Domain Names - STEP 1 to start a website

Previously, I had mentioned 4 things to get a website.

1. Domain Name
2. Hosting
3. Web Designer
4. Merchant Account

Now I am going to go in some details on #1 ... Domain Names.

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What is a domain name?
A domain name is the address to your website.
Here are some examples of domain name.
www.google.com
www.php.net
www.cancer.org
www.whitehouse.gov
www.harvard.edu

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Do I need a domain name to have a website?
Not necessary. You can have a website address like this example below...
www.tripod.com/HudsonOfficeFurniture
That's an example of a website address where you are using someone else's domain. Tripod.com is a company that specializes in providing space for your website without you requiring to have your own domain.

Now let's compare that to having your own domain name.
www.HudonOfficeFurniture.com

If you had an office furniture store in Hudson which website address would you like to tell your clients about?
www.tripod.com/HudsonOfficeFurniture
or
www.HudonOfficeFurniture.com

The 2nd one, of course.

The 1st website address is too long and unprofessional. It's only suitable for personal websites. For business purposes the 2nd website address is proper.

If you didn't understand that. This should make it clearer.
Would you prefer dealing with a business that has PO Box for their address or a proper physical address? In the same token would you prefer doing business with a company that has no telephone number or a company that has a toll free number?
One can certainly run business using a PO Box number and no telephone but one can't expect to get far with that kind of attitude toward ones business. Period.

Hence, it is important to get a domain name.

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Where do I get a domain name from? and how much does it cost?
You can buy your domain name online using your credit card at websites called registrars.
Here is a list of a few registrars.
www.godaddy.com
www.eurodns.com
www.moniker.com
www.register.com
www.NetworkSolutions.com

The price will vary from registrar to registrar.
Godady has domains for around $10/year currently.

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Do I need to register a legal company like a LLC or an S Corporation to own a domain name?
No you don't. You can purchase a domain name like you purchase a bottle of water from a convenient store. You will be asked to fill out a form online that will require you to provide your email, your full name, full address, your credit card information for payment and a few other details.
You can change the email, name and address anytime once you own the domain. To change the information, you simply log in and change the information.

Caution: The process of purchasing might be slightly confusing if you are doing it for the first time. It's a good idea to have someone who knows about it over the phone or next to you when you make the purchase. Having said that, I would highly reccomend you to make the purchase yourself instead of asking your web designer to do it for you, even if he were to use your credit card.

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If you want more details on domain names visit www.UncleDomain.com

Next time I will talk about the 2nd item on our list of "Thing you need to start a website".....HOSTING.