You must have a virtual domain name in order to do business online. I know, I know, you can get free sites, free hosts and some will even offer free ISP services. Eventually, you end up with a domain name as long as a six-foot black snake and about as identifiable and trustworthy. (:>))

Getting your own domain name is really easy and very inexpensive if you do some research.

Here are some resources to give you a heads-up when you set out to get that virtual domain name and some reasons for doing so.

You are more likely to be seen as a having these qualities if you have a VDN.

1) Serious marketer--You thought enough in your online business to spring a few bucks for the name.

2) Honesty- With your unique name, you are perceived as more identifiable and therefore more trustworthy.

3) Dependability- You have become more dependable because you have invested in your share of cyberspace.

How to get a domain name 1) Selecting a name--Try to avoid something cute. Clever is okay...cute is out.

Avoid names with dashes in them. They are too easily missed and harder to type. Keep it as short and memorable as possible. Try to include a word or phrase about your business central theme. ( E.g.., If you sell flapjacks, hopefully flapjacks.com is still available.)

2) Registering your name--There are more than 75 registrars available now. This will not be a problem, however, there is a lot of difference in the cost for this service.

3) Transferring to host--Once registered, you will need to request a transfer to your host. You do have a host don't you ? If not, you may want to park your newly selected name for a spell.

Places to order:

1) Bargain Domain Names-- Here a couple of my favorites for bargain domain purchases: ($6.95 and up)

http://www.godaddy.com and http://www.domainzero.com

2) Full-service Domain Name registrars--Include ones like http://www.networksolutions.com ($20 and up) http://www.register.com

There are lots of places to get a domain name online. Just do a search on one of the major directories like http://www.yahoo.com/ You will find plenty. Be sure and compare prices and features.

Article by Larry Johnson

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About the Author

Larry Johnson is a webmaster of several sites as well as publisher of the Biz Site Biz Ezine. He has been nationally published in such magazines as Home Business Magazine. With a background in advertising including radio and TV he began work on the internet more than 8 years ago.]]>