Friday, July 31, 2015

Have You Registered Your Personal Name's Domain?

Getting a URL (www.yourfirstnamelastname.com) for your name is an ideal thing to do in today's digital world. Having an ideal online presence is not restricted to businesses alone, individuals can go a step further beyond social media pages and register their name's domains which are their online properties. Personal branding is much more important today than before and without a website, there is a limit to what you can achieve in personal branding. You don't need to be popular before owning your name's domain because if you wait till then, someone else may register it, especially the .com extension which is highly sought after.

There are lots of benefits in getting a URL for your name and some of them will be revealed in this piece. There is no better way to boost your online branding than owning your name's domain. It will contain your biography, resume, portfolio and the likes so that you will not rely only on social media sites. However, if you are not capable of developing the site after registering it, you can point it to one of your pages on the social media sites pending the time you will develop it.

In addition, when your name's search is carried out on any of the popular search engines, your URL will be the number one because it will be the exact match for the search. Your pages on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc are sub-domains, hence, they will be treated as such by search engines but when you have your own domain, it will be treated as a top-level domain (TLD). Your URL will be ranked number one in search results of your name and this will boost your online image tremendously.


Furthermore, if you don't want to pay heavily for the URL in future, it is better to get it registered now. There are those who speculate with domain names and they are called domainers. What they do is to buy domain names, keep them if necessary, and resell them at higher prices. A popular politician in the United States, Rand Paul, paid $100,980 for RandPaul.com because it had been registered by another person and the owner of the domain at that time could only release it for that price (take note that domain name registration costs only about $10). In fact, registering domains for your children is a perfect way to ensure that they don't pay high prices for them in future.

Even though the .com domain extension is the most popular, if you are not lucky with the .com, you can go for the .org, .info, .net, .me and so on. You only need to ensure that the extension you want to use will be applicable in boosting your personal brand on the World Wide Web. If you are lucky enough to get the .com of your name, you should also register it in the .org, .net, .me and .info extensions so that you will block any other person from registering it and this will enhance your image on the internet (world's meeting point). This does not mean that you will develop a website for each extension but point the .org, .net, .me and .info to your main site, www.yourfirstnamelastname.com.

Related Articles

Understanding Security Issues For Your Domain Names

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Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Top Domain Name Tips For A Start-up Blogger

Starting up your blog with your own domain name instead of using a free platform is a good thing to do. You will be able to build credibility and a sense of professionalism around it. In addition, you can create a brand and promote it on the World Wide Web without much difficulty. However, in order to succeed as a start-up blogger, there are some factors you need to consider when contemplating on the perfect name to use for your blog.

The goals and objectives of your blog will go a long way in determining how to name it. The topic, style, tone, target audience and so on should be put into consideration. For example, the strategy for naming a blog targeting young people will be different from the one targeting professionals. Most of the times, the topic of a blog is reflected in in its name and this is aimed at boosting its search engine ranking as well as make it easy for visitors/readers to find.

Furthermore, it is very important to be specific about registering a keyword-based domain or a brand-able one or both. Choosing a keyword-based domain is good for SEO (search engine optimization) and communicates your blog's theme to readers quickly. On the other hand, you can brand your domain in order to create a lasting impression with your readers and as a result, have loyal readers. If you are very creative, you can use both methods in your naming process and you will stand out among competitors in your niche.

You also need to think of the future when naming your blog. Even though the future may not be ours to see most of the times, it is important to think ahead of time. It is advisable to avoid names and topics that may not be relevant in future so that your site is not rendered useless in time. You should also consider if you want to use a domain for one blog or multiple blogs and this will have an effect on your naming strategy. If you will be using a domain for multiple blogs, you should choose a name that is easily adaptable in other to accommodate all the blogs.

Other factors to consider are the name length, domain extension, trademark and domain security. As much as possible, you should try to choose short words (not more than four) and if possible, avoid hyphens so that it will be easy for people to remember the name. As regards domain extension, the .com is the most popular (and of course the costliest at the secondary market), but that does not mean that the .net, .org, .info, and even the new extensions like .photography, .band, etc, are not good. You should avoid trademarked names in order not to get yourself into any legal mess. As a form domain security, you should register multiple, related domains for your blog in order to prevent cybersquatting which is capable of reducing traffic to your site.

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Monday, July 27, 2015

How To Host Your Domain Name For Free On Blogger


Yes, it is real! You can register 'yourblog.com' and host it for free on blogger. If you want to reduce your expenses in your bid to launch your blog on the World Wide Web, you can buy a domain name from a reputable registrar and blogger will host it for you free of charge. Blogger.com is a free content management system (CMS) owned by Google and it provides free content management for bloggers. In addition, you can get a free domain from blogger apart from the free hosting but what you will get is a sub-domain, e.g 'yourblog.blogspot.com', which I consider to be unfit for online branding. As a result of this, it is advisable for you to register your domain, like 'yourblog.com' and host it for free on blogger, if you can't afford hosting for now or you don't want to give yourself any headache about hosting.

Blogger is the only truly, dependable, free CMS I know since you don't need any other platform to use it like others. It doesn't come with all sorts of restrictions like strict advertising policy, rigid layouts and so on. You have the opportunity of choosing from a wide varieties of themes in order to make your blog appealing. The functionality of your blog can also be enhanced with many available widgets and you don't need to worry of content deletion once you don't run foul of simple guidelines such as posting hate speech, violent, crude or harassing contents, copyright infringement and so on.

Hosting your domain name for free on blogger is as simple as ABC. You only need to set up a blogger account (i.e, yourblog.blogspot.com) and then register a domain (i.e, yourblog.com). Subsequently, you will need to log in to your blogger account and change the URL to your registered domain. Read the full process here.





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Friday, July 24, 2015

Top Five Domain Name Auction Sites

There are many places to sell your domain name via auction these days but in order to get the best result, you should make use of top platforms. Here are top five websites to sell your domains for faster results and in coming up with these five, I considered page ranking, traffic, easy of use, customer service and my own personal experience.

1. GoDaddy: GoDaddy is on the top spot because it has a very high number of users and is the world's biggest domain name company. In addition, there are tools that will assist you in selling off your domain quickly and at a good price. The auction platform is so organized that only serious bidders will bid on your auction. The platform also has one-day, live, online-signature auctions for exclusive and high value domains. I decided to put GoDaddy in number one because of its other features like domain name registration, web hosting, amongst others. These unique features attract more visitors to the website which is an added plus for you in your bid to sell off your domain in good time.

2. Sedo: Sedo comes second in my ranking due to traffic and service delivery. It is one of the largest domain name auction sites in the world with other added services. You can park your domain for free and there is no minimum number of domain that can be parked with this great platform. Auctions on Sedo attract a lot of participants because it is a reputable platform with a good track record.

3. Bido: Bido is a great platform to sell your domain. It is free to use and the commission on sales is not outrageous. However, the traffic is not comparable to the two above which may have an effect on bidding, hence, you may not be able to sell at a high price.

4. DomainMonkey: DomainMonkey comes fourth in my ranking. You can auction your domain and park it while waiting for the right buyer to come. You can easily manage your entire domain portfolio and make some money from parking your domains.

5. DomainTools: With DomainTools, you can have the opportunity of being exposed to new opportunities in site improvement, brand protection and domain investment through the combination of the broad set of domain name ownership records available with vital web hosting data. It is very important for you to know the rules on this website so that you will be able to take its advantage to the fullest.

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GoDaddy Auctions: The smart choice for buying & selling domain names.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Why You Should Beware Of Free Domain Names


We all love free stuffs and there is nothing bad in that - free books, free software, free apps, free bikinis, free shirts and if possible, free food. There is a city in Liberia called Freetown (it's actually the capital of the country) and when I was young (I mean, very young), I used to think that everything was free in the city and was looking forward to settling down there. But to my chagrin, I was wrong! I later discovered that nothing was actually free in Freetown and I felt bad. In fact, I was of the opinion that the name should be changed as it was misleading. However, the city was so named because it was the point where returning freed African slaves berthed after regaining their freedom when the slave trade was abolished.



Since nothing is actually free in Freetown, can a domain name (or web space), which you will use to launch your website, be actually free? The answer is YES and NO! Yes, in the sense that there are lots of free domain offers online and no, in the sense that there are many conditions attached to the offers. If you come across any free web space online, it is very important for you to go through the details before taking any action. This is because there are different forms of domains and if you choose the wrong one, it may adversely affect your chance to succeed online. Some of the popular forms of domains are generic top-level domains (gTLD), country code top-level domains (ccTLD), sub-domains, just to mention a few.

Majority of sub-domains are absolutely free because they are extensions of TLDs. For example, if I register a web space (TLD), say 'bead.com', I can create so many sub-domains from it, like 'black.bead.com', 'blue.bead.com', 'white.bead.com', etc. I can decide to give you any of the sub-web spaces for free but on my terms. I can decide to place adverts on the web space I'm giving to you in order to make up for the cost of registering, hosting, designing and maintaining the site.

CCTLDs are reserved for sovereign nations, countries and dependent territories and are usually two-lettered long, e.g .uk, .us, .ng, .in, .za, etc. Some ccTLDs are restricted to residents of the countries while some are open for worldwide registration. Some of them are offered for free, for example .tk, .ga, .ml, etc. However, there are conditions attached and they include the non-inclusion of your name in the whois record, inability to sell the site, just to mention a few.

GTLDs are the most popular domains and they are the .com, .net, .info, .biz, as well as the new ones like the .band, .club, .college, etc. They are the desire of every online entrepreneur as they can be easily monetized, among other benefits. You can't get a gTLD for free but if you can buy a web hosting package from a reputable company, you can get it for free with no conditions attached, except that you will get it for free for the first year only.

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Friday, July 17, 2015

New Domain Extensions May Change The Face Of The Internet

Have you come across the new domain extensions like .guru, .design, .club, .photography, .band or .xyz? If your answer is no, then you need to upgrade your knowledge in relation to this subject. In 2004, the regulator of internet domain names ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), approved the introduction of about 400 new domain extensions and by 3rd of May, 2015, the number of approved new extensions had hit 605. ICANN thought that limiting gTLDs (generic top-level domains) to .com, .net, .biz, .org and few others was limiting the growth of the internet, hence, there was a need to open it up.

What is the implication?

The implication of the introduction of the new gTLDs would be similar to what happened in the television industry when the cable TV came on board. There were more choices for viewers and content specialization was encouraged. So, you would know where to go to for sports, movies, news, kids entertainment, music and so on. In some years to come, when you carry out a search on your choice search engine, by merely seeing the domain extensions, you would know the industry or specialization that a website represents. For example, if you search for a company or person that specializes in photography and the result shows sites with .com as well as .photography, you would probably favor the .photography website because you would believe it is more relevant to your search.

Who benefits from new domain extensions?

Everybody! The regulator, registries, registrars and the general public.  In fact, the general public benefit the most because they now have more options to choose from than before. In addition, the cost of domains, especially .com, at the secondary market will probably go down because the demand for .com extension is likely to drop. Also, small and medium-sized companies can brand their businesses using these new gTLDs and they would stand out among competitors. It is interesting to note that some big companies were successful in getting new extensions for their brands, for example, .Google, .Barclays, .IBM, .Nissan, .Oracle, .Toshiba, .Xerox and so on.

What are the downsides?

A lot of companies with many brands in their portfolios complained that this development would lead to more spending for them. They contended that since many of them would need to register their brands in the new gTLDs in order to prevent cybersquatting, their operational costs would definitely go up. However, there are always two sides to a coin and the general belief on the issue of new domain extensions is that their advantages far outweigh their disadvantages. So, check with your registrar for the new gTLDs (if you have one, I recommend Godaddy) and choose the one that is related to your industry and you will stand out among your competitors.

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Saturday, July 11, 2015

How Essential Are Domain Names?

Getting the right domain name is very important for internet marketing. Your presence on the internet starts with choosing the perfect name for your website and you need to get it right because the foundation is very essential in every endeavor. Here are some of the essentials of a perfect domain name.

Your website can get more online visibility if you register the right name. There is power in a name and the more relevant it is to your business, the better for you. In addition, you will be able to advertise and market your product or service more effectively. If you don't choose wisely (e.g. choosing  a name that is too long), you may find it difficult advertising effectively which will have a negative effect on your business.

Furthermore, if you want your visitors and potential ones to remember the address of your blog or website easily, it is very important to get it right in the aspect of naming. As a result of this, short names should be favored above long ones. If the keywords relating to your business are included when naming your domain, a large impact will be left on your customers as well as prospects and this can help in boosting your search engine ranking if you combine it with other SEO strategies. This will ensure that your website appears on the first pages of search engine results for your targeted keywords.

Moreover, you can protect your online brand through the registration of domain names that are related to the one you are majorly using. This will prevent other people from registering them which may threaten the image of your brand. For example, if you register a name in the .com extension, you should also register it in the .net, .biz, .org and .info extensions so that no one else will be able to register them and compete with you over the name or benefit from your popularity.

In today's more competitive environment, your domain name can give you an edge over competitors since it is the first thing that a potential visitor will see before actually paying a visit to your site. Also, if you get the name right and you have a company car, putting the name on the car is a powerful offline adverting strategy that can boost traffic generation to your website. The power in a name can never be overemphasized, consequently, you should endeavor to get it right when naming your website because the name will affect it in its lifetime, either positively or negatively.





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The Tricks Of Buying And Selling Domain Names

The process of buying and selling domain names is referred to as domain flipping. It is a lucrative business that has been going on for years and many people have made a lot of money in the business. In 2010, insurance.com was sold for $35.6 million, the highest ever, and this goes a long way to show how lucrative the business is, but you need to know the tricks of the game in order to hit the jackpot.

There are many ways of flipping domains - you can buy a catchy name, park it and sell it after some months or years. You can also purchase a developed website and then resell to another person. There are also instances where you will need to buy domains and resell them instantly. The .com extension is the most lucrative in this business and one-, two-, as well as three-lettered words are the hottest in the market. If you can also lay your hands on one-, two- or three-lettered figures, you have gotten juicy names that can break the bank for you at any point in time. Alpha-numeric names that are not more than four digits are also hot cakes if you are able to get them.

If you want to succeed in this business, there are certain things you must do. You need to draft a business plan which will state your goals, strategies and action steps. This is very important so that you will not lose focus and will be able to think through the process of building a successful business. In addition, you need to educate yourself on the the processes of flipping domains. There are many resources online for you to use and taking advantage of them will boost your rate of success.

Furthermore, you should start on a small scale because you may not have the appetite to take bigger risks initially. Buy cheap but good domains and try to resell them. If you make any mistake at this initial stage, you won't lose much since you are starting on a small scale. Also, you should learn from your mistakes and keep a notebook or journal about your activities as you will have something to refer back to later. You should not give up too soon and if you are frustrated along the line, take a break and when you get back, you will be full of energy to continue.

You should not lose focus and be up-to-date with industry's news. When you discover that you have fully understood the business, you can then take bigger risks. Some of the biggest platforms for buying and selling domain names are Godaddy, Flippa, Sedo, eBay, Craiglist, just top mention a few.





GoDaddy Auctions: The smart choice for buying & selling domain names.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Understanding Security Issues For Your Domain Names

Your domain names require the best security you can ever think of because if this is compromised, your business will be exposed to a higher degree of risk. There are many security risks that may face your domains and some of them are discussed below and solutions proffered.

If your domain name is compromised when it comes to security, it would land into the hands of a hijacker who may redirect your users to a page where negative marketing of your company is carried out. The hijacker may also redirect your visitors to a page that looks like yours where sensitive data of your customers will be harvested. He may also launch a denial-of-service attack (DoS) which makes your DNS (domain name system) service unavailable and the implication of this is that your website will go offline which will have an adverse effect on your business and search engine ranking.

What Should You DO?

One of the ways to protect your  domain is to lock it with your registrar. In order to confirm whether it is locked, you should check your Whois record and the status of your domain will be displayed - whether it is locked or not. Locking it will definitely prevent unnecessary and unauthorized transfer of the domain. You should also endeavor to use a strong password that cannot be cracked easily and if necessary, you should use a two-level authentication method to gain access to your DNS.

Additionally, you should check your DNS records from time to time in order to be sure that it has not been tampered with and your critical services should also be properly monitored. You should also lower your time-to-live (TTL) settings to 5 minutes (300 secs) so as to be able to quickly redirect your traffic in case you come under any attack and you need a quick protection. You should also carefully protect your email's password (the email you used to register your domain) because if it is hacked, sensitive emails relating to your domain name may be accessed which in turn may lead to its hijack. If you have a domain account with more than one registrar, it is advisable for you not to use the same username as well as password for all the accounts so that if one is compromised, you will not have to worry about others and your record of usernames as well as passwords should be properly kept.






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Saturday, July 4, 2015

Free Domain Name Registration - Facts To Consider

You actually desire a free domain name registration but you don't know how to go about it - you are at the right place and at the right time. While it is possible for you to register a domain for free, you need to know the distinctions among free domains available on the internet so that you will be able to identify the right one for you.

There are free sub-domains and you know the meaning of 'sub' - subordinate. For example, 'pasta.food.com' is a subordinate of  'food.com', hence, once you get this type of a domain, you are only getting a part of it. Even though sub-domains are free for a lifetime, there are restrictions to how they are used. For instance, you don't get access to the DNS, there are lots of adverts placed on your site indiscriminately, there may be restrictions in bandwidth usage, file storage, etc, the free service can be stopped at anytime and so on.

Moreover, there are some domain extensions that are free for life and not sub-web spaces. Examples of such extensions are .tk, .ga, .cf, .ml, just to mention a few. Investigations showed that these extensions are country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) but the designated countries allow worldwide registration. However, the restriction in this type of deal is that your name will not appear on the Whois record as the registrant of the site but that of the company giving you the free domain or its subsidiary. Even though you will have access to the DNS, there are certain things you cannot do, e.g., transferring the site to another person.

You can also get free .com, .net, .biz, etc., on the internet with full access but the process is quite different. You will need to purchase a web hosting package from a company that offers free domain names and you have succeeded in playing smart. The Whois record will show your name, you will have full access to the DNS (but you can't transfer the domain in the first year), you can create many sub-domains and so on. The only thing you need to know in addition is that you will need to renew the name every year. That means it is only free for the first year, subsequent years' renewal must be paid for - I'm sure you get the logic.





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