How To Build Your Online Presence – Pt I – Domain Names

Posted by Denise Griffitts on Mar 6, 2009 in Internet Mastery | 0 comments

We get a lot of questions about websites, blogs, social networking and social marketing. We are noticing a definite uptick in the number of websites that we are being requested to build as the economy news (if you listen to the news. I don’t!) appears to worsen daily. Many people are turning to the internet in an effort to either supplement their present income with an eye to future lay-offs and job losses, or are planning on replacing their income entirely by tapping into and utilizing their entrepreneurial passion. This is a plan that I heartily endorse and have made it my mission to help anyone who has the mental fortitude to step out of their comfort zone and begin the process of taking control of their own financial future. Entrepreneurs unite!

Today we are going to talk about websites and the first steps you can take to get yourself on the web in fairly short order and at minimal cost. This initial post will be part of an ongoing series designed to help you take the steps you need to get your web presence built quickly. Be sure to stay connected by either subscribing to our RSS feed or by signing up for our Internet Mastery Marketing Newsletter. You can do either, or both at the top right of any page on this blog.

First of all, you need to purchase domain names, and yes, that was plural. If you have a great business name that you want to use to build or launch a product or service, be sure to get the domain name in as many extensions as you can afford. Godaddy is currently offering new dot com names for $9.99 annually. At the very least you should purchase the 3 top level domain extensions (.com, .net, and .org) for a couple of reasons. Once your creativity sparks you will come up with other great ideas, products and services that may require that you use a different domain. You will be able to utilize these domains as either sub-domains or re-directs. For instance, if you have a Facebook Fan page, you can use one of your unused domain names as a re-direct to further drive traffic to you. We highly recommend Goddaddy both for domain name registration and hosting. If you are planning on installing a WordPress blog on your site, be sure to purchase a Linux hosting plan wherever you purchase your hosting.

1. You need to purchase your personal name. I wrote about this in a previous blog which you can read here, but it does bear repeating. If your aim is to become an online entrepreneur, and to ultimately have people doing keyword searches on your own name, be absolutely sure to purchase at least the top level extensions of your name. You do not want somebody with evil intentions purchasing your name. Your name is your brand and should be managed by you. Even if you don’t have any intentions of building a website or blog under your own name, be sure to make sure you own it.

Next post I will be talking about website templates, free WordPress templates and premium WordPress templates and how you can get a simple site up and running quickly.