Domain Names 101
In terms of format, domain names have several parts. The first part is known as the URL, (which
stands for Uniform Resource Locator).
The URL tells the browser what the domain name is going to point
to. This will usually be ‘http’, which
means the browser can expect to locate a hypertext document. In layman’s terms this means webpage. In the rare cases the URL is not ‘http’ it
may be ‘ftp’, which means file transfer protocol. A webmaster would opt to use ftp if they
would like visitors to download files from their server.
The second part of the domain name will be “www,” which
stands for “World Wide Web.” This phrase
lets computers and humans know the site the domain name is pointing to is
indeed from the Internet. It is followed
by the actual domain name, which can be a combination of letters, numbers or
phrases. A good domain name will be short,
memorable and most importantly, search-engine friendly. In fact, good webmasters tend to concentrate
more on a domain name’s effectiveness with SEO, (or Search Engine
Optimization), than they do its creativity.
To do this they make sure to choose a domain name that has a widely
searched keyword.
The final portion of the domain name has what is known as an
extension. This lets a person know a
little bit more about a website’s origins.
For example, take .com, the most common domain name extension. It stands for ‘commercial’, and was
originally intended for organizations in that vein. However, now the extension is used by
virtually anyone looking to create a website.
And this is for good reason, since most web surfers will think about the
.com before they would think about .org, .biz or .net. Yet, don’t think the other extensions can’t
become memorable either. Consider
Wikipedia.org which is a wildly popular website despite its .org extension.
Domain name extensions can also specify things on a
geographical level. An example are
country-based extensions such as .fr, (which stands for France), or .jp, (which stands for Japan). They can also be state-based, such as .ca,
(which stands for California). Both can serve as excellent tools for
localized Internet marketing.
To get a domain name, a person can either: 1) get one from
their web hosting company, provided they offer that service or 2) get one from
a separate domain name company.
Price-wise things will vary with both options, though typically the cost
will range from $6.50 to $35.
Domain Name Redirect Services
It’s no secret that a short, memorable domain name is what
is needed to help visitors to a website.
It also helps if the domain name contains keywords that are likely to
rank high in search engines. So, what
does a webmaster do if they are promoting an affiliate program or a website
created from a free web hosting service such as Geocities? The most affordable answer lies in taking
advantage of a domain name redirect service.
What is a domain name redirect service? It is one in which a long, cumbersome URL is
‘masked’ by a more memorable domain name.
Instead of having to type in the longer URL, the website visitor would
type in the new domain name. This domain
name would then redirect to the original URL.
The visitor would then see the original URL in their browser. However, most won’t pay that much attention.
Domain name redirect services can be free or paid. An example of a free service is Tiny
URL. In order to use this service, all a
person has to do is enter in whatever URL they need to have shortened. Tiny URL would then return a domain name that
is much more convenient for website visitors.
This URL would have ‘tiny url’ as part of the domain name followed by a
number. An example is the following:
tinyurl.com/3. Granted, it’s not
perfect, but it is a lot better than what one would typically get with an
affiliate program or a free web hosting service.
If a person wants a more customized domain name, they will
need to use pay for a redirect service.
One of the best is Namestick. The
process for using Namestick is similar to Tiny URL except webmasters must first
choose the domain name they want to use for their redirect. They can choose any domain name they wish,
just like if they were getting it through their web host or a domain name
company. Namestick even provides
suggestions if a person’s desired domain name is taken. Once that is done, a person will have to
enter in their URL they want redirected.
After about 72 hours, the new domain name will be ready for use.
Can a person get away with not using a domain name redirect
service? It depends on how they do their
marketing. For instance, if a person
does a lot of offline marketing, a short, meaningful domain name is
essential. However, if a person uses a
lot of hyperlinks, a domain name redirect service may not be as important. What are hyperlinks? They are simply words or phrases that are
linked to a particular URL. When the
visitor clicks on them, they are taken to the website that is hyperlinked
within. Hyperlinks can easily be created
in HTML editors or by use of the anchor tag.
In conclusion, a person’s life can be made easier if they
decide to hide their long URL with a more normal-looking domain name available
through a domain name redirect service.
This is if they aren’t marketing through hyperlinks, which do not
require an official domain name.
Domain Name Hacks
Now, if you think a domain name hack is a simply a trick created by spammers and/or webmasters with no life, think again. Yahoo obtained the rights to both blo.gs and del.icio.us, despite their unusual-looking format. There are also popular organizations that are actually known by domain name hacks. Examples include who.is, (a site that lets a webmaster know the specifics behind a domain name and their associated website), and whocalled.us, (a site that allows consumers to list the numbers of telemarketers). Even other countries use domain name hacks in their own languages. Consider Germany’s popular Schokola.de, (which means chocolate in English).
So, does this mean webmasters should consider using domain name hacks? The answer is it depends. It is important to remember that while domainname hacks are witty, many of them can be inconvenient for web surfers. Some may even wonder if the site is legitimate, since the most common extensions are .com, .net, .org and .biz. However, since there are domain name hacks that still receive a healthy amount of traffic, it is possible that website visitors might overlook how a domain name hack is titled if the site it is pointing to proves to be worthwhile. There is also the option of having a second more normal-looking domain name point to a domain name hack. This gives website visitors two ways of being able to access one’s website.
How can a person think of a good domain name hack? First, they need to get a list of all the extensions that are possible with a domain name. They then need to find a domain name company that sells that sells the extension they are looking for. Then they will need to think of any word or phrase that includes the letters used in the extension. But they will need to make sure these letters are at the end of the word, since extensions conclude a domain name. An exception could be made if a person considers using third-level domains. In this situation the letters of the extension could be used in the middle of the domain name hack.
If a webmaster finds they are having trouble thinking of a word or phrase that contains their selected extension, they could use a keyword analyzer to help them. Overture and Google offer keyword analyzers for free, though webmasters might find more use from paid keyword analyzers. This is because paid keyword analyzers offer more information about a keyword than free ones.
Domain Name Generators
The process of registering a domain name can be quite
annoying. Why? It’s because many times the domain name a
webmaster hopes to register has already been taken. So, they have to ponder again what their
domain name should be. But what do they
do if that domain name has been taken as well?
The best solution involves getting it right the first time with a domain
name generator. This is a program or service
that suggests domain names that are not likely to have been used by other
webmasters. They can work in three ways
including: giving random listings, giving listings based on input or using
human suggestions.
The first type of domain name generator gives random domain
name suggestions. Examples of sites that
offer these types of domain name generators include Makewords.com and
Domain-Generator.net. The only thing a
visitor has to do to see a suggested domain name is click a button or, (in the
case of Makewords.com), just visit the site.
Depending on the complexity of the domain name generator, visitors will
be able to see if the domain name has previously been registered and/or how
valuable they would be if they decided to buy them.
The second type of domain name generator offers suggestions
based on user input. 123Finder.com is an
example. What happens is a user enters a
keyword that describes the purpose of their website. The domain name generator will then return
domain names that contain this keyword.
A variant of this service could require a user to enter in more than one
keyword. From this input the domain name
generator would return a domain name that contains a mixture of these keywords.
The final type of domain name generator offers suggestions
from human creativity. An example of
such a service is Pickydomains.com. With
this service, (along with others like it), customers have to pay a fee. Part of the fee goes to the person
responsible for coming up with the domain name.
After the fee is sent, customers must provide information related to
their website. Employees will use this
info to choose a domain name. When the
process is complete, the customer will receive a list of several domain names,
each of which came from a human mind rather than a computer program, (which is
used by the other types of domain name generators featured in this
article).
Are there any downsides to using a domain name
generator? Well, human-based domain name
generators usually require a fee, while automated ones might not seem as
creative. Other than that domain name
generators are an excellent way for webmasters to determine what their domain
name should be. Even if they don’t use
the suggested domain name in its entirety, they can still use these types of
services to generate ideas. From there
they can use their own mind to come up with an appropriate domain name. So, at the very least, domain name generators
can serve as a tool for domain name brainstorming. They definitely should not be overlooked by
any webmaster.
Domain Name Arbitration
After several minutes of pondering and looking at keyword
analyzers, you find the perfect domain name for your new website. You see if it is available through your
desired domain name company. When you
find that it is, you get excited because it seems that it is going to be quite
profitable for your site. So, you sign
up for it, thinking that it is up for grabs, since your domain name company has
said it is available. Then after a few
months you get correspondence from an attorney saying that your new domain name
has violated another company’s trademark.
You are now stuck with a potential legal battle that could cause you to
lose your domain name, your reputation and maybe even worse. Fortunately, with domain name arbitration, there’s
a chance you can get out of such a situation and avoid any possible legal
consequences.
In order to initiate a domain name arbitration proceeding, a
webmaster must go through a provider that has been approved by ICANN to handle
such disputes. Once the arbitration
begins, the provider will first determine if the complainant has merit in their
claim. They will do this by evaluating
whether the domain name in question is similar to a trademark or domain name
set forth by the claimant. They will
then determine what rights the claimant has to the title along with whether or
not the domain was chosen accidentally or with the intention of taking
advantage of the claimant’s brand popularity.
If it is found the domain name was chosen in bad faith, rights to it
will be granted to the claimant.
Otherwise, the original owner will retain possession of the disputed
domain name.
If either party is not satisfied with a domain name arbitration
proceeding, they can challenge the findings in a regular courtroom. An example of this happened with Robert De
Niro, when he tried to claim the rights to any domain name containing the
phrase ‘Tribeca.’ He is still in court
trying to retain the rights to Tribeca.net, which has been claimed by another
person.
In conclusion, domain name arbitration is a great
alternative to avoiding taking a domain name dispute into a courtroom, at least
initially. There is the option to go to
court if either side feels an arbitration isn’t fair. Yet, for most webmasters, the decisions made
by the UDRP panel are good enough for them, since getting their consul is a lot
cheaper than going to a judge.
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.
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