domain online

Registering a domain name for your online business or organization shows you are a professional willing to spend money to build and host a website. Many people try to start their business online with a free domain and free hosting. This is a mistake as they have no control over their domain. If the company goes bust you lose all your content and your reputation.

Reasons to register a domain name

Professional presence

People are more likely to do business with you if you have a real domain name rather than some obscure website address.

Professional email address

Sending email from an email address that contains your domain name gives your business greater credibility than using gmail, aol, or hot mail address that often are used by spammers.

Permanent home for your website

Even if you change hosting companies your domain name will remain the same. You can take it with you wherever you go.

Branding

Your permanent website address is associated with your business, therefore it will steadily build your brand on the Net.

How to register a domain name

1. Brainstorming

Create a list of possible domain names you wish to use as many of them may already be taken. Try stringing several words together, use numbers or hyphens between the words.

2. Check availability

Visit Godaddy.com (or your favorite domain name registrar) and enter your suggested domain name in the “start your domain search here” box. It will immediately tell you if it’s already taken and suggest some alternatives.

3. Purchase your domain name

Depending on the suffix of the domain name you will pay approximately $10.00. Some registrars may charge up to $25.00. If registering with Godaddy they will try to add additional services during the registration process such as privacy, email, hosting, web design, etc. I suggest opting out of these extra services. You can always add them later when you’re ready to make an informed decision.

4. Change the name servers

You need to point your domain name to the server hosting your website. Ask your web host for the name servers to use.

To change them in Godaddy log in to your account. Go to the domain manager to view all your domains. Check the box next to your domain, then click on name servers (top navigation bar). Delete the current name servers then enter the new name servers and click OK. It will take 24-72 hours for the changes to take affect.

5. Domain name parking

While you are waiting for your website to be built your domain name registrar will often provide a temporary web page (only if you are using their name servers). If you hired a web designer ask them to upload a temporary web page to the server that tells visitors your web site will be coming soon or is under construction.

5. Web design and hosting

Some domain registrars (such as Godaddy) offer web hosting and/or web design services as well. I recommend only registering your domain name with them as I’ve received many complaints from clients about their extra services. Find a reputable web design and hosting company so you’ll be a happy online business owner.

Tip

Don’t delay registering a domain name. It may get registered by someone else if you wait too long.

If you run an eCommerce website, you need to have a strong web presence, and you can increase the strength of your site and the number of visitors with multiple domain web hosting. Using this option will mean being able to control various domains under one web hosting plan and server, which of course is much easier for you. Having multiple domains will mean being able to reach a higher number of visitors, which will then translate into more customers.

Some unfortunately believe that they can accomplish this by having multiple domain names point to the same website, but this can actually backfire. Search engines do not like duplicate content and may reject a site simply because it reads these various domains as such content.

Those who don’t understand all the details of how search engines work often don’t understand why and how a search engine will rank a site, and what gives it a better or worse ranking. Trying to use “sneaky” ways of getting visitors to your site or to point them to your business will no doubt cause more harm than good.

Benefits of Multiple Domains

Using multiple domain web hosting will mean being able to increase your web presence with various sites and domains at one time. This means less hassle for you but more visibility on the Internet as well. The more domains you have for your one business, the more likely you are to be found by visitors and potential customers.

Web hosting fees can be very high especially if you need a lot of storage space and bandwidth. However when you use a web host that handles multiple domains you typically get a steep discount from this price. This can make all those domains affordable. Many web hosting companies now offer support for multiple domain under one single hosting account. That means no extra cost at all for each domain!

Different from Domain Forwarding

Typically multiple domain web hosting means having those various domains recognized on your site the way sub-domains are recognized. Typically with multiple domains the site will build secondary folders for each domain under your index page. This is different from domain forwarding, which sends a visitor to a completely different site from each domain name.

If you understand this difference you can better understand the benefits of multiple domains under the same host. You can change your one site quickly and easily and don’t need to worry about revising several sites, one for each domain. Also, search engines will not reject your site or give it a lower ranking, as they may do with domain forwarding.

There are many advantages to using multiple domain web hosting and the savvy website builder and owner will understand these advantages. Using this option properly will mean having several domain names for one business or site without being rejected by search engines. In turn this will mean a higher rate of visitors to your sites. Whether you’re running an eCommerce site or just want to maintain a site for your physical business, this is definitely an option to explore for your own site.

How to Transfer Your Domain from 1and1

Do you want to transfer your web site to another host without losing it? If you have a database then you need to ensure that the database retains its integrity and no data is lost in the transfer. To transfer your website there are several common steps you will need to take: Backup your database and FTP it to your PC. FTP your website to the new web hosting account. Change the Domain Name Server (DNS) to your new web host’s DNS information…

Is this hard and complicated?

 

The Easiest, Safest Way: Pick a Web Host Which Does It for You!

 

The only company handling the entire transfer process for you is HG. They know how difficult it can be moving to another web host. This company does all steps needed to transfer your website from your current web host to their servers, including:

Free Domain Transfer! Free File Transfers! Free Database Transfers! Free Script Transfers!

 

They will move the primary domain of the shared hosting account free of charge within 30 days of signup even if service has not been used. The majority of transfers are completed in less than 24 hours, however, due to the nature of some transfers and depending on how many are currently in the queue, it could take up to 72 hours or more before everything is completed.

Website Address: http://www.threehosts.com/tell-me-more/hg.html

 

Is HG a Reliable Web Host?

HG offers a 45 day money back guarantee. You can be assured that it will not cost you anything if you are not happy with their service. They have received many awards in their 7+ years of providing web hosting services. HG raises the bar in the world of web hosting for speed, reliability and support without comparison.

 

      

Website Address: http://www.threehosts.com/tell-me-more/hg.html