When you're ready to launch your web site and you're trying to select a good domain name, there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration.
Select a Domain Name that Reflects Your Web Site
Above all else, your domain name should reflect what your web site is all about. For example, if your web site is about grooming a dog, you certainly wouldn't want to select a domain name like 'mybusinessname.com,' as this would have nothing to do with your web site's focus. You would want to select a domain name that tells the world what your web site is all about -- something like 'doggrooming.com.'
Select a Domain Name that Contains Your Web Site's Keywords
Another consideration of great importance are your keywords. Try to select a domain name that contains your most relevant keyword phrase, as some Search Engines place relevancy on them. A keyword phrase is two or more words that best describe your web page. If your web page is focusing on grooming a dog, your best keyword phrase will be "dog grooming."
Select a Domain Name that will be Easily Remembered
With millions of web sites accessible on the Internet, it is also very important to select a domain name that will be easily remembered. As in the 'doggrooming.com' example above, 'doggrooming.com' is very easily remembered, contains the most relevant keyword phrase and describes the web site in explicit detail. It is the 'perfect' domain name for this particular web site.
Select the Best Domain Extension
Another consideration of importance is the domain name extension. Although there are many new domain extensions available, dotcom is still the best choice. When typing in a web address, Internet users automatically want to type in a .com extension, as this is the extension that has been embedded into our brains from the start.
Avoid Using Numbers in Your Domain Name
Although you may be tempted to do so, avoid using numbers within your domain name. Including a number within your domain name can cause problems, as when you tell someone your web address, you will continually have to tell them it's a number and not the word. For example, if you selected a domain name like number1host.com, if you were to tell someone your web address, they may try to type it as 'numberonehost.com' instead of 'number1host.com.' This type of domain name would cause confusion.
Avoid using Dashes and Underscores in Your Domain Name
Although many people do it, don't make the same mistake I made when I first started out. Avoid using dashes, underscores or any other characters within your domain name that may cause confusion. When I registered my domain name, Web-Source.net, I actually wanted websource.com; however, it had already been registered. So, I settled for Web-Source.net. Now, when I tell someone my domain name, I have to say it like this: web dash source dot net.
Don't get me wrong, www.Web-Source.net is now a high traffic web site, but I can only imagine how much traffic I've lost over the years due to my domain name. I have received many emails over the years from visitors who had a hard time finding my site. They said they couldn't remember the domain name and kept wanting to type in websource.com.
Avoid using Abbreviations within Your Domain Name
Although well-known companies, such as IBM, can get away with using abbreviations within their domain name, most companies can't. As a rule, try to avoid using abbreviations or anything that will be difficult for your visitors to remember. Not only will this cause confusion, but it can also cause your potential visitors to make spelling mistakes when trying to type in your web address.
Avoid using Long Domain Names
Although you may now register long domain names, it's really not a good idea. I learned this lesson the hard way. I registered 'www.workfromhomebusinessguide.com' and the sad thing is ... I can't remember the domain name half the time. How can I expect my potential visitors to remember it? Try to keep your domain name as short as possible. The longer the domain name the harder it is to remember and the more apt your potential visitors are to make a typo when typing it into their browser.
Ensure Your Domain Name is Not a Trademark Infringement
Prior to registering a domain name, you may want to consider searching the Trademark Electronic Search System, http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm to ensure your potential domain name isn't infringing on any trademarks.
Please don't take this point lightly, as trademark infringement could cost you your entire business. It is your responsibility to ensure that your potential domain name doesn't infringe on any registered trademarks, as the trademark laws that apply in the hard copy world also apply on the Internet. Any company that registers a trademark has the right to protect their trademark and has the right to notify you that your domain name is infringing upon their trademark.
When you're ready to begin, create a list of a dozen or more potential domain names, as chances are, your first choice will already be taken. With any luck, one of the domain names on your list will be available.
Take your time and select a quality domain name that will grow with your business. It will be well-worth your time and effort in the long run.
Copyright 2005 Shelley Lowery
Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design Mastery. http://www.webdesignmastery.com Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for your complimentary subscription to Etips and receive a copy of Shelley's acclaimed ebooks, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies" and "Work from Home: A Complete Guide..." http://www.web-source.net
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Does the Length of a Domain Registration Affect Your Search Engine Rank? (by Bill Hartzer)
Does the length of your website's domain name registration affect the search results at Google? This question has come up recently and a lot of website owners have been wondering about it, especially since it was mentioned in a patent awarded to Google in April. According to the patent, "Certain signals may be used to distinguish between illegitimate and legitimate domains. For example, domains can be renewed up to a period of 10 years. Valuable (legitimate) domains are often paid for several years in advance, while doorway (illegitimate) domains rarely are used for more than a year. Therefore, the date when a domain expires in the future can be used as a factor in predicting the legitimacy of a domain and, thus, the documents associated therewith." According to this statement in the patent, domains that expire in 10 years are more valuable and legitimate than domains that will expire in less than a year.
Google, in general, is always looking for ways to weed out the bad (spammers) from the good (legitimate) websites. I suspect that they looked for a pattern among the good, legitimate websites and found that most good, legitimate websites have a commitment towards their business and their domain name-they register it for a long period of time. In other words, the theory behind all of this is that if you register a domain name for several years it shows Google that you're committed to that domain name. If you register a domain name for 1 year then you're not as committed to that domain name. A lot of spammers use "throw away" domain names and register them for only a year. So, Google uses the length of time that a domain is registered to determine whether the owner of that domain name is committed to it or not.
One domain name owner I talked to recently told me that renewing his domain names once each year was a part of his business plan. He made a certain amount of money each year from each domain name/website, and he didn't want to cut into the profits of each site by renewing each domain name all at once for several years. "Renewing a domain name for 10 years or even 2 years ahead of time means that I have to spend more money. If I have to come up with $50 or $100 more per year for the domain renewal fees it cuts into my profits", says John, who wished to remain anonymous. John's website is probably exactly the type of website that Google wishes to identify. Google is looking to identify quality, well-established websites whose owners are committed to their domain names. According to the statements made in Google's patent, Google thinks that websites that have been renewed for a long period of time meet that standard.
Should you renew your domain name for a long period of time? And if so, how long is long enough? If you want to stay ahead of your competition, then you might consider looking at the length of time your competitors have registered their domain names. If your competitors have generally renewed their domain names for one or two years, you might consider registering your domain name for 5 or 10 years. While putting off your domain name's expiration date might help your search engine rankings, keep in mind that this may be only a small boost (or a "tie-breaker" among two websites) when it comes to the actual search engine rankings. And, be aware that just because Google has a patent on the idea it doesn't mean that they're actually using that criteria now to rank websites. They, too, want to stay ahead of their competition (mainly Yahoo! and MSN).
I've registered the domains that I really care about for at least 10 years. Initially, I registered these domains for a long period of time because I didn't want to lose them-and I didn't want to go through the somewhat-lengthy annual process of renewing them every year. Since most domain names I own come up for renewal at different times during the year, it seemed as though I was renewing a domain name at least once a month-and renewing them for a few years put it off for a while.
Expired domain name buyers are prevalent nowadays. If your domain name expires, there's a good chance that someone watching will register your domain name within seconds after it expires. If, for whatever reason, you don't renew your domain name, someone watching a 'watch list' of expiring domain names will try to capitalize on the online business that you've built over the years. They know that there is potential website traffic they can have simply by renewing your old domain name. By renewing your domain name for several years, your domain name won't expire for a while, and it won't be opened up to expired domain name buyers.
If you really want to stay ahead of the competition, you might consider registering or renewing your domain name for 100 years. Currently, Network Solutions (www.netsol.com) is the only registrar offering the 100 year option, which costs $999.00. GoDaddy (www.godaddy.com), currently offers to renew or register a domain name for 10 years, at a discount of $6.95 per year. Dotster (www.dotster.com), another leading registrar, offers domain name registration and renewals for up to 10 years at a cost of $129.95.
What's the bottom line? If you're committed to your online business, your website, and your domain name, then renewing your domain name for a long period of time will not only stop expired domain buyers from registering your domain name when it expires, it will show Google that you're committed to it-and that may give you a boost in the search engine rankings, as well.
Bill Hartzer manages the Search Engine Marketing and Social Media Marketing team at Vizion Interactive, a leading search engine optimization company, social media marketing, and web design firm based in the Dallas, Texas area. He also has a popular marketing blog at http://www.billhartzer.com
Google, in general, is always looking for ways to weed out the bad (spammers) from the good (legitimate) websites. I suspect that they looked for a pattern among the good, legitimate websites and found that most good, legitimate websites have a commitment towards their business and their domain name-they register it for a long period of time. In other words, the theory behind all of this is that if you register a domain name for several years it shows Google that you're committed to that domain name. If you register a domain name for 1 year then you're not as committed to that domain name. A lot of spammers use "throw away" domain names and register them for only a year. So, Google uses the length of time that a domain is registered to determine whether the owner of that domain name is committed to it or not.
One domain name owner I talked to recently told me that renewing his domain names once each year was a part of his business plan. He made a certain amount of money each year from each domain name/website, and he didn't want to cut into the profits of each site by renewing each domain name all at once for several years. "Renewing a domain name for 10 years or even 2 years ahead of time means that I have to spend more money. If I have to come up with $50 or $100 more per year for the domain renewal fees it cuts into my profits", says John, who wished to remain anonymous. John's website is probably exactly the type of website that Google wishes to identify. Google is looking to identify quality, well-established websites whose owners are committed to their domain names. According to the statements made in Google's patent, Google thinks that websites that have been renewed for a long period of time meet that standard.
Should you renew your domain name for a long period of time? And if so, how long is long enough? If you want to stay ahead of your competition, then you might consider looking at the length of time your competitors have registered their domain names. If your competitors have generally renewed their domain names for one or two years, you might consider registering your domain name for 5 or 10 years. While putting off your domain name's expiration date might help your search engine rankings, keep in mind that this may be only a small boost (or a "tie-breaker" among two websites) when it comes to the actual search engine rankings. And, be aware that just because Google has a patent on the idea it doesn't mean that they're actually using that criteria now to rank websites. They, too, want to stay ahead of their competition (mainly Yahoo! and MSN).
I've registered the domains that I really care about for at least 10 years. Initially, I registered these domains for a long period of time because I didn't want to lose them-and I didn't want to go through the somewhat-lengthy annual process of renewing them every year. Since most domain names I own come up for renewal at different times during the year, it seemed as though I was renewing a domain name at least once a month-and renewing them for a few years put it off for a while.
Expired domain name buyers are prevalent nowadays. If your domain name expires, there's a good chance that someone watching will register your domain name within seconds after it expires. If, for whatever reason, you don't renew your domain name, someone watching a 'watch list' of expiring domain names will try to capitalize on the online business that you've built over the years. They know that there is potential website traffic they can have simply by renewing your old domain name. By renewing your domain name for several years, your domain name won't expire for a while, and it won't be opened up to expired domain name buyers.
If you really want to stay ahead of the competition, you might consider registering or renewing your domain name for 100 years. Currently, Network Solutions (www.netsol.com) is the only registrar offering the 100 year option, which costs $999.00. GoDaddy (www.godaddy.com), currently offers to renew or register a domain name for 10 years, at a discount of $6.95 per year. Dotster (www.dotster.com), another leading registrar, offers domain name registration and renewals for up to 10 years at a cost of $129.95.
What's the bottom line? If you're committed to your online business, your website, and your domain name, then renewing your domain name for a long period of time will not only stop expired domain buyers from registering your domain name when it expires, it will show Google that you're committed to it-and that may give you a boost in the search engine rankings, as well.
Bill Hartzer manages the Search Engine Marketing and Social Media Marketing team at Vizion Interactive, a leading search engine optimization company, social media marketing, and web design firm based in the Dallas, Texas area. He also has a popular marketing blog at http://www.billhartzer.com
Domain Names 101 (by Jennifer Chiera)
Somehow you've found your way to the internet, and if you're reading this article, then you are one step closer to registering your first domain name. Whether you're looking to register a name for a personal blog, or for your online business, the right domain name can mean the difference between success and failure.
Once you are familiar with the basics, you will feel confident enough to make a sensible decision, and find the best domain name solution for your specific needs.
What is a domain name? The best way to understand the concept of a domain name is to think of it as a mask, or the alphanumeric equivalent of an ip address. This mask allows you to access web pages on the internet in an easy to remember way. For example the domain name for this site is www.DomainBash.com. That is a lot easier to remember than something that looks like 24.195.85.161, which is what the ip address that the domain name is masking. Your domain name will essentially become your online identity, and how your visitors will be able to find your website in the endless sea of sites that is the web.
Understanding the parts Now that you have a basic understanding of what a domain name is, you are ready to understand the individual parts of the domain name. Again we will use www.domainbash.com for our example. The www stands for “world wide web” which encompasses all things accessible on the internet. The second part, which is the part where some minor creativity will help, is the domain name – in our example, this would be domainbash. This, more often times than not, is also the name of your website, or business. Last, we have the TLD – Top Level Domain, or the extension. There are various extensions available for your consideration.
TLDs In Depth TLDs can be further broken down into gTLDs (generic top level domains) and ccTLDs (country code top level domains).
Generic Top Level Domains gTLDs .aero – airport industry .biz – business .com – commercial, unrestricted .coop –cooperatives .edu – US education .gov - US government .info – informational, unrestricted .mil – US military .museum – museums .name – individuals .net – networks,unrestricted .org – organizations, unrestricted
Country Code Top Level Domains ccTLDs There are over 240 ccTLDs which correspond to country codes. Some ccTLDs offer open registration, while others restrict their usage. Some that offer open registration are .cc – Cocos (Keeling) Islands, .bz – Belize, and .ws – Western Samoa, to name just a few. The entire list can be found at the Globe Domains Blog - http://www.globedomains.com
Using ccTLDs that are available to you in your area is a good way to get a quality domain name that suits your website or business.
Using a ccTLD is no different than using the more popular gTLDs, and you will have a better chance of obtaining the domain name you really want, rather than settling for a .com domain name that is just so-so.
Where should I register my domain? I have been dealing with domain names for quite some time now, so I've dealt with many domain name registrars. An important factor that you may not consider right away is how much control you have over your domain name(s). The key is going with a company that has a well known reputation. Reputations speak for themselves. The company you choose should have outstanding customer support and a simple control panel so that you can easily control your domain name settings.
For domain name registration, I recommend two companies. 1. GoDaddy.com and 2) eNom.com.
Both of these companies have outstanding reputations, plus offer the best control panels I've seen. The last thing you want is to be overwhelmed by your domain name. If it so happens that you don't like the registrars I've recommended, feel free to do your own research, and find a company that works for you and your business.
The Aftermarket
Unless the domain name you want to register is very unique, I wouldn't count on it being available for registration using the .com extension. That's not to say that it's not for sale, however. After you try to register your name, and you find that has already been registered, go directly to the web address on the net, and see what's there. Sometimes there will be a developed website, sometimes there will be nothing but an error page, and sometimes you will find that the domain name is for sale by owner. You can then attempt to contact the current owner to purchase the domain on the aftermarket.
Domain names are generally more expensive on the aftermarket, so expect to pay more than you would if you were registering the domain name through a company like GoDaddy.com. Keep in mind the domain name market is competitive. The cost can be tremendous depending on the demand for the name. If you are just starting out, using an alternative extension would be a better option for you. Those will a larger budget should seriously consider investing in their first choice domain name if the option is available.
Whatever you decide to do, remember that your domain name is your web presence. You want people to remember your domain name, and never forget it. Try to choose something that represents your website or business, while being memorable and pleasant to say aloud. People tend to forget cumbersome domain names with too many words. Try to keep it as short as possible, if possible and let it flow.
I chose DomainBash.com because it related to domain names, without being restrictive. It is also unique which allows me trademark or brand the name. Combining a more common keyword, in this case “domain” with another word that is less commonly used “bash” is always a good idea if you want to include keywords in your domain.
If you have any questions relating to this article, and you still don't feel prepared to register a domain name, please feel free to contact me by visiting one of the sources below, and I will help you in any way that I can.
Jennnifer Chiera is the Co President of Extradius Inc., a creative investing company with a focus on domain names & web development, and real estate. Jennifer is also the author of GlobeDomains.com Blog http://www.globedomains.com, Domain Bash http://www.domainbash.com
Once you are familiar with the basics, you will feel confident enough to make a sensible decision, and find the best domain name solution for your specific needs.
What is a domain name? The best way to understand the concept of a domain name is to think of it as a mask, or the alphanumeric equivalent of an ip address. This mask allows you to access web pages on the internet in an easy to remember way. For example the domain name for this site is www.DomainBash.com. That is a lot easier to remember than something that looks like 24.195.85.161, which is what the ip address that the domain name is masking. Your domain name will essentially become your online identity, and how your visitors will be able to find your website in the endless sea of sites that is the web.
Understanding the parts Now that you have a basic understanding of what a domain name is, you are ready to understand the individual parts of the domain name. Again we will use www.domainbash.com for our example. The www stands for “world wide web” which encompasses all things accessible on the internet. The second part, which is the part where some minor creativity will help, is the domain name – in our example, this would be domainbash. This, more often times than not, is also the name of your website, or business. Last, we have the TLD – Top Level Domain, or the extension. There are various extensions available for your consideration.
TLDs In Depth TLDs can be further broken down into gTLDs (generic top level domains) and ccTLDs (country code top level domains).
Generic Top Level Domains gTLDs .aero – airport industry .biz – business .com – commercial, unrestricted .coop –cooperatives .edu – US education .gov - US government .info – informational, unrestricted .mil – US military .museum – museums .name – individuals .net – networks,unrestricted .org – organizations, unrestricted
Country Code Top Level Domains ccTLDs There are over 240 ccTLDs which correspond to country codes. Some ccTLDs offer open registration, while others restrict their usage. Some that offer open registration are .cc – Cocos (Keeling) Islands, .bz – Belize, and .ws – Western Samoa, to name just a few. The entire list can be found at the Globe Domains Blog - http://www.globedomains.com
Using ccTLDs that are available to you in your area is a good way to get a quality domain name that suits your website or business.
Using a ccTLD is no different than using the more popular gTLDs, and you will have a better chance of obtaining the domain name you really want, rather than settling for a .com domain name that is just so-so.
Where should I register my domain? I have been dealing with domain names for quite some time now, so I've dealt with many domain name registrars. An important factor that you may not consider right away is how much control you have over your domain name(s). The key is going with a company that has a well known reputation. Reputations speak for themselves. The company you choose should have outstanding customer support and a simple control panel so that you can easily control your domain name settings.
For domain name registration, I recommend two companies. 1. GoDaddy.com and 2) eNom.com.
Both of these companies have outstanding reputations, plus offer the best control panels I've seen. The last thing you want is to be overwhelmed by your domain name. If it so happens that you don't like the registrars I've recommended, feel free to do your own research, and find a company that works for you and your business.
The Aftermarket
Unless the domain name you want to register is very unique, I wouldn't count on it being available for registration using the .com extension. That's not to say that it's not for sale, however. After you try to register your name, and you find that has already been registered, go directly to the web address on the net, and see what's there. Sometimes there will be a developed website, sometimes there will be nothing but an error page, and sometimes you will find that the domain name is for sale by owner. You can then attempt to contact the current owner to purchase the domain on the aftermarket.
Domain names are generally more expensive on the aftermarket, so expect to pay more than you would if you were registering the domain name through a company like GoDaddy.com. Keep in mind the domain name market is competitive. The cost can be tremendous depending on the demand for the name. If you are just starting out, using an alternative extension would be a better option for you. Those will a larger budget should seriously consider investing in their first choice domain name if the option is available.
Whatever you decide to do, remember that your domain name is your web presence. You want people to remember your domain name, and never forget it. Try to choose something that represents your website or business, while being memorable and pleasant to say aloud. People tend to forget cumbersome domain names with too many words. Try to keep it as short as possible, if possible and let it flow.
I chose DomainBash.com because it related to domain names, without being restrictive. It is also unique which allows me trademark or brand the name. Combining a more common keyword, in this case “domain” with another word that is less commonly used “bash” is always a good idea if you want to include keywords in your domain.
If you have any questions relating to this article, and you still don't feel prepared to register a domain name, please feel free to contact me by visiting one of the sources below, and I will help you in any way that I can.
Jennnifer Chiera is the Co President of Extradius Inc., a creative investing company with a focus on domain names & web development, and real estate. Jennifer is also the author of GlobeDomains.com Blog http://www.globedomains.com, Domain Bash http://www.domainbash.com
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