So much has been said about this subject in the past but I feel I must reiterate the importance of getting your own domain name if you are to be taken seriously in the home business world.
There is nothing more off-putting than seeing an ad with a free domain name attached (i.e. http://www.freedomain.yourname.com). I personally will bypass such businesses.
The fact of the matter is that a business person who is not prepared to pay a sum, of at most $35 per year, to register a domain name just doesn't deserve to be taken seriously. You can of course find sites that will register your domain name for as little as $10 per year. You can then get your website hosted for a few dollars per month.
Registering your domain name builds credibility and creates an identity for your business.
When choosing a domain name it is better to use a term that is going to stick in the mind of prospective buyers, something that your visitors will remember you by. For example "Betterbuymarketing.com" would be an example of a relatively short and catchy domain. Unfortunately a greater % of two word domain names have been taken up by the 100,000s of online businesses but if you persist you can get something suitable.
It doesn't have to be a .com name although this is preferable. I personally host two of my sites using the .info and .biz domains. See below:
http://www.workathomebiz.info/
http://www.workfromhomebiz.biz/
It is also a great idea to use keywords relating to the type of business you run. You can see from my own two businesses above that this has been my strategy. This can significantly enhance search engine ranking for these keywords and I now rank in the top pages of Google/Yahoo for both these sites with the terms "work from home" and "work at home business information".
Another important aspect of owning your own domain is when it comes to e-mail marketing. Who are you more likely to buy from, bob@yahoo.com or bob@betterbuymarketing.com? Selling online is all about building trust between you and your customers and registering your domain can go a long way towards building this bond between you and your website visitors.
Whether you use the above strategies or not, it is extremely important that you take that first step now and register your own domain name. At the very least the name will become your property and, depending on the amount of work you put into building your web presence, may become very valuable one day.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
Work at home Job?
By: JD | 09-08-2008
Does anyone know of a legitimate, scam free work at home job? I have searched and come up empty. Please if you know of anything let me know. Thank you.
My husband is a stockbroker in Florida. We have ...
By: tisme | 09-08-2008
My husband is a stockbroker in Florida. We have been hit very hard by the accelerated real estate crash in our area (2nd in the nation for foreclosures) and as a result of tenant vacancies and inability to liquidate investement properties ahead of the bow wave of declining values he now has nearly 7 properties in foreclosure. I am extremely concerned about the mortgage companies pursuing him for deficiency judgements. There is just no way he could pay all of them if they are granted to the creditor and goes to collection. He says he can't file for bankruptcy because he will lose his stock broker license. I think a bankruptcy is less risky then having all the foreclosures on his credit and the possiblity of judgements/collections against him. What can he do to protect his license?
Smc
By: molly | 22-06-2008
yes i would like 2 know the compancy smc is 4 real ? thank you
Family Business as a Job
By: MarilynBB | 21-06-2008
Would you like to work in a business run by one of your family members? Why or why not?
I need your help
By: Betty | 19-06-2008
has anyone found any data or typing job online that is legitimate that you can do from home. I need to find a job that i can do from home if you can help I would appreciate it
Looking for work online
By: Betty | 17-06-2008
Has any one found any typing or data jobs that are legitimate that you can work from home. I need to find a job that I can do from home. I lost my husband my income was cut so now I need to find a job right away can someone help me
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Online Business Articles
You Do not Create Loyal Customers Overnight
By: Lynne Saarte | 08/10/2008
why are companies trying to make loyal customers from a single advertising push?
Building Upon Your Marketing
By: Janice Jenkins | 07/10/2008
the best kind of marketing is the type that works in conjunction with other marketing efforts you embark on
What are They Supposed to Do Next?
By: Lynne Saarte | 07/10/2008
advertising makes the job easier by giving them all the information customers need in a strong call to action
Posters: is it for You
By: Janice Jenkins | 07/10/2008
what posters can do and why you need it for your business
How to Sell Your E-book Resale Right to Earn Maximum Profit?
By: upindernegi | 07/10/2008
Viral marketing is a way to promote a service or product exponentially. It’s an effective internet marketing tool designed for one reason – to gain traffic through free or low cost distribution with the intent of gaining the customer to market other products and create brand awareness.
The Benefits of Employee Management System
By: bestweboutsourcing | 07/10/2008
Information management system development improves data organization in a company. This article discusses how a business’ HR function can highly benefit from a well designed employee management system.
The Best Bidder Win Auction
By: Hanspal | 07/10/2008
An auction means a public sale of properties or objects that are sold to the highest bidder. There are a whole lot of things that can be put to auction. There are auctions that are held under various categories such as antiques and art, automotive that include vintage cars, motorcycles, accessories, etc.
Motorola Mobile Phone
By: Christine Layug | 06/10/2008
The Motorola mobile phone is ranked as third most popular mobile phones in the world. Settling next to Samsung and before Sony Ericsson. The Motorola mobile phones are also popular to many Filipinos as a form of a gift. And Express Regalo is among of the many online gift shops that can provide that.
More from narinder kaur
Choosing the Best Ice Cream Maker
By: narinder kaur | 28/03/2008 | Cooking Tips
You can make delicious ice cream at home, as good as any premium store brand, if you choose a good ice cream maker and follow a few tips. Ice cream makers can range in price from under $100 to over $500. The more expensive models contain built in freezing compressors. The less expensive models are perfectly suited for use in the home and come in two basic types. There is the type that uses rock salt and ice to cool the ice cream mixture and the type that has a canister that is placed in the free
Coffee Club Membership is a Joy for Coffee Lovers
By: narinder kaur | 28/03/2008 | Cooking Tips
The coffee club concept is relatively new but is taking the world by storm. Reward yourself or your friends and relatives with coffee clubs by joining up and saving loads. Each month, you will get a shipment of coffee delivered direct to your door. This is a great way to taste new coffees, sample different varieties, find a brew that you really like and ultimately avoid a trip to the store to buy your favorite coffee. Automatic shipment is very convenient, especially if you like your coffee firs
Coffee Drink Basics
By: narinder kaur | 28/03/2008 | Coffee
When you enter a coffee house, you have a multitude of drink choices like latté, cappuccino, straight shot and caffé mocha just to name a few.
Sometimes knowing what to order can be overwhelming unless you know what you are getting. After all, who wants to pay an outrageous amount of money for a mystery drink that you may not even like?
Coffee Makers for Different Coffee Types
By: narinder kaur | 28/03/2008 | Coffee
There is nothing quite like waking up in the morning, stumbling to the kitchen and finding your favorite coffee brewed and waiting for you. Of all the drinks in the world, coffee seems to have universal appeal. But if you have ever travelled you quickly discovered that one person’s coffee can be quite different from another’s.
A World Wide Business—Coffee Types
Make Money Tearing Up Old Books and Magazines and Selling Them on Ebay
By: narinder kaur | 18/03/2008 | Home Business
For the past few years I've been tearing up old books and magazines, and selling them on eBay. Other people's "rubbish" is earning me $20 a time - sometimes a great deal more - every single day!
It's an easy business and items other people throw away can attract fierce bidding and incredible profits for me and other lucky sellers.
Why is a Work at Home Business Now Easy?
By: narinder kaur | 18/03/2008 | Home Business
Why not work at home and make money online using today’s internet technology?
With a home business using proven internet marketing techniques and opportunities it’s easy. Really!
Now, more than ever, we are seeing a revolution of people starting a work at home internet business.
Make Money Blogging
By: narinder kaur | 18/03/2008 | Home Business
You have created a blog and your blog is dedicated to a niche industry. Have you ever thought that the blog could make money for you? We would look here in this article, ways and means, to make money blogging. Lets first have a look at what are the prerequisites for a blog needed to make money:
Get More Website Visitors Without Going Broke
By: narinder kaur | 17/03/2008 | Online Business
In the never-ending quest to make money online, every website owner wants to get traffic to their website fast.
The main problem they face: finding traffic that converts into buyers without breaking their bank.
Business 
