Should You Buy A Domain Name With Your Name?

Domain names used to be a huge business back before the bubble burst in the lates 90s. Even though it is still selling like hot cakes and there are even people who are profiting from it by reselling it today. With most of the single words found in the dictionary already taken, we need to move into a different set of domain particularly after people's name.

So now do you have your own domain name with your name on it? You would be asking why buy a domain name with your name? My name ain't famous nor has it any value. Well all of us know that our names are given by our parents and to some religious believers understand that their names are already predestine by God. Our names carries value and meaning which many would overlook. Such as my name Fadzuli, in Arabic it mean the special one in the family. There may be 20 to 30 others with the same name and spelling in the world. I did do a check on my name. So names like mine do carry uniqueness thus it allows me to brand myself even though I would not win the search engine war immediately.

Have you ever thought that your own name can be worth millions someday. Would you trade it for anything else? I doubt so right. Well if you are already doing Internet Business, you would understand that domain names carry value overtime. If you buy a domain today, it could be worth millions if the name is wanted by someone someday. So imagine if you bought www.billgates.com, if Bill gates might want to own that domain name and would buy it for what is worth millions or even billions because he is worth that much.

So you see, even if today its not worth anything but in the future it might. People might be Googling or Yahooing your name for certain reasons. Maybe because of your work or your achievements. So by having your own domain name under your own name can benefit you because you can attain free traffic all the time. Imagine telling your friend or new contact about your name. " Well if you happen to forget my company's name, just Google for my name and you can find my company too ". Wouldn't that be easy?

Sounds like a crazy idea right but its true. Here's an example. Recently my friend posted an article about "Alisson Stoke", it intrigued me to find out more about this person, so what else did I do right!!. I've Googled for it of course. Today I believe the pole vaulter has millions of hits worldwide. Perhaps the media had helped a lot to publicize her achievements. Whatever it is, it does help to have your own domain because other than Googling, some might even try to type "yourname.com". It has become a habit throughout the years since the Internet started and thus the branding is working very well.

Recently I have helped a friend to buy her own .com under her name, her name is actually quite common in our community but yet its not bought yet. We were actually surprised though and its one of those few one word domains that is still available in the market. So now once you have your domain already, you do need to do some work to get your rankings up.

How to get your name up to the first Google Page. Here's a little SEO tip.

1) Create a blog or site that has track backs or can be pinged easily.

2) Comment on forums or blogs and leave your links there to make sure you have as many back links as possible.

3) Attain a certain level of traffic..

In time to come if you do the above mention methods, your name if unique will be search widely from all over the world. All the best to trying this out. Do get your domain first before someone else buy it!

Written by: Fadzuli Wahab -
Web: http://www.fadzuli.com

Choose And Purchase A Domain Name

Before you can build a web site, you will have to choose and purchase a domain name. There are many domain registrars from which you may purchase the domain from. Their prices range from around $8.95 to $29.95. There really is no reason to pay more than $8.95 for a domain name.

Most hosts have a search box which can be used to find available domain names. I suggest a .com name with no dashes for your main site. It should be easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and as short as possible. It is best if a keyword is part of your domain name, but this is not necessary. For example, a good domain name for a site about dogs might be "dogstuff". Don't force a keyword into the name if it will sound awkward. Short, easy to spell domains are the ideal - with or without a keyword.

Once a good name is found, do a search for that name in Google. You need to make sure, if the name had a past owner, it won't bring you grief. In other words, if the site had connections with a spam or porn site, choose another. Your chosen domain name may have been registered before by a bad site or one that used black hat tactics. If the search shows the domain name in pages which don't look quite right to you, don't use it. Ideally, you don't want to have any links show up with the name in it so you can start with a clean slate.

If the name still looks like a good choice, sign up for an account with a domain registrar and purchase it. You may purchase it for any number of years. I suggest paying for at least two years. There have been some discussions as to whether or not new sites registered for just one year might raise a caution flag with Google since most spam sites are only registered for one year.

Steve Weber and his wife Kay are full time Internet marketers who both quit their education jobs and now operate several online businesses from their home in Oklahoma. Learn how they were able to "escape the rat race" at http://www.BackPorchIncome.com

How Much Does Your Domain Name Really Cost You?

It may surprise you to know that one of the most popular questions I get asked by newcomers to internet marketing is related to buying a domain name.

Now I know if you've been around a little while you're probably thinking "Buying a domain name! How hard is that? Just choose your name, click and buy!" But actually, on reflection, it can be a bit of a minefield out there...

From the minute you arrive at your preferred domain seller you're bombarded with choices, processes and options that are designed to get you spend a deal more than, say, the $4.99 you Originally thought your shiny new domain name was going to cost you.

I decided to pop along to my local domain shop (read click on a bookmark and login) and take a look at exactly what's on offer and whether all these add-ons and extras are totally essential.

* OK, so the first thing I see before I even type in the domain name I want to buy is that there's a "Sale" on certain suffixes like .com .net .org

* I type in my domain name - domain-name-confusion.com - and click the 'next' button and 'fantastic', it's available, but hang on... I can also buy domain-name-confusion.US .NAME .BIZ etc and many more. I can also choose from MYdomain-name-confusion, EASYdomain-name-confusion, domain-name-confusionONLINE, domain-name-confusionSTORE and myriad other combinations

* I decide that no, I'm just going to stick to my original choice of domain-name-confusion.com and so I don't check any of the other boxes. I proceed on to what I think is the checkout but OH NO... again I'm being asked to STOP! Why don't I protect my brand and increase my traffic by buying the .org .net and .info - and I'm even offered a really amazing "special price" to buy the job lot! And what's more there's a special box with a list of compelling reasons why I really should do this

* No thanks, I still want to stick to my original domain-name-confusion.com so I click on the checkout button, AGAIN!

Great! We're onto the summary page where I'm told what I'm ordering.

But WAIT! Do I want my domain name certified for an extra $2.99? Do I want email adding to my domain for an extra $1.99? Is that Complete or Deluxe, Madam? How about Hosting, Sitebuilder, a blog or even some traffic driving software? Is that Standard, Deluxe or Protected, Madam?

* No, honestly, you're too kind, but I simply want to buy the domain name! Click on the checkout button, AGAIN!

Phew, the checkout at last! But wait, do I want to add protection to my domain name and make it 'private'? Do I want to add another domain name? Am I sure I don't want the .NET OR .INFO?

Quite a marathon, huh? And, of course, when you are all wrapped up in the dream of having your own website and wanting to make it perfect from the outset, you are vulnerable to emotional suggestions. PROTECT, INCREASE, EXPAND, ATTRACT.........

So let's take a look to see if you need all these unfamiliar, but reasonable-sounding options?

Do You Need Extra Domain Suffixes?

You can register a .com domain name with several very reputable registrars for, say, $6.99/yr to $9.99/yr. Fees for registering the other possibilities, .info, .co.uk, .net, .org, .biz, .tv can range from $0.99 per year to whatever the registering company wants to charge.

But is it going to be worth it? And where do you stop with the combinations? .com, .co.uk, .info and then there's the 'do I add a dash ( - ) just-to-be-on-the-safe-side.com, .org, .biz' ? I would say, probably not. The .com brand is so widely known that most people will automatically type in a .com extension on any website they are trying to find.

Private Registration

This option will keep your private details, name, physical address and email address unavailable to anyone checking the ownership of your domain on "Whois". Internet law requires that all information about domain registration be publicly available and "Whois" maintains the databases that hold this information.

If you buy a private registration, your details will not be available to just anyone who wants to check your domain for specific ownership. There are many domain owners who don't think this is necessary but, on the other hand, private registration can help you avoid spam, crank emails and unwanted phone calls.

It is worth bearing in mind that any emails you send from the US that are commercial in nature, like:

* Promoting a product or affiliation

* Suggesting that the reader visit your sales page

* Offering a discount for purchasing some product

are required, by the US Can-Spam Act, to have your correct, physical mailing address visible to your email recipients and the correct email address you sent the advertisement from, so this kind of defeats the object of private registration in some ways.

Protected Registration

This form of domain registration protects you from inadvertent expiration of your domain registration, including credit card expiration, failed billing or outdated contact information. It also makes it more difficult to accomplish most malicious domain transfers by Internet predators. Effectively, your domain would be held for you until you renewed the registration.

It can cost more than $25 a year for this service, depending on who you are using for this protection. If you are a small marketing venture, selling a piece of software, an affiliate product or an ebook on a niche product, you may not need this upsell. However, if later your domain starts making lots of money, and you decide that you do need it, you can easily add it.

Business Registration

This level of domain registration keeps need-to-know information about your business in the Whois database. That information can include a map to your store, website photo, business description, phone number and links to vital pages of your website.

The vital information your customers might need to facilitate business deals with your business is visible to millions of searchers in the Whois domain name database.

Do you need it? That would depend on the nature and size of your business and your budget. This would be more of a marketing/budget decision. A small, start-up website selling one ebook would probably not need this additional service.

How Many Years Do You Need?

Every time you register a domain name, regardless of the service you choose to use for the registration, you will be offered a multi-year registration at a discount. It is up to you whether you consider this offer to be a good deal, but you might want to consider something before you do it.

Are you positive that you will still want to own the domain name after the first year? Will you still be in business in a year? Will you have graduated to a bigger, much different online business or another business entirely?

If you take a multi-year package, the registrar will get all the money up front and you will not get a refund if you change your business or drop out entirely.

Hosting On The Domain Registry Site

This is a likely time-saving upsell you will be offered when you register your domain name. It seems like it would be an easy, time-saving option to buy. Your domain and website would be in the same place.

Most Internet Marketers, if asked, would advise against doing this. Putting all your eggs in one basket means your entire business disappears if the domain registrar quits doing registrations or generally just goes out of business.

A better choice would be to find another hosting company that provides the options you need to make your website what you want it to be.

Finally...

The multitude of domain registrars on the internet will guarantee that there will be more offers to upgrade or to buy packages with various multiple options that sound fantastic on the surface. Since it's your money at stake, it might be wise to carefully consider what you actually need right now...not a year down the line. By then your needs could be far different than anticipated originally.

Paula Brett is a writer and internet marketer in several niches. She also runs the successful hosting company D9 Hosting, which specializes in hosting for beginners to Internet Marketing. You can find out more about her by visiting her blog at http://www.paula-brett.com/blog/

Blogging For Your Business - 7 Tips On How To Get Back In The Blogging Habit And Make Money Blogging

If you have abandoned your blog, or are just tired of trying to think of new things to post to your blog, you will want to read on to find out how to make big changes that will make it easier than ever to blog for your business. Here are 7 ways to get back in the blogging habit, and enjoy every minute of it.

• See your blog as the powerful marketing tool that it is. Every time you think of a new idea for your business, or have a conversation with one of your clients, make some notes and turn it into a blog post.
• Make a schedule for posting to your blog, as well as for reading other blogs in your niche. Set aside 30 minutes, three times each week, for reading and writing related to your blog.
• Invite your readers to comment on your posts. Blogging is social media, so be social and invite others into the conversation.
• Don't be afraid to write something controversial in your blog post. Most blogs are just so bland because the blogger does not want to offend anyone. Feel free to write what you think and you may have more readers than ever offering their own points of view on the subject.
• Expand your blog posts into short articles. You can submit these to the article directories and include a link back to your blog at the end of the article. This will increase your readership and opt-ins, while getting you more in the habit of writing on a regular basis.
• Review books you have read on your topic in your blog posts. The author will most likely find out about your post, especially if they have a Google alert set for their name and the title of their book.
• Have fun with your blog. This is your forum to express your opinions, provide information on your niche topic, and promote what you do to people all over the world. Embrace the blogging experience.

Follow through with these 7 tips and your business will increase on the internet. You can quickly improve your visibility and credibility online by blogging on a regular basis.

And now I invite you to download a free 21 page report of how to build a better blog for your business by visiting http://www.Blogspirations.com and get started right away with a new approach to blogging for profit.

WordPress Lessons Review - Discover How To Make Money With Your WordPress Blog

Are WordPress Lessons right for you? If you want to make money on the internet, read on and find out.

A WordPress blog is almost a must-have these days, especially if you want lots of traffic and high search engine rankings. Google loves blogs because Google loves fresh content. And if you set up and run your blog correctly, Google will love yours too.

I was a total newbie when I started my first round of WordPress Lessons, taught by Mike Paetzold, and I have to admit that I felt a bit overwhelmed. There was just so much information. I barely got my blog set up before the course was halfway over. And Mike wants us to have our blogs up and running BEFORE he even gets started with the actual lessons.

But a funny thing happened. As I went back over the material and asked questions, which Mike patiently answered, in detail, it started to fall into place. By the time the course was over, I had a blog up and running, and was happily blogging away.

So how do WordPress Lessons work and what will you get?

It's set up as a membership site. In that site, you get everything you need (blog files, plug-ins, etc.) set up ready for download and installation. There are videos that show how to do it all, plus PDF file checklists. The lessons themselves are held as webinars.

The idea is that you install your blog before things even start, but newbies rarely manage to do it all. No problem. Mike helps, in the forum, through his help desk, and live during the lessons.

In the lessons, Mike helps us to set up our blogs so that the search engines will love them and list them where people can find them. And he helps us set them up so that they'll run smoothly.

And how to make money. In fact, one lesson was entirely devoted to ways in which we could monetize our blogs. And not only the various ways, but also strategies to maximize the income from them, i.e., which ones to put where, what kinds of promotional tools to pick, and so on.

Of course, without traffic there won't be any money, so an entire lesson is devoted how to drive traffic to them and build a list.

In the last lesson, Mike looked at our blogs, and helped us make them look more professional, work better, and make more money. And since the lessons were in webinar format, we could see everybody's blog as he talked about them and were able to learn from each of his case studies.

So should you consider taking WordPress Lessons? You might want to seriously consider it if any of the following applies:

You want a blog to promote your business

You want to build an internet business

You have a blog that isn't doing what you want it to do

You want to earn (more) money with your blog

The last one is what WordPress Lessons is really designed for. Mike makes a full-time living with his blogs, and he's very open about sharing the good, the bad, and the how-to.

Any drawbacks? The first go-around can be challenging if you're a total newbie. But if you're willing to stick with it and work hard, you can do it, and you'll get all the help you'll need to make it happen.

Another drawback? With all the trouble-shooting and the individual questions, the lessons can get a bit tedious at times. But I've never considered tuning out - the info I got was just too valuable.

So even the drawbacks are actually pluses of sorts - too much information means when you're ready for it, it'll be there for you to make use of. And Mike's patient and elaborate answers are worth their weight in gold, especially if they answer your own questions.

Ready to start your own blog or want to make some money with the one you've got? Check out http://www.moneyforyourblog.com and get started.

If you want a shopping cart and an autoresponder for your shiny new blog, you're in luck! You can test drive the world's best integrated system FREE for 30 days at http://www.myfavoriteshoppingcart.info

Get more of Elisabeth's tips and recommendations at http://www.myfavoritewebstuff.com

Blogging For Your Business - 7 Tips On How To Get Back In The Blogging Habit And Make Money Blogging

If you have abandoned your blog, or are just tired of trying to think of new things to post to your blog, you will want to read on to find out how to make big changes that will make it easier than ever to blog for your business. Here are 7 ways to get back in the blogging habit, and enjoy every minute of it.

• See your blog as the powerful marketing tool that it is. Every time you think of a new idea for your business, or have a conversation with one of your clients, make some notes and turn it into a blog post.
• Make a schedule for posting to your blog, as well as for reading other blogs in your niche. Set aside 30 minutes, three times each week, for reading and writing related to your blog.
• Invite your readers to comment on your posts. Blogging is social media, so be social and invite others into the conversation.
• Don't be afraid to write something controversial in your blog post. Most blogs are just so bland because the blogger does not want to offend anyone. Feel free to write what you think and you may have more readers than ever offering their own points of view on the subject.
• Expand your blog posts into short articles. You can submit these to the article directories and include a link back to your blog at the end of the article. This will increase your readership and opt-ins, while getting you more in the habit of writing on a regular basis.
• Review books you have read on your topic in your blog posts. The author will most likely find out about your post, especially if they have a Google alert set for their name and the title of their book.
• Have fun with your blog. This is your forum to express your opinions, provide information on your niche topic, and promote what you do to people all over the world. Embrace the blogging experience.

Follow through with these 7 tips and your business will increase on the internet. You can quickly improve your visibility and credibility online by blogging on a regular basis.

And now I invite you to download a free 21 page report of how to build a better blog for your business by visiting http://www.Blogspirations.com and get started right away with a new approach to blogging for profit.

Creating Posts To Make Money With The Internet

There are many issues that blog owners have to deal with when they are trying to run an online business from their blog site. Making money with the Internet is not an easy task, and requires that you do many things in order to be competitive with other blog owners and also sustain continued growth throughout the future. One of the most important parts about making money with the Internet deals with the design and organization of your blog site.

Quality Of Content

The main thing for blog designers to remember is the importance of the blogs content and what is published on it. The quality and effectiveness of a blogs content will determine if the online business is recognized by other blog owners and therefore increase its amount of traffic flow. There are a few techniques that blog designers can use to increase their popularity with both blog owners and Internet users.

Keywords

People must remember that the quality of writing on a blog site is extremely important. If you want your blog posts to be appreciated and recognized by online visitors, then blog owners should use certain key words that visitors use to search the Internet. The titles and subtitles of the blog posts should also be carefully written so that it will have a higher probability of being looked up by Internet users through the use of search engines.

Sufficient Length

With every blog post that you publish online, it should be quite lengthy and contain at least two hundred words. This allows search engines to pick up more of the keywords that Internet users will be looking for and will then link to your specific blog site. If your blog posts are too short, then there will not be enough information for the search engines to share with other people.

Attractive Images

Another great way for you to create great posts is through the use of attractive and unique images. Images are one of the best mediums for grasping the attention of Internet visitors and will be one of the best methods for you to spread the news about an important blog post or article. If you include special images in your blog posts that relate to the specific articles, then your chances of being cited by other bloggers will grow tremendously.

Personalization

You can also use special one-liners or memorable stories in your articles that will enhance a persons reading and understanding. People usually remember stories much better than they do facts and boring information. Always try to make your articles as interesting and exciting as possible in order to make money with the Internet.

Show Passion

One of the most important things that you can do to create effective blog posts is to write about things that you absolutely love. If you are able to show passion in the posts that you write, it will grasp the attention of online visitors and their desire to read and learn more from your blog will increase.

Court provides information about how to make money with the internet through his website: Court's Internet Marketing School.