Domains & Web Hosting
Registering Your Own Domain
While many Internet marketers get their feet wet by using 'free domains' it is essential to register your own domain if you're serious about your business. One very important reason to register your own domain is that it's just more professional. Your site address is like your businesses home, so it's much better that it be www.YourBusiness.com instead of www.FreeWebhost.com/YourBusiness. Plus, having your own domain means you have more control over your business. You can move your site to a new host if you want to and your customers will still be able to find you.
Now that you've done your keyword research, you should consider grabbing a domain name that has a few of your choice keywords in it. Search engines give a good amount of weight to the words in your domain name. If you decide to incorporate your business or form an LLC down the road, you don't have to use the name you chose for your domain so don't let that hold you back. (And if you have a different business name, you can register that domain too and simply redirect the traffic to your keyword rich site!) Bizmint is great if you want to find a valuable expired domain name you can make your own.
Here's a few tips regarding domain registration:
1. Always register a ".com" first. People have become accustomed to type in .com at the end of any site address automatically, so they are more likely to do so. This should always be your first choice.
2. Consider registering the other domain extensions too. In the interest of protecting your business, you should consider registering the .net and .org versions of your domains too and then just redirecting them to your main site. This will help prevent others from potentially stealing your traffic or hurting your reputation by putting who-knows-what on the .org or .net addresses.
3. Try to keep your domain name short and memorable. It shouldn't be too hard to spell, remember, or pronounce. (Trust me, I found this out the hard way with InspiredEpiphany.com.) Try not to use more than 3 words and use traditional spellings of the words or you risk losing potential visitors.
Choosing a Web Host
There are many different web hosting companies out there, but you want to make sure you find one that's best suited for your business since this is where the files that makeup your website are stored. Free web hosts should be avoided for your business since, as the saying goes "you get what you pay for". Be sure you choose a host that is reliable, first and foremost, because site downtime means loss of revenue for your business. You should also choose one with ample disk space, templates, tools, scripts, and good customer service.
I highly recommend Host 4 Profit. They provide 800 Meg of storage and 25 Gig of bandwidth (which translates to traffic capacity). You can also add additional websites to your hosting account for just $5 each. The best part is they provide you with a lucrative income opportunity. By using Host 4 Profit and referring others, you will create a powerful residual income stream. And, if you refer just 3 people, your hosting is free! Hostgator is a very solid web hosting alternative I can also recommend. Their basic plans start at less than $10 per month and includes ample disk space and bandwidth.
