Step 2: Register Your Domain Name
A domain name is the Web address that leads customers to your online store. This site's domain name is www.WebSitesforRetailers.com. The name was still available when I decided to purchase it, but what if it were not available? What if someone had purchased the name? What other name would I choose?
That's the question you may find yourself asking if your preferred domain name is no longer available.
Here's an example that explains how to choose and register a domain name.
The name of your store is Laughing Chow. It's a shop that sells food, treats, supplies, and accessories for every imaginable household pet.
The Web domain you wish to purchase from a qualified domain registration company (the online firm that helps you to identify and purchase an Internet domain name) is www.LaughingChow.com, but it's already taken by another company. How do you know?
1. You visited a domain registration Web site.
There are many on the Web, but the most-popular and reputable ones are (in alphabetical order):
- GoDaddy.com
- NetworkSolutions.com
- Register.com
These three registrants provide the exact same registration, but the price varies widely.
Look very closely at the price structures before paying your chosen registration company. Remember, the registration is the exact same with differing costs.
2. You used the domain registrant's search box to research your preferred name. In the search box, you typed, "laughingchow.com," clicked the search button, and learned that the name is already in use by another firm.
Now you must consider alternatives. Brainstorm on your own and with staff members to determine other names as secondary options. This may include:
- Laughing-Chow.com (place a hyphen between the words)
- BarneysStore.com (Barney is the owner's
name, and customers often refer to the shop as "Barney's store")
- MainandFirst.com (the intersection in which your shop is located)
Return to the domain registration site after the brainstorming session to determine if any of the secondary options are available. Once you find one that's available, register it right away so that the name is yours.
You can always register additional Web names for your site and, with the help of your Web site host (the company that allows the world to see your online Web site), make those additional names point to the main Web address (you'll learn more about this at my seminars).
3. Each registrant offers additional services to upsell the basic registration service. There's no need to subscribe to other services until you've done your homework to determine if the registrant is best choice for those services.
Select a domain name and register it as soon as possible. Then you can spend more time deciding what to add to your pending Web site.
Next: Step 3 - Choose a Web Host
