Choosing a Domain Name

The first step towards getting your own website is choosing a domain name. A domain name is is simply your unique address on the world wide web. For example, the domain name of this website is "homebiz-direct.com"

Before you start to choose your domain name you need to have a good understanding of the purpose of your website. There isn't much point reserving your domain name if you have no idea what the topic of your website is going to be about.

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Once you have your idea, it really pays to think about keywords. Keywords are the words or phrases that people search on in search engines when they are looking for information. If you don't do some keyword research before you get your domain name and start building your website you run the risk of building a website that nobody will ever find! The statement "Build it and they will come..." is just not true when it comes to websites! Read more about Choosing Keywords first.

Unfortunately many of the good domain names have gone now, especially when it comes to the .com names. For this reason you have to get a bit creative when brainstorming your new domain name. When I search for a new domain name I make a list of the main keywords that describe my site and use Name Boy as a tool to help me find more ideas. If you can get your main keywords in the domain name, then this will help you later when it comes to ranking high on the search engines.

Once you've picked your name you need to go ahead and purchase the domain name for at least a year. Many web hosting companies offer this service at an inflated cost, but you should always be able to get your domain name for less than $10 per year

In the past I have used both Name Cheap and Aplus and have been satisfied with their services. Both these companies charge less than $10 for a domain name for a year. Name Cheap also offers free domain privacy. This means that if someone looks up your domain name through Whois.com they won't be able to see your postal address.

For more tips and information on choosing a domain name, take a look at some of the following articles:

- Domain Name Dilemma
- 42 killer Domain Secrets Exposed
- 8 Tips for Choosing a Domain Name
- Tips for Managing Your Domain Name
- Domain Name registration Key Tips
- Information on Domain Parking, Sub Domains, Domain renewal and more
- Top 10 most frequently asked questions on Domain Name Registration

Once you have your domain name you'll then be ready to get some Website Hosting.