Domain Name Information
The first thing you need
to do when creating a website is to get your own domain name. Don't know
what that is, why you need it or how to get one? This page contains all
of that domain name information and more.
- What is a Domain Name?
- How to Choose a Good Domain Name
- The Best Place to Get a Domain Name
- How to Register a Domain Name
A domain name is your
address on the web. It's the information that customers type in to find
your website. It's what comes after the www. in www.domain.com. The
domain name for this site is 4creatingawebsite.com.
A domain name can be any
combination of letters and/or numbers up to 63 characters. The official
domain name extensions are .com, .net, .org, .biz, .info, .us and .ws.
There are also other extensions like .tv and .tk but don't waste your time with
those. Stick with a recognized one.
Here is some information
and tips to help you select the best domain name for you:
Keep it short. The shorter, the better. It’s best
to keep your domain name less than 15 characters if possible. A shorter
name is easier for people to remember and it also reduces the likelihood that
your visitor will mistype it or spell it wrong. For example, BuyIt.com
has a lot less chance of being mistyped than
isellthispleasebuyitfrommetoday.com.
Keep it sweet. The more memorable the name, the easier
it is for people to remember. You can have the best site in the world,
but if people can’t remember your domain name it will cut down on your return
visitors. It’s hard enough to get traffic on the web without “losing”
visitors that want to come back but can’t find you.
Keep it simple. Make sure the domain name is easy for people to
spell. Don't spell words unusually. Unless you have incredible
branding, people will type in the common spelling of your domain and your
competition will get visitors who were looking for you. For example,
BlueRight.com is much better than BluRite.com
Choose a domain name that
reflects your business. Don’t just choose a random name.
For example, if your sell horse supplies, you should choose a name that has the
word “horse supplies” in it such as YourHorseSupplies.com. Or, your
domain name should refer to horses in some way, like whoa.com. The former
will help you in the search engines. The latter will be
memorable.
When in doubt, choose a
.com. If you are
debating between several different domain names, go with the .com. It’s
what most people think of when they are typing in a domain name. It’s true
the best names are gone, but you can still find a good .com if you look.
Thousands of .coms expire and are released back in the market each month so
there is always a steady supply of new domains coming into the market.
Special tip: If you can afford it, you may also want
to get your name followed by .com along with whatever domain name you decide to
get. I think the way the internet is going it is smart to do and
you will be very glad you have it later on.
Some people try to save
money and get a freebie website and domain name. I'm all for free
whenever possible, but free websites and domain names just aren't worth
it. Click here for information on why it's better to pay.
I get my domain names
from Act Now Domains. They are pretty cheap and they are really reliable.
I have over 300 domain names there.
I've tried a couple of
other places but never could get help when I needed it with those places.
Act Now Domains has people available 24 hours a day by phone and email.
Plus, it's just really easy to use compared to most out there.
Here's a price
comparison so you can see how their prices compare to others. Domain
names are paid for yearly:
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Registrar
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Price/Year
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Act Now Domains
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$9.99 Sale!
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Act Now Domains has
another sale going on now where if you get a website builder or web hosting,
your domain name is only $3.99. I don't know how long these
sales will last, but they are good deals.
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Special Note: I had a lot of people ask me various
questions about the actual process of building their websites so I wrote up a
little tutorial on it and I use Act Now Domains as the sample web
builder. If you decide to get a domain and website from Act Now
Domains, get a copy of the free build a website
tutorial I wrote and follow
along on the guide as you go through the steps of buying, setting up and
building your website. It will make everything a lot easier and faster
for you.
Regardless of who you
decide to get your domain and website from the info in the tutorial can be
useful to you as a lot of web builders have a similar set up and icon
panel.
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TheComRegistry
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$19.95
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Network Solutions
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$35.00
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Register.com
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$35.00
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Update: All domain
registrars are now required to charge $0.20 for every domain registration,
transfer and renewal. This is something the organization that controls
domain registrations is making them do. This fee is added when you
checkout so don't be surprised if you see it. The registrar isn't trying
to scam you or make you pay extra. It's a fee everyone has to pay and the
registrars have to charge it.
All you need to do to
get a domain name is go to the registrar you want to use (Domain name companies
like Act Now Domains are called registrars.) They will have a search box.
Just type the domain name you want in the search box and it will tell you if
the domain is available.
If it is, just follow
the steps and pay for it. If it isn't, search for another name. You
can use their search tool to find variations of the domain name. It may
take you a bit of time to find the one you want, but keep looking you
will.
Okay, now that you know
the domain name information and know how to get a domain name, let's go to
Choose a Web Host
Once you have your
domain name, you will need to choose a web host. It is very important
that you choose a good web host. Good doesn't mean expensive. Good
means reliable with great support.
Some people try to save
money and choose to go with a free web host. They usually realize pretty
quickly what a huge mistake that is. As I noted in the domain section,
I'm all for free whenever possible, but free web hosting will end up costing
much more than you save. Click here for information on why it's better to pay.
This page contains the
following information on how to choose a web host:
- What is a Web Host?
- How to Choose a Good Web Host
- Web Host Do's and Don'ts
- Recommended Web Hosts
A web host stores the
web site you create on their servers and transmits it to the internet so that
when someone types in your domain name, your web site appears. A server
is just a fancy computer that "serves up" your web site to the
internet.
Again, I can't stress
how important it is that you choose a good web host. But, let's face it -
how do you know if a web host is good or not? They all look pretty much
the same and they seem like they know what they are doing, right? Well,
there is one thing you can check on before you sign up and luckily it's one of
the most important things.
When you choose a web
host, make sure they have
excellent support. If you have a
problem with your web site you want help now, not in a day or two.
Personally, I refuse to
choose a web host that I can't get on the phone in an emergency. Some web
hosts are sneaky and they put a phone number on their web site, but it's just
for show. They don't always answer or they advertise 24/7 support but are
actually only around Monday-Friday. When I first started out, my site
went down on a Friday afternoon and I called ALL weekend and all I got was hold
music. They put me on hold, but no one was there! Needless to say
that was it for that web host.
So, how can you tell how responsive
the web host you are considering actually is? You test them. If
they have a phone number (and they should) call them late at night or on
weekends to see if they are really there.
You can also send an e-mail to their
support e-mail address (not their sales e-mail) and ask them a basic question
like "How many e-mail addresses am I allowed?" or "Is there a
limit on the number of autoresponders I'm allowed?" and see how long it
takes them to get back to you. For a non-emergency email like that I
think up to 12 hours is acceptable. If you send
the e-mail on Saturday and they don't get back to you until Monday, that isn't
good. If they take more than 12 hours and either don't have phone support
or aren't answering, choose another web host.
Once you choose a web
host, then you will have to decide what plan you want. Most web hosts
offer you several different plans and obviously want you to buy the more
expensive one.
1. Do get the least expensive plan. Most people buy the larger plans because
they aren't sure how much space they need and the space in the smaller plans
just doesn't sound like much. 10 mb is plenty for most first web
sites. If you want to be sure, then choose a plan around 50 mb. 50
mb is a HUGE amount of space. If you get that you will be fine.
2. Don't get caught up in what the various hosts
offer like PHP, MySQL and a bunch of other stuff like that. If you don't know what those things are
you don't need them.
As I mentioned earlier
it doesn't matter to me which company you go with. The purpose of this
site is to give you the tools you need to make the best decision for
you. Since so many people have asked me, the web hosts I recommend
are:
Act Now Domains - they have incredible support and if you need a web site builder
I think their web site builder is really sharp and easy to use. They have
a variety of hosting plans and web builder plans available starting at
$8.95/month. The price for the web builder includes hosting and
email. They have separate hosting accounts for people that don't require
a web builder. If you want to sell products on your site get their online
store builder called Quick Shopping Cart.
Special Note: Several people asked me
questions about how to set up a website that I did up a little tutorial that
shows you how to build a website using their web builder. Just print it
off (or keep it open on your computer as you go through the steps) and it will
take you through everything.
PowerWeb - this is a great web host and it currently has a half price sale
going on. I'm not sure how long the sale will last but for just
$5.95/month it's a really good deal. It gives you everything plus the
kitchen sink at a really cheap price and it comes with a 30 day money back
guarantee. If you need a web site builder it has one. It also
provides unlimited e-mails, more space than you will ever use and if you plan
on using your site for ecommerce they have a free shopping cart. Normal
price is $9.95/month if you pay by the month or $7.95/month if you pay a year
in advance. Sale price: $5.95/month if you pay yearly. Their sale price makes
it a great deal.
Pro Website Group - this is also a favorite web host of
mine. Each hosting account comes with a really easy web site
builder. You get lots of free goodies with each account including a free
domain name. The cost for an account is only $6.95/month and they give you a 30
day money back guarantee. I really like the fact that their support is so
good. They offer toll-free support and they guarantee that all email
support questions are answered in one hour or less. I've put them to the
test a couple of times at odd hours day and night and they've come through each
time within the hour limit. The only real negative of this web host is
that it doesn't allow for month to month billing. Sign up for a year is
required but they are a good group and give you a 30 day money back guarantee.
They have offices in both the US and the UK.
Now that you know how to choose a
web host, let's go on to
Build a Website
Once you have your domain name and
web host, the next step is to actually build your website.
- Website Builder Software
- Do's and Don'ts of Building a Website
- How to Upload your Website to your Web Host
Account
- How to Add Newsletters and Counters to your
Website
To build a website yourself you need
some type of web building software. There are two ways you can get this
software:
1. Free
from your web host. Some web hosts provide a web site builder
that includes free hosting and email. This is the best choice for beginners. All you need
to do is click on the design you want and then add your text. It's really
easy. As I mentioned earlier, I recommend the web site builders at
Act Now Domains
and iPowerweb. They each are easy to use, make good looking sites
and best of all are really cheap.
I got a bunch of questions on the
actual building process so I created a step by step build a
website tutorial for people to use. Just click here to get it. It makes the process really easy so it's
worth getting.
If you want to sell
products on your site and accept credit cards, you will need to sign up with an
outside credit card processor for this. Make sure to check out my make money page for more info about the credit card processors so you don't
end up buying a lot of stuff you don't need or going with a bad one.
2. From
an outside vendor. There are a couple of different stand alone
build a website software programs that you can buy and use to build your
website yourself. I DO NOT recommend stand
alone website building programs for beginners.
The pros are you aren't tied to your
web host and they provide more flexibility than a web host's builder. The
cons with stand alone site builders are they are really hard for most beginners
to use (click here to see basic screenshots of one in action), they cost a couple of hundred dollars
and most sites built by beginners with them look really bad. The most
popular is Microsoft's Expressions
Web which is the updated version
of Front Page.
IF
YOU ARE BUILDING YOUR FIRST WEBSITE, I suggest you just go with the build a website software
that comes with your web hosting account. It is a LOT easier, doesn't
cost very much and once you get the hang of how to build a website then you can
branch out to your own software program later.
Regardless of what software you use
to build a website, there are some basic do’s and don’ts you need to keep in
mind. It's very easy to get carried away on your first site and do things
that send visitors away which is most definitely not what you want to do.
When you build a website:
Do keep your web site
simple. Don't cram it full of
clutter. Unless it's a how-to site like this one, the less text, the
better.
Do make it eye pleasing. No crazy fonts or colors. The standard fonts
for web sites are Arial, Verdana and Times New Roman. Whatever font you
decide on, use it throughout your site. This site is in Arial.
Don't alternate fonts.
Don’t use a Flash
introduction. Web designers love this and
if you use a website builder they can be really fun to create, but most people
click off as soon as they see it loading. The object is to get people to
see your web site, not drive them away.
Don’t put music or sound
files on your site. It startles people when they are surfing and suddenly
hear music blaring out. Their immediate reaction is to back track
immediately.
Don’t put a lot of
slow-loading graphics on your page. No matter how pretty the graphics
are, people aren’t going to stick around and wait for them to load. You
can optimize your images for free at NetMechanic.com. What this means is that you load the image onto Net
Mechanic's web page and they will condense the size of the image for you, then
let you pick the image you like from the results. Usually you can
reduce the size by 50% or more without there being a noticeable change in
quality.
Do make sure visitors to
your site can tell at a glance what your site is about.
For example, if you sell widgets, make sure that’s evident right up
front. Most people will leave in the first two seconds if they don’t
think your site offers them what they are looking for. They aren’t going
to take the time to scroll around to see if you have what they need. Make
it immediately clear to them what your site is about.
Don’t use pop-ups on your
web site. Visitors find these really annoying. The less you
annoy a visitor, the more likely he or she is to stay.
Once you build your website, you
will need to get it to your web host's server. This process is called
"uploading" your files. Some places call it "publishing
your website." Either way it's the same process.
If you are using the
build a website software from your web host,
all of your website files will already be on your web host's servers so all you
will need to do is click a button. The button is usually Publish or
Submit.
If you are using
Microsoft's Expressions Web or another stand alone website builder, you will usually just need to log in to your web hosting
account and click the upload files button. Some web hosts call this FTP,
others just say Upload Files. It all depends on your web host what it's
called but they both are the same thing.
Once you build a website you may
want to add a little pizazz to your site by adding some special content such as
a newsletter sign up and/or a hit counter. If you are using a web host's
build a website software to build your website some web hosts will have
some of these options for you:
If you are using Expressions Web or
another build a website program then you will need to add these yourself.
The best places I've found are:
Newsletters: Constant Contact this is a super place that has everything you need to
collect email addresses and send out your newsletters. You can create
newsletters here which look fantastic. I used to use them and they are
really good and easy.
How it works is that after you sign
up they give you code for a Sign Up for our Newsletter box, you just copy that
code and paste it into your html and you are all set. If you have less
than 50 people on your newsletter list it's free and from 51-250 it's only
$10/month. The more people you get the price goes up a bit, but it's
still a good deal. They also give you a 60 day free
trial.
Warning: Newsletters are really tough
to keep up and can be a real pain. They are good to do but it can be
really hard to think of new things to write about. That's why a lot of
people have moved from newsletters to auto-responders.
Auto Responders - I use AWeber for this site. If you sign up for my free newsletter
you will get one week's worth of auto-responder emails which walk you through
how to build your own website. It breaks down the process into little
steps so it's not so scary or overwhelming. It's like I'm walking you
through it step by step with a new step each day. After the week is up I
don't send anything else out.
The advantage of using auto
responders versus doing a newsletter is that it's hard thinking of new things
to put each week or month for a newsletter. With an auto responder you
just write what you want to say one time and then the users get the information
when they need it automatically (hence the name 'auto' responder.) As a
website owner, auto-responders are a lot easier to set up and maintain than
newsletters. You can do both of course but, as someone who has done both,
if you start out with just one I would make it an auto-responder.
Hit Counters: Luckily, most website builders have this option already
built in these days. If they don't there are also some places you can get
these for free.
I DO NOT recommend the
freebie hit counters for two reasons: 1) they almost always require that
you promote their website which if you are doing a business site looks
unprofessional and 2) a lot of times they slow the load time of your page way
down. You know what a pain it is to wait for a slow loading page to load
and you know that sometimes you don't wait, you just leave. So will your
visitors.
If you put up a hit counter and your
website builder gives you the option of choosing the number you start out at,
start out at least at 20,000 or so. That way people won't know your
website is brand new or think they are one of the first visitors. Being
first makes people uncomfortable. It's a personal choice on whether to
use a hit counter or not. I don't use them, but there is no right or
wrong answer.
Okay, now that you know how to build
a website, let's discuss the ways you can make money from it. If you
already know how to make money from your website, click here to continue to How to Get Visitors.
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