 2 or more hyphens within the domain name incurs a penalty. With this in mind, I would advise anyone who plans to receive most of their custom from organic search engine results to use one hyphen in their domain name to separate their targeted search keywords.

However, if your business model is not heavy on search engine optimisation, my recommendation would be to not have any hyphens in your domain name, as the vast majority of internet users intuitively enter domain names in their browser address bar without any hyphens. In domain name value appraisal circles, the non-hyphenated version of a domain name is usually considered to be of greater worth.

For search engine optimisation, studies show that one hyphen may give you an advantage, but on the whole I would recommend not using any hyphens in your domain name.

3. Is it better to have digits (2, 3 etc.) or words for numbers (two, three etc.) in my domain name?

Generally speaking, I would dissuade anyone using word of mouth advertising from having any numbers, either as digits or as words, in their domain name. The reason for this is that a domain name should be easy to remember and easy to spell correctly. Lets say for example you had the domain name 'widgets4u.com'. If you meet someone that is interested in your product, and tell them to visit your website, you are going to have tell them specifically that the 4 is numeric and the U is just one letter. Otherwise, they may input 'widgetsforyou.com', 'widgets4you.com', 'widgetsforu.com' and end up at the website of one of your competitors.

If however you are prepared to accept this risk, in my experience the layperson tends to instinctively put the numeric version of a number in a domain name. Therefore, use 'widgets2.com', not 'widgetstwo.com'.

4. How long should my domain name be?

As short as possible. Long domain names are harder for your customers to remember, take longer to type, longer to spell out (you may find yourself having to spell your domain name letter-by-letter to some clients) and also may be harder to actually fit onto your business cards, print advertisements and similar. I have one client whose business name consists of four words, two of which are tricky to spell. My advice to him was to use a domain name with the first letter of each word only, which has proved very easy to remember.

If you are targeting specific search keywords, I would recommend that your domain name consists of those keywords and as little else as possible. If you were targeting 'purple widgets', my advice would be to use the domain name 'purplewidgets.com'. If that domain name is not available, I would recommend adding one extra word to the end. For example, I personally have a web site which targets the search keyword 'weight loss'. As one would expect, 'weightloss.com' and 'weightloss.co.uk' were already registered - so I opted for the domain name 'weightlossweb.co.uk'. Choosing an added word that begins with the same letter as your first keyword helps your visitors remember your domain name. So, going back to the purple widgets example: Alternative domain names could include 'purplewidgetpro.com', 'purplewidgetpower.com' and 'purplewidgetparadise.com'.

5. Are some domain name extensions better than others?

Yes. Generally speaking, the most desirable top-level domain is the .COM. Charitable websites may choose .ORG in order to declare that they are a charitable organisation, but there are currently no restrictions on who can register .ORG domain names or what they need be used for - and many commercial websites still use them.

My personal "league table" of favoured domain name extensions is as follows:

1 .COM
2 Country-code (.WS, .CO.UK, .CA, .IE etc.)
3 .NET
4 .ORG
5 .BIZ
6 .INFO
7 .NAME

I currently have in excess of 300 domain names registered, none of which are .INFO or .NAME. I would only recommend that one registers .BIZ, .INFO or .NAME domains if they have a large website with a brand name to protect. For example, my business trading name is 'Starsol.co.uk'. At the time of writing this article, 'Starsol.com' is currently registered by a domain name squatter, who is asking for an extortionate price. I have chosen to register 'Starsol.biz' to prevent a similar situation occurring in future. I feel it is very unlikely that anyone actually types the domain with the .BIZ extension into the address bar looking for my website - but if I didn't register the name myself - someone else might and go on to use it for purposes that may harm my brand.

6. What about .TV and .WS?

Although they may be marketed as such, .TV does not mean tele-vision and .WS does not mean web-site or world-site. .TV is the country code extension for Tuvalu and .WS is for Samoa. Tuvalu is small island country located in the Western Pacific Ocean with a population of approximately 11,000 in the Western Pacific Ocean that gained independence from the UK in 1978. Samoa, also in the Pacific, gained independence from New Zealand in 1962 and has a population of around 180,000.

Other similar domain names include .FM (Federated States of Micronesia) which masquerades as the TLD for radio stations and .CC (Cocos Islands).

7. Why do some domain name registrars charge more than others? Are their domain names better?

Perhaps surprising, this is a question I have been asked on several occasions. Just like how some supermarkets which charge more than others for identical cans of fizzy drink than others, domain name registrars also charge differing domain name registration costs. Although some domain name registrars may provide extra tools with domain name registration, a domain name registered for $8.95 a year will work in exactly the same way and one registered for $35.00 a year.

 

I hope this article has helped you in your search for a perfect domain name. I would like to add however, that with domain name registrations being so cheap, that registering multiple domains and redirecting them all to your one "main domain" may prove to be a very good idea. If there is one domain that you will be heavily marketing, I would strongly advise you to at least also register the .COM version of that domain name too, and if you are outside the United States to also register the relevant country-code version of the domain name. Many of your customers may input the wrong extension when looking for your site, possibly leading to you losing their custom to a competitor of yours.  

Regards,

Andres Amador

 

 

Increase the Ranking of Your Website on Search Engines

The ranking of your website on the search engines can be increased by following a few guidelines. Although we all know that there is no hard and fast rule to getting a higher rank, a few tweaks and tricks can do wonders. It is not an easy or convenient task to rank high on top search engines like Google or Yahoo. In order to curb the competition from other website owners and competitors, it requires a well laid out plan from your side.

How to reach the top and maintain your position

Webmasters can follow the below ranking factors to get their websites on top. These are the principles that can help achieve easy-indexing of your website.

 If your website is equipped with META tags, inbound links and alternate texts on the images, then it can actually help your website achieve a rank that is quite high in the search engine results.

The content of your website is also very crucial for ranking high on the search engine. The content should be highly optimized and unique. The selection of right keywords for the content of the website is also very important. Target the proper keywords for better results. More often than not, people use unrelated keywords or, dump the website with so many keywords that the content becomes irrelevant and the website loses its ranking.

Regards,

Andres Amador

 

 

 

How search engines rank the websites

 

The search engine crawlers or robots rank any website on two major factors. Although there are many ingrained intricacies involved in the ranking process, on a broad perspective there are two ways of tracking a website:

 

* The most common and popular means of tracking a website and ranking it depends upon its links. Both the inbound and outbound links are important. But the inbound links play a more important role. You can get quality inbound links if you go for Search Engine Submissions, Directory Submissions, Press Release Distribution, Blogs and Article Submissions. The quality inbound links from better or more reputed websites will increase the ranking of your website also.

 

* Content based tracking is the other method of ranking any website. Though it is a complex way of tracking, yet you must know that it depends on the META Tags. The uniqueness of the content as well as relevant use of keywords can also increase the indexing of the website.

 

* Beside these, the online modes of advertisement like banner ad placement, paid links and submissions and marketing through social media can also increase the ranking of your website.

 

Besides considering these ranking factors, your prime aim should be to take your website to the top of the search engine results through legitimate and honest means. Once your website is on the top of the search engine results, you can be rest assured of getting extensive business and profit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Sensible Steps to Take When Choosing Your Domain Name

With such a huge growth in the number of websites and the resulting difficulty in finding an available domain name, it is tempting to grab the first one that sounds like it might do the trick. However, a small amount of homework will pay big dividends – follow the ten steps below to obtain the optimal domain:

1. AVAILABILITY
If it’s not available you can’t have it – simple!

2. COPYRIGHT
Ensure that you do not breach copyright or infringe trademarks with your choice of domain.

3. EXTENSIONS
It’s widely acknowledged that the best TLD (top level domain) is .com. However, in the UK, web users are more than used to .co.uk so this is equally acceptable for UK websites. If .com isn’t available and you use .net instead (for example), check that .com isn’t either a competitor or that the .com site content is acceptable! Always try to get the .com, your country TLD or .net in that order. Web users are still not used to .biz or .info.

4. BE GREEDY!
If more than one TLD variant is available, buy as many as you can afford and set them all to point to your website. This is a form of brand protection and prevents unscrupulous competitors trying to cash in on your hard-earned web traffic.

5. BE MEMORABLE
Make sure that potential web users will remember your domain name and that they can spell it properly.

6. BE PRONOUNCABLE
Try telling people your web address over the phone – can they understand what you tell them? Or do they give up and try someone else’s website.

7. BE DESCRIPTIVE
If you are a new business, very few people will remember or search for your domain name if it is your company name. Try choosing a domain name that is descriptive of your products instead e.g. cheap<>.com. Try testing it with a hyphen as well as using just one word.

8. OFFLINE MARKETING
Use your domain name in your offline marketing literature and ensure that it is as visible as possible. However, if your domain name consists of more than one word, that is™t hyphenated, try using capital letters e.g. which is easier to read  littlefishwebdesign.com or LittleFishWebDesign.com? Domain names are not case sensitive so your clients will find your site whichever version they use.

9. BUY YOUR DOMAIN FOR LONGER
Search engines are now looking at less obvious information such as how long you have bought your domain name for. Domain names owned for less than two years are though to be penalised, so buy your domain for as long as possible.

10. OWN YOUR DOMAIN NAME
If you use a web designer or third party for your domain names, ensure they are registered in your name and that you have a signed agreement with the company that they will release all the details (including password) to you, quibble free, if you choose to move to another design or hosting company.

Regards,

Andres Amador

A Dummies Guide to Choosing Great Domain Names

When it comes to choosing your domain name, do not allow yourself to get stressed out or worry over choosing the perfect domain name that will make your website a success. When it comes down to it, there are several things you can do to ensure you choose the best type of domain for your business, and after that any number of domain names will work effectively for you. However, you need to read the following suggestions and follow them in order to avoid any costly mistakes to your traffic and business due to a bad domain name.

Tip #1 Short and Sweet
You will want a domain name that is short and sweet. There are many reasons for this, however if you have a short domain name it will be easier for people to remember and revisit not to mention tell others about. Also, if your domain name is short, other websites linking to your site will not have to worry about broken URLs and invalid web pages.

Tip #2 Make a List
You should definitely make a list of the domain names you like the most, but it is best if you make a list of themes rather than exact domain names. The reason for this is there are so many domain names on the Internet that finding an easy one is not so easy. So, come up with themes you are interested in and then start searching from there.

Tip #3 Be Open
Do not set your heart on one particular domain name, especially if it is a generic one because odds are it is taken. You will only be disappointed and unhappy with any other domain name. Do not set yourself up like this and realize ahead of time that you will need to be really creative with your domain name and open to new ideas and options.

Tip #4 Search for Options
Once you have your list of themes and ideas you want for a domain name you can start searching online. There are plenty of websites that will allow you to search and register different domain names. Most likely, several that you search for will be taken and the program might suggest you take that domain name with a really large number on the end or other variations that are available. In general, you do not want to do this because it is more difficult to remember your URL and you will get a lot of your traffic misdirected.

Tip #5 Dot Com
There are many kinds of extensions or suffixes available for URLs from com to .net and .biz to .info. While all of these are options and your particular desired domain might be taken under .com and available under tv you should consider long and hard before doing this. The reason for this is everyone knows about .com and if they are thinking of your website they will probably search for it as .com first. So, having a .com will keep people from getting confused. Also, if your keyword URL exists as a .com and you choose .net, you will probably lose customers and traffic to the other site because people know to go to .com.

Regards,

Andres Amador

Good Tips in Choosing a Solid Domain

 

What makes a good domain name? It's a name that gives you a decisive edge over your competitors that they often find hard to surmount. Your position in your industry can often be dictated by how good your domain name is. Here are some solid characteristics of an effective domain name to get you started in the right direction.

Good domain names are easily memorable from casual conversation. Something that can be said once and be remembered instantly. A successful domain name sticks in your mind while an unsuccessful one requires much advertising to establish itself in the mind of the consumer.

Apply the 'Short and Simple' theory when devising your domain name. Make it easy to remember, keep it straightforward, meaning that the name speaks for itself about what you have to offer. The length should be shorter as people remember or rather recall shorter domain names than longer ones. Your domain name should be something that actually conveys only one idea about what you are. Limit the name to two words if possible, three words as an absolute maximum. Remember the idea is to create domain names people can easily recall and type into their browser.

Go .COM at the end of your domain. Make it your priority to get a .COM name, as it has become the default extension for most everyone. The.COM extension seems destined to remain the standard default extension for commercial websites, at least for the foreseeable future. Keep in mind that it's second nature for Internet users to type in .COM in their browsers when they want to find any site.

Don't add hyphens or special coding to your domain. No one will remember to put that hyphen or a space in an URL, therefore, if they try to locate your site without applying needed hyphens, the obvious action to that result is that they won't locate your website. When your website isn't located because of an unusual or complicated domain name, it means one thing. The loss in sales. The point of a good domain name is to get those people flocking to your site to generate revenue.

Domain names should carry value. Always remember that perceived truth is more powerful than the truth itself. A good domain name tends to heighten the perception of the website's value, sending a message that quality of your domain name reflects in the products and services you offer. Think of your domain name as a 'headline' of an article and people will likely judge and visit your site according to its domain name.

Avoid domain names that are similar or copycat to existing ones. Not only do you want to avoid legal issues, but want your brand to be distinct from that of your competitors. Granted it will take time to come up with a domain name that will work and set you apart from the others selling the same product or services as you.

Use your domain name to position yourself on the Web. If your domain name reflects your site's core benefits and instantly communicates how different you are from others, your URL will be positioned above the competition in the minds of your market.

Never use a 'free' domain name. This will be the worst mistake you can make when setting up your business online. Believe it or not, when consumers are researching online and see that your URL is with a free site or sites of lesser quality, will quickly turn away. In other words, if people notice that your site is hosted with the 'freebies', they will only assume that your product or service is just as cheap, or worse that you don't actually respect your products and services that you are offering. If you don't believe in your products, your own target market won't either.

Don't make the mistake of attempting to retrofit your domain name to your website. You should have your domain name first and then your business name should be the same as your domain name. You would think that most people would have their domain name exactly the same as their business name. That isn't the case. Many online sites were not able to get domain names the same as their business names as they were not available due to others currently using those particular names online. Hence the importance of making sure you have your domain first, then you will be able to have the same name for your website. There are domain names out on the market for sale that you may be able to purchase, but a word to the wise, some of these names come with a hefty price tag. Make sure that the name you select truly reflects your business goals and philosophy.

In conclusion, your domain name in itself is the ultimate marketing brand and is in fact, the most important marketing tool you will possess. Always remember that your domain name also gives the first impression for your customers and that alone makes an impression before your customers even reach your website. Without further ado, choose your domain name carefully and wisely, add credibility from the get-go and you should fare off very well.

Sincerely,

Andres Amador 

 

Web Site Hosting : From Domain Registration to Getting It Online

The first thing you need to do when setting up a web site is to register a domain name. A domain is the familiar "something.com" (the www is not part of the domain name).

Your domain name is a pointer to the actual IP address of your website. They're used because they're a lot easier for people to remember than a bunch of numbers would be.

Every website has an IP address, which is a number like 123.456.78.9. The domain name system (aka DNS) translates between those numbered addresses and the corresponding domain names.

Each domain on the internet is registered with a central registry handled by a group called InterNIC which is a subsidiary of ICANN - the organization that certifies all domain name registrars.

Domains names gets filtered through DNS servers, which link the address with the correct domain name. Most websites have a primary and a secondary DNS server - essentially a backup system that increases reliability.

Getting Your Website Set Up

The first step in registering your domain name is to decide what you want it to be. The domain can be almost anything you want it to be, but it will be more effective if it relates to the subject of your website.

If you're selling shoes, for example, it helps to have a domain name that's related to shoes - all-shoes.com for instance.

There are a few simple rules for registering domain names. The only characters you can use in your domain are letters, numbers and the hyphen. Domain names can't be longer than 70 characters, but it's best to keep them as short as possible.

They can be either upper or lower case - the case of the domain name is ignored by DNS. It sometimes helps to use a combination to make them easier to read. For example, which is easier to read mywebsite.com or MyWebSite.com? Both are the same as far as DNS servers are concerned.

There are a number of extensions available to use with your domain. The most common by far is .com. It has become synonymous with the internet (eg. "The dot com crash").

Other common extensions include .net and .org. Some of the newer ones are .info, .biz and .name - these aren't as common however, and they won't be as effective as .com, .net or .org, which people are more familiar with.

There are also specialized extensions such as .museum, .aero and .coop which are only available for members of certain organizations.

What About Country-Specific Domains?

You can also register domains with specific country extensions such as .us (United States) or .de (Germany). The rules for registering country-specific domains vary from country to country, so you need to check with the registrars for a given country to see if you are able to register them.

All domain registrars must be certified by ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). There are many registrars with varying prices. You can get a full list of all certified registrars at the InterNIC website (www.internic.net/regist.html).

Even though registrars are regulated, they're allowed to offer their registration service through third parties, so most web hosts offer domain registration even if they aren't registrars themselves.

Regards,

Andres Amador

7 Strategies to Choosing an Effective Domain Name

1.What's the purpose of the domain name? Are you planning on using this name as the main website for your company, as a one page sales letter site, or squeeze page site? If the domain name will be your primary company website, try and find the closest version to your company name that you can. If you're just starting out, choose your business name and domain name with care. When I started my virtual assistant practice, I chose the name SOHO Business Solutions, as I thought everyone knew that SOHO stood for Small Office, Home Office. I think I've run into 2 people in my 7 years in business who knew what that acronym stood for. If I had it to do over again for this business, I would choose a business name and domain name with virtual assistant in the title, like InternetMarketingVirtualAssistant.com, a name I just recently purchased.

If the purpose of a domain is for a one-page sales letter site or a squeeze page, think ahead as to how you might promote this site. Because content is king in today's internet marketing world, there's little chance that either of these types of sites would be picked up by the search engines on key words. Therefore, your best promotion strategy is PPC, or "pay per click", where you're buying keywords for placement in search engines. If you're buying keywords from Google, for example, the paid listings appear at the top of a search in a blue box, or down the right-hand side of your screen. You want to be sure that the info displayed there is compelling enough to get someone to click and visit your site. So, for example, I've created a squeeze page, GetMoreClientsOnline.com, which has a compelling solution to a common problem that my clients have, as a side door gateway to my OnlineBizCoachingCompany.com coaching website.

2. Brainstorm a list of ideas of the problem you're trying to solve or the solution that you have. A domain name that clearly indicates what you do, or a problem that you solve, or a solution that you have to a problem will give a visitor a fairly clear picture of what s/he'll find on your website. What I typically do is go to my domain registrar, www.UltraNetDomains.com, and just start plugging in the names I'm brainstorming until I come up with 3 or 4 that are available. If the domain name that you type in isn't available, the service will come up with 10 or so alternates for you to consider. I found this alternate listing quite helpful recently in picking the name of an article directory site that I want to create.

 

3. For SEO (Search Engine Optimization) purposes, it helps to have your keywords in your domain name. Marla Regan, who's a professional organizer, has put two keywords in her domain name, OrganizedTime.com. Retirement Coach Lin Schreiber has her keyword niche in her domain, RevolutionizeRetirement.com. Consultant John Reddish has the desired outcome keywords in his domain, GetResults.com. I own a domain that I haven't yet developed for house sitters, BecomeAHouseSitter.com. Before buying your domain, make a list of keywords that someone might use to find you online. This list could include your industry, your target market or niche, a problem your target market has, or a solution that you can offer.

 

4. Shorter is better, if it's to be your primary domain. I haven't always followed my own rules here, as I tend to have business names that are quite lengthy. If the domain name is going to be your primary domain where your primary email address will be housed, you want your domain name to be as short, catchy, and memorable as possible. After a few times of spelling out your lengthy email address, you'll come to appreciate the beauty of a short domain name. Your domain name can contain up to 67 letters and numbers, although I would encourage you not to have one of this length, and can contain no special characters other than hyphens.

 

5. Purchase your your given name as a domain name. I typically tell my clients not to try and brand their given name as their business name, as that takes many years, much money, and lots of hard work to have the name recognition of Oprah, for example. However, it still pays to purchase your given name as a domain name, as well as any common misspellings of your name. Many people think my name is Donna Gunther, with an "h" in the last name, but I've been unable to register that common misspelling of my name, as a photographer in Venice, CA, has owned in since 2000. Once you've purchased your name as a domain, you can redirect it to your primary website. This means that when someone types in a domain, they land at the website to which you pointed that domain. So, currently DonnaGunter.com redirects to OnlineBizCoachingCompany.com because I don't want to use my name as a website, although that might change in the future.

 

6. Buy the .COM version of the name if it is available. When people hear a domain name, they "hear" .COM whether it's .NET or .BIZ or .ORG or whatever. So, it pays to find a domain name that you like that is part of the .COM family. If you just can't get the name you want, try a hyphenated version of the .COM name. For example, when I was seeking a domain name for my Self-Employment Coaching Gym, I really wanted SelfEmploymentSuccess.com, but it wasn't available. However, Self-Employment-Success.com was available, so I grabbed that. Many SEO specialists state that search engines like hyphenated names, and many online business owners use hyphenated keywords in their domain names to be more attractive to search engines. I don't have a clear answer as to the validity of this theory, so I just advocate going this route before having to resort to the .NET or .BIZ of the name you desire. Some domain name holders may be willing to sell you the domain name that you want. You can find out who owns a domain name by checking the WhoIs Registry at Internic, http://www.internic.net/whois.html. For info about country codes (two-letter) top-level domains (.UK or .CA, for example) visit http://www.uwhois.com/cgi/domains.cgi?User=NoAds

 

7. Consider owning other versions of your primary domain name. If you are registering the .COM version of a domain for your business, you may also want to secure variations of the name, alternate spellings, common misspellings, and the .NET and .ORG versions of your domain and repoint them to your main site to keep them out of the hands of your competitors. You can also go broke very quickly by purchasing all of these variations, so exercise some restraint in your purchases and don't go crazy with purchasing every single variation of your domain name. For my coaching company site, I own both the OnlineBizCoachingCompany.com and OnlineBusinessCoachingCompany.com and decided that was good enough.

 

Your domain name is the beginning of the establishment of your presence online, Take some time and put some thought into the process so that the domain name serves you well in the years to come, and is an effective tool for helping you get more clients online.

Regards, 

Andres Amador

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domain Names & Websites

Does a website come with a domain name? If not, what comes with a website and how do I get a domain name?

New website owners often seem confused about how and when domain names come into play. The questions usually boil down to: "Does a website come with a domain name?" and "If not, how do I get a domain name?"

Web hosting and domain name registration are usually separate services. Although your hosting company may give or sell you a domain name with your website, most hosting companies are not domain registrars, and chances are they're procuring it from a third party. (Domain registrars often give you a website, but they're usually not "full featured" websites, and another issue.)

What's more, despite the fact that hosting companies will generally take care of your initial domain name registration, becoming familiar with the basics of domain name management can save you anywhere from a few bucks to a little bundle. (For the definition of "bundle," forget Webster's Dictionary. Look at your monthly statement from your hosting company; if it gives you that sinking feeling, that's a bundle.)

Managing your own domain names will usually have its biggest payoff if you should decide to get more than one domain name, a common practice that can sometimes enhance your web presence. How? Let's say, your business name is "Grumpy's Hardware and Paint." Some people know you as Grumpy's Hardware, some as Grumpy's Paint, and some as just plain Grumpy. You might want to get three domain names -- grumpyshardware.com, grumpyspaint.com, and grumpy.com -- so your site can be reached no matter what a surfer enters in his browser.

The way this would work is, you'd open your hosting account using, let's say, grumpy.com. Then you'd add on, what's called, "parked" or "mirror" domain names, grumpyshardware.com and grumpyspaint.com. Parked or mirror domains are not separate websites; they simply point to an existing website, grumpy.com, in this case.

The problem is that some hosting companies will charge you setup and/or monthly fees for parked domains. These fees are above and beyond the yearly fees you already pay for registering domain names. And these fees can add up.

By managing domain names yourself, however, you can avoid all "parking" fees, not to mention shop around for a better deal on the names themselves.

The fundamentals of domain management begin with two basic methods of directing domain names to your website. That is, the process that gets a surfer from the browser to your website involves a mechanism that takes the surfer (unbeknownst to him) to your domain name registrar and then to your website. The journey from your registrar to your website can be accomplished by one of two methods -- "pointing" or "forwarding." It's your choice as to which method to use.

What's the difference? There's a huge difference.

Although the menus for setting up these features vary from registrar to registrar, the concepts are the same. "Pointing" involves assigning a DNS (Domain Name Server) address, obtained from your hosting company, to your domain name grumpy.com. This is done at your registrar account.

Then, you must inform your hosting company to "set up" grumpy.com on their end, if they have not yet done so. And this is where domain name setup and monthly fees at your hosting company come in.

"Forwarding" (also referred to as "redirecting"), on the other hand, works a little differently. Let's say you wanted to set up grumpyspaint.com for your website. Instead of using the DNS method described above, you would simply "forward" it to grumpy.com, which would already be pointing to your website. In addition to being a little simpler, it's likely you've just saved yourself some money.

How?

When a surfer enters grumpyspaint.com, they simply get forwarded to your other name, grumpy.com, which is already pointing to your website. It's almost as if the surfer entered grumpy.com directly. And you don't need any additional setups at your hosting company when you use this method, no matter how many additional parked domain names you have. So, no setups, no fees.

To put it all together, if you had let's say 20 domain names, you'd need to set up only one domain name at your registrar using the DNS method, and you'd need your hosting company to "setup" that same name on their end. The other nineteen names would need no setup whatsoever at your hosting company. All you'd have to do is redirect (at your registrar account) all nineteen names to that one name you already have set up. And, thus, you've saved yourself setup and/or monthly fees for nineteen parked domains.

How much can you save? Some hosting companies can charge as much as $20 setup and $5 per month for each parked domain. Figure it out.

Be aware that some registrars charge extra for features such as "forwarding." But there's no need to pay extra even for this. Many registrars, like directnic.com and enom.com, include forwarding and other features at no extra charge.

So, even if you do not necessarily take care of these domain matters yourself, but relegate it to a friend or coworker, being aware of the ins and outs can help you avoid getting ripped off by a hosting company whose job is not necessarily to keep you informed of the most budget-conscious way of running your operation. After all, the information super highway should be for surfing, not for being taken for a ride.

Sincerely,

Andres Amador

 

Web Sites, Domain Names, And Name Servers (What's DNS All About?)...

DNS confuses a lot of people.

The internet works by assigning an address to each device attached to it. This address is called an Internet Protocol Address or IP Address for short. It's a 32 bit number that's commonly written as 4 segments or octets (called an octet because each 4th is 8 bits) such as 10.10.1.1 or 216.54.217.22. Each octet can range between 0 and 255. This address works just like your street address: a packet (a chunk of communication between two devices) leaving your computer and heading for Google moves through devices call routers that route traffic on the internet. The router looks at the destination IP Address and knows which way to send the packet. Just like a letter moves through various post offices and delivery vehicles (mail man, mail trucks, airplanes, etc.) your little packet of internet traffic moves across various communication channels (phone lines, cable lines, fiber, etc.) and providers (UUNet, Cogent, Level3, Time-Warner, AT&T, Sprint, AboveNet, etc.). It finally arrives at its destination and is processed and a return packet is sent back... in just the same way, it finds its way back based on your IP Address.

The Internet would be pretty hard to use if you had to remember all those IP Addresses when you wanted to visit a web page, so a naming scheme is used that allows you to enter a name that is easy to remember instead of a sequence of numbers. So, how does your computer get the IP Address of a web site when you type in the name? That's where Domain Name Servers do their job.

Name Servers. A Name Server holds the information that relates the IP Addresses for a web site to the names used to access that web site. If you want to have a web site with a domain name, you have to register or purchase (more like rent) the domain name from a service call a registrar. When I registered the domain name for my web site, I told the registrar what Name Server I was using, Most people will use the Name Servers provided by their hosting facility (where they rent the server space for their web site). That Name Server is configured to have a "zone" for my domain and that zone contains records that relate a name to an IP address, this is called an "A Record". An "MX Record" is used to identify the mail server for that zone, for example, I have an "A Record" for my domain that points to the IP address of the web server, and the "MX Record" points to the mail server for my domain. These may or may not be on the same server. When someone sends me email, their mail server will request the Name Server for my domain and will get it's IP Address, then it can request the MX Record and get it's IP Address, and then it can send packets of mail to the mail server for my domain.

Domain Name Servers. A Domain Name Server stores the domain names and associated IP Addresses for a period of time.

This is stored or cached on a server called a Domain Name Server, or DNS server for short. If the time specified for caching a domain name / IP Address relationship has passed the DNS server will remove it from its cache. When a request for an IP Address is made, and the DNS server does not have that address in its cache, the DNS Server will make a request to a set of special servers on the internet that hold the addresses for all the Name Servers and which domain names each one controls. It can then send a request to the name server for that domain to get the IP Address for the domain name and return it to the computer or device making the original request. All Internet Providers have several DNS servers and as you browse the internet your computer is constantly sending requests to these DNS servers to get (or resolve) IP Addresses for the domain names you type in or links you click on.

A web site's name to address relationships are stored on Name Servers, as you browse the Internet, DNS servers either provide the address back to your computer from cache, or, look up the Name Server for your domain and then gets the correct Name Server to get the IP Address.

Now you too understand DNS and Name Servers!

Regards,

Andres Amador

What Do .com, .net, and .org Mean?

These phrases are commonly called suffixes and are one part of a domain name. A domain name is your Web address, or Internet identity.

Suffixes are categories of Internet domain names, which categories serve to describe the type of company, organization, or other category that is represented. There are many categories from which to choose, and some suffixes (also called extensions) are more popular than others. These particular suffixes are considered top-level-domains (TLDs). These suffixes and others are defined here as follows:

• .com stands for "commercial," and is the most widely used extension in the world. Most businesses prefer a .com domain name because it is a highly recognized symbol for having a business presence on the Internet.


• .net stands for "network," and is most commonly used by Internet service providers, Web-hosting companies or other businesses that are directly involved in the infrastructure of the Internet. Additionally, some businesses choose domain names with a .net extension for their intranet Websites.


• .org stands for "organization," and is primarily used by non-profits groups or trade associations.


• .biz is used for small business Web sites.


• .info is for credible resource Web sites and signifies a "resource" web site. It's the most popular extension beyond .com, .net and .org.


• .us is for American Web sites. It has the largest amount of available names in inventory.


• .cc was originally the country code for Coco's Keeling Islands. It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.


• .bz was originally designated as the country code for Belize, but is now commonly used by small business who can't get the name they want using the .biz extension. It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.


• .tv is for rich content/multi-media Web sites, commonly used within the entertainment or media industry.


• .gs is the country code for the South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands. It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.


• .ms is the country code for Montserrat. It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.


• .tc is the country code for the Turks & Caicos Islands. It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.


• .vg is the country code for the British Virgin Islands. It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.


• .ws was originally designated as the country code for Western Samoa, but is now commonly used as an acronym for "Web sites." It is unrestricted and may be registered by anyone, from any country.


• .name is the only domain extension specifically designed for personal use. It is commonly used for easy to remember e-mail addresses and personal web sites that display photos or personal information about an individual.

ws is my personnal choice for a Domain name. Global Domains International is the official registry for ws. For more information visit amadorfreedom.ws.

They also have various suffixes for your convinience.

Sincerely,

amadorfreedom

It is Thursday, April 1, 2010, the Safelist Report is published #1, no contest

Amacorp,

Never in the history of their testing have they made such a comment,
but the current number one Safelist - List Builder is #1, and it is
no contest.

It is Thursday, April 1, 2010, the Safelist Report is published,
and therefore, your Hoopla Rankings are updated.

All Traffic Hoopla members, login now, see 3rd Join, and join &
update as it applies.
http://www.12path.com/hoopla/

In addition, Hoopla Pro members may login and view most current and
full testing report.  Use it as your guide for all your advertising
decisions.

Despite the fact the co-owner of this advertising resource publicly
questions our rankings, List Effects, statistically, is the current
number 1 Safelist - List Builder, and it is no contest.  See the
most current and full testing report, the April 1 Safelist Report,
and you will see what I mean.

If not already, go now and join this current top ranked advertising
resource, and use it daily to promote your Traffic Hoopla.  This is
exactly how you will build significant, daily, and ongoing daily
traffic.

Do you not understand how your Traffic Hoopla works?  Login to your
account, see How This Works, Referral Rewards, then follow our
instructions.  Do as we do, you will build ongoing daily traffic.

And do not forget.  No advice works unless you do.

Here to help.  We love helping others.

Read this update online ---
http://traffichoopla.com/news/1-no-contest/

Sincerely,

Andres Amador

http://amadorfreedom.ws