Est. 2009
Choosing a Good Domain Name
Before you rush out and choose your domain name or name your web site, you might want to consider the following points:
Your Domain Name Should Be Your Website Name. Naming your site after your domain may seem obvious to some of you, but you'll be surprised to
learn that not every website is named after the domain name even when the webmaster owns that domain name. Naming a site after its domain name is
important for the simple reason that when people think of your web site, they'll think of it by name. If your name is also your URL, then they will
automatically know where to go.
For example, when people think of pogosticks.com, they don't have to wonder what URL to type into their browser to get there. The name of the site is
also the URL. Imagine if your business (or web site) is called "pogosticks", but somebody else holds that domain name. Instead, you
have some obscure domain name called, say for example, "jumpingsticks.com". What happens when your customers, recalling that pogosticks has a
product they want, type "www.pogiosticks.com"? They'll wind up at your competitor's web site - One lost sale.
In the modern world of the Internet, where people automatically turn to the Web for information, it pays to have a domain name that reflects your site
or business. There are just fewer things for your customers or visitors to remember. Moreover, you don't seriously think that they'll try to memorise an
unrelated URL just because you want them to, do you? The only people who'll memorise it are you and your competitors who want to compare your prices.
What if you cannot get the domain name of your choice? It really depends on how committed you are to that particular name. If you have an existing
brand name that you're known for, you'll probably not want to ditch that name just because you couldn't get the domain name. After all, it took you a lot
of time and money to establish that name. If so, you might simply want to try to buy over the domain name from the current owner. Check up the
"whois" information for the domain, and contact that person listed to see if they're willing to sell it. You probably should be aware that they are likely to
want to charge a higher fee than you'll normally get when buying new domains (assuming they want to sell it in the first place). On the other hand, if
you're just starting out, you might prefer the cheaper alternative of trying to obtain a domain name first, and then naming your web site (or business)
after the domain that you've acquired. So if you've acquired, say, the domain name "pogosticks.com", then your web site and business might be named
"pogosticks" or "pogosticks.com". I know this seems a bit like putting the cart before the horse, but that's the reality if you don't want to lose out on the
Internet.
There is a lot more information on the DVD menu option regarding domains:
Before you rush out and choose your domain name or name your web site, you might want to consider the following points:
Your Domain Name Should Be Your Website Name. Naming your site after your domain may seem obvious to some of you, but you'll be surprised to
learn that not every website is named after the domain name even when the webmaster owns that domain name. Naming a site after its domain name is
important for the simple reason that when people think of your web site, they'll think of it by name. If your name is also your URL, then they will
automatically know where to go.
For example, when people think of pogosticks.com, they don't have to wonder what URL to type into their browser to get there. The name of the site is
also the URL. Imagine if your business (or web site) is called "pogosticks", but somebody else holds that domain name. Instead, you
have some obscure domain name called, say for example, "jumpingsticks.com". What happens when your customers, recalling that pogosticks has a
product they want, type "www.pogiosticks.com"? They'll wind up at your competitor's web site - One lost sale.
In the modern world of the Internet, where people automatically turn to the Web for information, it pays to have a domain name that reflects your site
or business. There are just fewer things for your customers or visitors to remember. Moreover, you don't seriously think that they'll try to memorise an
unrelated URL just because you want them to, do you? The only people who'll memorise it are you and your competitors who want to compare your prices.
What if you cannot get the domain name of your choice? It really depends on how committed you are to that particular name. If you have an existing
brand name that you're known for, you'll probably not want to ditch that name just because you couldn't get the domain name. After all, it took you a lot
of time and money to establish that name. If so, you might simply want to try to buy over the domain name from the current owner. Check up the
"whois" information for the domain, and contact that person listed to see if they're willing to sell it. You probably should be aware that they are likely to
want to charge a higher fee than you'll normally get when buying new domains (assuming they want to sell it in the first place). On the other hand, if
you're just starting out, you might prefer the cheaper alternative of trying to obtain a domain name first, and then naming your web site (or business)
after the domain that you've acquired. So if you've acquired, say, the domain name "pogosticks.com", then your web site and business might be named
"pogosticks" or "pogosticks.com". I know this seems a bit like putting the cart before the horse, but that's the reality if you don't want to lose out on the
Internet.
There is a lot more information on the DVD menu option regarding domains:
So you have chosen your domain name, purchased it and had it registered with the domain registrar the next
step is to find a host site so that you can publish your web site to the internet and start making sales.
step is to find a host site so that you can publish your web site to the internet and start making sales.
Choosing a Hosting Service:
A Web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their own web site accessible via the World
Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own or lease for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity,
typically in a data centre. Web hosts can also provide data centre space and connectivity to the Internet for servers they do not own to be located in their
data centre, called co-location. They can also offer mail address space as well.
The scope of hosting services varies widely. The most basic is web page and small-scale file hosting, where files can be uploaded via File Transfer Protocol
(FTP) or a Web design interface. The files are usually delivered to the Web "as is" or with little processing. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) offer this
service free to their subscribers. People can also obtain Web page hosting from other, alternative service providers. Personal web site hosting is typically
free, advertisement-sponsored, or cheap. Business web site hosting often has a higher expense.
Single page hosting is generally sufficient only for personal web pages. A complex site calls for a more comprehensive package that provides database
support and application development platforms (e.g. PHP, Java, Ruby on Rails, ColdFusion, and ASP.NET). These facilities allow the customers to write or
install scripts for applications like forums and content management. For e-commerce, SSL is also highly recommended.
The host may also provide an interface or control panel for managing the Web server and installing scripts as well as other services like e-mail. Some hosts
specialize in certain software or services (e.g. e-commerce). They are commonly used by larger companies to outsource network infrastructure to a hosting
company.
A recognized good hosting site is www.hostgator.com - this is widely used by internet marketers because they are reliable and reasonably cheap.
A Web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their own web site accessible via the World
Wide Web. Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own or lease for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity,
typically in a data centre. Web hosts can also provide data centre space and connectivity to the Internet for servers they do not own to be located in their
data centre, called co-location. They can also offer mail address space as well.
The scope of hosting services varies widely. The most basic is web page and small-scale file hosting, where files can be uploaded via File Transfer Protocol
(FTP) or a Web design interface. The files are usually delivered to the Web "as is" or with little processing. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) offer this
service free to their subscribers. People can also obtain Web page hosting from other, alternative service providers. Personal web site hosting is typically
free, advertisement-sponsored, or cheap. Business web site hosting often has a higher expense.
Single page hosting is generally sufficient only for personal web pages. A complex site calls for a more comprehensive package that provides database
support and application development platforms (e.g. PHP, Java, Ruby on Rails, ColdFusion, and ASP.NET). These facilities allow the customers to write or
install scripts for applications like forums and content management. For e-commerce, SSL is also highly recommended.
The host may also provide an interface or control panel for managing the Web server and installing scripts as well as other services like e-mail. Some hosts
specialize in certain software or services (e.g. e-commerce). They are commonly used by larger companies to outsource network infrastructure to a hosting
company.
A recognized good hosting site is www.hostgator.com - this is widely used by internet marketers because they are reliable and reasonably cheap.
The above represents but a fraction of the information regarding this subject on the CIMSS DVD(s) in the form of PDF, ZIP, Videos: