Domain Forwarding Versus Domain Masking

Although a lot of folks now understand {that the} word domain refers to the address of a web site, some don’t perceive different words or tech-jargon associated with the term domain. So here is a quick study two popular terms that are related to domains, in case you or somebody you know could use some help.

Domain Forwarding & Masking

Domain forwarding helps with the directing of your site link to the address of another website. And domain forwarding is terribly helpful for websites which will have longer, more advanced addresses as well as for advertising functions; as an example, to use a replacement domain like MarchSale2007(dot)com for steering traffic to a special sales web page.

The forwarding process is pretty simple. Begin by registering the new domain name of your selection that’s available. Next log into the domain space where you bought your domain and click on on the choice to forward this new domain. A area ought to become offered then where you just insert the URL or domain name of the positioning where you wish your guests to be directed after they click the link.

Domain masking permits you to cover or shield the address of your website while still continuing to allow your prospects and clients to go to your site and access the contents there. Domain masking works in this manner:

-          Register your domain name first. As an example, register the domain name, TinyURL(dot)com or the domain of your choice. Then set up a forward as mentioned above and add masking to it by clicking the masking box in the management area and add masked description meta tag and masked keyword meta tag words to help direct search engines your manner when people key in these terms for searches.

-          Although TinyURL(dot)com can be the visual address for people who click on the link, it can not be the main Internet address of the website as a result of the main address is simply too long with too many letters to list in print ads, for example, like MyDomainNameIsTooLong(dot)com. Thus the masked domain address TinyURL(dot)com can be listed in emails, ads and different communications to direct Internet guests to the site. And your website guests want only key in the address TinyURL(dot)com to get all the content of the most address at: MyDomainNameIsTooLong(dot)com on their computers. 

Note that the main distinction between domain forwarding and domain masking is that with domain forwarding, your site visitors can still see the initial or actual domain name in their browser after they click the new domain link and acquire directed to the site. In other words, the new domain link does not hide the long original name. Thus when folks click: TinyURL(dot)com, they’re directed to the site, however once they arrive at the location, the domain that appears in their browsers can read: MyDomainNameIsTooLong(dot)com.

Why would you like to put a mask over the initial address rather than merely forward traffic to the site? In cases like this:

Some web site addresses are terribly long, full of coding with numbers and letters that often could or may not create sense like: http://ThisIsYourAffiliateLinkabczyx12379_JohnSmith(dot)com . So to create the link easier to read and to appear more skilled, an Web marketer could mask a short domain like http://JohnSmithNews(dot)com for 2 reasons (one) to hide the very fact that it’s an affiliate link, inflicting some to be uneasy and leave the site instantly and acquire in bit with the most seller instead and (2) to form the site appear more professional and memorable with a recognizable name because the address.

Find the lowest priced domains available at cheap domain name registration. cheap domain name registration is everything you need to build and launch your website. Get your cheap domain name registration today!

Pick a Name and Get On With It!

 

Starting an Online Business

 

Whether your company is a sole proprietorship or a mega-corporation, it
will all begin with a concept and a name. So what’s in a name?

The answer is – everything! your company will~The name you pick for your company will}
help you build a brand and image in the marketplace. Therefore it must
be memorable, relevant and simple for people to remember.

For example, let’s look at the infamous Google. At first glance, this is a
nonsensical name, but when you look a little deeper – it all makes
good sense. Google does have a meaning – it means numbers without end
and impossible to count.

It’s a perfect name for a search engine – an endless number of searchers
using their software. So the name fits the business, making it relevant.
It’s memorable, because everyone remembers a funny sounding name like
that, even if some of us may not know exactly what it means. It’s easy
and easy to spell. This has enabled Google to quickly make the
name familiar and profitable.

As seen by this example, your {business name is very important and you~As you can see from this example, your name is pretty important and you}
should take time to pick the right name for your company. It
should be easily brandable.

Registering your name is not always done online, since businesses come
and go – but you will be registering your domain name. It’s best to
secure your name with a DBA (Doing Business As license).

Here’s how to do it:

1. Brainstorm some appropriate names for
your company. Make at least ten and then prioritize them.
These names should reflect your USP (Unique Selling Proposition).

2. Go to www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm – the US Patent
and Trademark Office. You can also do this in your own country
if you don’t reside in the US. Run a search to check the name isn’t taken, if it is move on to the next name on the list.

3. Do the search again on the website of your state’s or province’s
authority for establishing corporations (usually the Secretary
of State). You can look this up in Google. Be sure to be especially diligent for Nevada, if you are setting up a corporation or LLC there.

Verify both the LLC and corporation databases. Do not have a
same name to another business. You can seriously harm
your credibility and you could be forced to stop using the
name if the other company can prove you are infringing on its
trademark.

4. Do a search on your local DBA listings (fictitious
names). You would use a DBA if you want your business to be
known as something other than its legal name. For example, the
legal name associated with Empowerism is Life, Education And
Prosperity, Inc. The Doing Business As name is Empowerism.Register at
your local city hall. This costs a small fee but is worth it,
as it conveys exclusive rights to your name.

5. Now you can move on to your domain name. My preference is to include my main keywords in the domain name URL. This helps in achieving a higher search engine ranking for those keywords and you can still use your name on the page for branding.

6 Now you can choose a good logo and slogan to match your
name. This will help you brand {your business~This helps you brand your business}.

 

All that being said, the most important thing is to focus on finding your first customer to make your first sale. Don’t get hung up in finding the perfect name, since even if you find it, it won’t make any sales for you!

 

How to Pick a Name for Your Online Business

 

Starting an Online Business

 

Whether your company is a sole proprietorship or a mega-corporation, it
will all begin with a name and a concept. So what is in a name?

The answer is – quite a bit! The name you choose for {your business will~The name you pick for your company will}
help you build a brand and image in the marketplace. Therefore it should
be memorable, relevant and simple for your potential customers to remember.

For example, let’s look at the infamous Google. At first glance, this is a
nonsensical name, but when you look a little deeper – it all makes
good sense. Google does have a meaning – it means numbers without end
and impossible to count.

It’s a perfect name for a search engine – an endless number of searchers
using their software. So the name fits the business, making it relevant.
It’s unforgettable, because everyone remembers a funny sounding name like
that, even if some of us may not know exactly what it means. It’s easy
and easy to spell. This has helped enable Google to quickly make the
name familiar and profitable.

name is very important and you~As you can see from this example, your name is pretty important and you}
should take time to choose the right name for your business. It
should be one that you can easily brand.

Registering your name is not always done online, since businesses come
and go – but you will register your domain name. It’s best to
secure your name with a DBA (Doing Business As license).

Here’s how to do it:

1. Brainstorm some appropriate names for
your company. Make at least ten and then prioritize them.
These names should reflect your USP (Unique Selling Proposition).

2. Go to www.uspto.gov/main/trademark.htm – the US Patent
and Trademark Office. You can do this in your own country
if you don’t reside in the US. Run a search to check that the name isn’t taken, and if it is, cross it off and move on to the next name on the list.

3. Repeat the search on the website of your state’s or province’s
authority for establishing corporations (usually the Secretary
of State). You can find this in Google. Be sure to be especially diligent for Nevada, if you are setting up a corporation or LLC there.

Inspect both the LLC and corporation databases. Do not have a
similar name to any other business. You may seriously harm
your credibility and you may be forced to stop using the
name if the other business can prove you are infringing on its
trademark.

4. Do a search on your local DBA listings (fictitious
names). You would use a DBA if you want your business to be
known as something other than its legal name. For example, the
legal name associated with Empowerism is Life, Education And
Prosperity, Inc. The Doing Business As name is Empowerism.  You will register at
your local municipal offices. This costs a small fee but is worth it,
as it will give you exclusive rights to your business name.

5. Now move on to your domain name. My preference is to include my main keywords in the domain name URL. This helps in achieving a higher search engine ranking for those keywords and you can still use your business name on the page for branding.

6 Now choose a good logo and slogan to match your
name. This will help you brand {your business~This helps you brand your business}.

 

All that being said, the most important thing is to focus on finding your first customer to make your first sale. Don’t get bogged down in finding the perfect name, even if you find it, it won’t make any sales for you!

 

All About Buying Expired Web Domain Names

Nowadays, it appears that virtually everyone is jostling to buy expired web domain names to take advantage of the power of high levels of website traffic. Web experts and online professionals buy expired domain names for personal use or purchase a significant amount of  traffic from others who run a web-based business. The main idea is purchasing expired domain names that have an existing traffic flowing into them. The amount of traffic could vary from a couple of visitors to thousands per day.

There are a certian significant factors that you need to consider and evaluate very meticilously prior to making a decision to buy the expired web domain name. Just to give you an idea of the complexity of the of the process, even professionals who buy expired domain names spend much time to contemplate on the possible benefits and advantages that come with the domain.

Before you finally proceed to buy an expired web domain name, you will have to evaluate the following parameters. You have to know how urgent it is to acquire an expired domain name despite of the possible drawbacks. If it is indeed urgent to get one, then you have to set a time frame as to how quickly you want to accomplish the transaction. Finally, think of how much you are willing to allot for the eventual purchase of an expired domain name.

Most Web masters and professional expired web domain name buyers are searching for unique names, particularly those composed of one syllable, un hyphenated names that can muster several ‘type in’s’. Such domain names are valuable not only for the name itself but also for dumping strategically laid adverts with a pay per click search engine which can bring in revenue for the name until an interested buyer is ready to purchase the domain name. You may want to check out DMOZ or Yahoo because the names listed there ought to be the ones that you should consider.

You have to be aware of several factors before you start shopping for expired web domain names. First, you should never discount the possibility that the original owner can go after you for apparently’stealing their name.’ Next, you have to make sure that the domain name is listed in a suitable category for your pruposes. Finally, you have to make a background check as to the history of the site so that you can rest assured that you are not buying something that was previously used for dubious purposes.

Choosing a Hosting Plan for Your New Website

<p>So you think you want to start up a website.  In prior posts I discussed choosing a domain name and creation of web pages.  Which brings the subject of hosting into play:  Early on in your decision making process, you will want to shop for a hosting plan.

The next step after creating your website is to make it live on the internet, or publish it.  Publishing to the internet involves getting a hosting plan.  A hosting plan is different from a domain name.  You own your domain name but you rent a hosting plan.  With a hosting plan you will be paying a service provider to publish your website on the internet for all to see.  This article covers what to look for in a hosting plan.

SERVICE  First and foremost in your decision is to consider the hosting provider’s reputation for it’s services.  Bells and whistles and fancy features will do you no good if you can’t get customer service in a timely fashion.  If your website is not available on the internet you are losing opportunities to connect with customers.  Therefore should a problem occur it is important to select a hosting provider that is readily available and will resolve the issue in as timely a manner as possible.

UPTIME  When shopping for a hosting company, find out if they have an uptime guarantee. The better hosting providers will offer up to 99% uptime.  Even at 99% average uptime it can mean that your website will be off the internet for over 7 hours per month. If at all possible, choose a host guaranteeing up to 99.9% uptime.

SIZE  What size, or how many pages will the website have?  Most hosting providers set the pricing on their hosting plans according to the space taken up on their servers by the website.  Most websites do not require much space but if you’re planning on having a large site with a lot of multimedia content or an ecommerce site selling multiple items, you’ll probably need additional disk space on your hosting plan.

LINUX OR WINDOWS  This question refers to the operating systems available for hosting and which one to choose.  BTW it does not matter what operating system you are using on your personal computer.  The determining factor here is what programming language was used to design the website.  For example, if CGI or PHP programming language was used, the best choice for the hosting operating system would be Linux.  For a website designed with ASP, the best choice would be Windows.  For the novice user who is building a simple html website the above may not be a consideration at first, but may become important later on as you become more experienced and add more features to your website.

TRAFFIC  How much traffic or how many visitors do you expect monthly?  Most hosting providers sell their hosting plans on a sliding scale according to bandwith usage.  Obviously more bandwidth is better because it allows more visitors to visit your site, but at the beginning this will be hard for you to gauge.  The best advice here is to start off with a low cost, low bandwidth plan and upgrade it later as the traffic to your website grows.

 

SHARED OR DEDICATED HOSTING  Whether or not to choose shared hosting over dedicated hosting comes down to the following:  First a brief description of shared hosting, which is sharing space on a server with dozens or perhaps hundreds of other websites.  The main factor here is that you will have no control over the operating system, database structure, etc., and will have to work within the structure setup by the hosting provider.  Using dedicated (or virtual dedicated) hosting means that you have full control over the server your website is stored on and that only your data occupies the space on that server.  In other words, you would determine what operating system to use, what type database management software, what type of blog software, what type shopping cart, etc., etc.  This type of hosting is definitely geared to the more advanced user, and usually you won’t be able to get as much customer support because it will be a custom setup.  The best advice I can give to the newbie is to use shared hosting at first, until you gain more experience and abilities and are ready to take the plunge into something as advanced as dedicated hosting.

At StartYourWebsiteToday.com our uptime guarantee is 99.9% and we offer 24/7 customer service.  We also have a selection of shared, dedicated, and virtual dedicated hosting plans to suit all budgets and sizes and types of websites. To see what is available, click HERE: Hosting plans.

Domain Name Considerations That Can Help Bring Traffic

This series of posts is for the person asking “How do I start my own website?”.  To begin with:  What do you want your website to portray?  Thoughtful consideration of your website’s future direction will help you in deciding on the optimum domain name for your site.  One of the best things you can do for your fledgling website is to bestow it with an appropriate, catchy, easy to remember domain name. Good search engine optimization, or SEO, begins with domain name selection.  Not to mention your positioning and branding with your customer.

OK, so now you’ve found the domain name you want, but someone else owns it.  Would it still be possible to buy the domain name?  Well, let’s consider that.  It’s possible, but there are some things to consider.  However, with a little luck and enginuity you can possibly obtain the name from the current domain name owner.  There are other ways to get the domain name you want:

Hyphenated Names Sometimes it is a good strategy to just take the same domain name and hyphenate it as in turning bobsautoparts.com into bobs-auto-parts.com.  Is hyphenating the best way to go?  Possibly, but maybe not.  If you want a domain name that is already taken by someone else and is already a well known, well traveled website, this might be a bad move, because users already familiar with the original domain name will just type the original, non-hyphenated version into their web browser, and end up not at your site but at your competitor’s site.  Not a good strategy.  Also, if you do decide to take a hyphenated domain name, remember to keep it short!  The longer the domain name and the more dashes you put between words the harder it will be for the end user to remember, and therefore makes it more error prone, which could cost you customers who never make it to your website.  So, the shorter the better.  Hyphenating a domain name might be a good strategy for you in the following scenario: Let’s say the domain name you want is taken, and the current owner is not willing to give it up.  After researching it you find that there is no website published under the domain name, or perhaps there is but it is poorly designed and gets very little traffic.  In a case like that hyphenating the domain name might make sense and in fact could be a wise strategy.  But be careful:  the last thing you want is to cause internet domain name confusion because you have decided on a domain name registration that is so close to a major competitor’s name that you end up losing business to them.

Longer or Shorter?  You can purchase domain names up to 67 characters in length.  At 63 characters, thelongestdomainnameintheworldandthensome
andthensomemoreandmore.com claims to be the longest domain name in the world, and it may very well be.  Can you envision anyone wanting to type it into their browser?  My website is www.StartYourWebsiteToday.com    When choosing my domain name I wanted something that in a few words would tell the web surfer what to expect from my website.  Good name selection can be helpful also with search engine ranking.  When choosing your domain name try to keep it short and concise, and if at all possible let the name tell the story of the site.  Keep it as short as possible.

Brand Name or Generic  The answer here is it depends.  If your business is known by a brand name, and it is a well known name, of course it is the best possible strategy to try to register that domain name.  For instance, Nike.com is a well known brand name site, although there is nothing in the domain name to suggest that it is a site about shoes.  Still, Nike is such a well known brand name to the public that people automatically know what they will be shopping for when they get there.  If your brand name is well known, definitely try to obtain your brand name as a domain name.  But if your company is Nike or Coca Cola or Budweiser don’t discount the idea of buying the domain name shoes.com or soda.com or beer.com if they are available as well.  People often search the web using generic terms, more so even than brand names.  A person is more likely to search the internet with generic terms like shoes or footwear or sneakers than to search by a single brand name, even one as big as Nike.  So if possible cover all the bases.  You can have as many domain names as you want pointing to a single website, so the more generic terms you can acquire that directly describe your business, the better.   A generic name if your business is new or not yet well known can get great results, if you can find a good one.  To start your search for your own unique domain name, here is a link to a domain name search engine.  So in conclusion, the first step in “how to start a website” is in the wise choice of your domain name. 

How Your Domain Name Can Help Your SEO Efforts

If this weren’t one of the most important topics for optimizing your website, I wouldn’t mention it. The fact is your domain name is one of the top means you have to optimizing your website. If you select a domain name that is keyword enriched you have a much higher likelihood of reached the upper echelons of the search engine results for those targeted keywords. The video I created posted above will walk you through the best ways to use your keyword in your domain name and how to tell if the keyword you are targeting in your domain name is worth your time. There are a few resource websites listed in the video and they are invaluable to me, so I am sure they will be useful to you as well. Enjoy and dont forget to share with anyone who may benefit from this information.