Few webmasters understand the implications of choosing good domain names. You see, your domain names are more than just Web addresses or URLs. Your domain name is your marketing brand and is in fact, the most important marketing tool you possess. It should be a principal part of your marketing plan and should help to draw traffic to your website. Your domain name also gives the first impression for your customers. Please remember that your domain name makes an impression even before your customer visits your website.

Basics of Acquiring a Domain Name

Before you start searching for your name, here are a few basic facts that are handy to keep in mind:

• Anyone can register domain names
• You can register as many domain names as you like
• You can register a domain name even if you don’t own a website
• You can register a domain up to 67 characters long
• You can register up to 10 years in advance

The Benefits of a Good Domain Name
Having a good domain name sometimes gives you a decisive edge over your competitors that they often find hard to surmount. Your position in your industry can often be dictated by how good your domain name is. The following are the benefits of a good domain name.

• It Gives Exclusivity
  Your domain name allows you to carve out a piece of the Internet real estate and it’s yours forever. No one can use it or take it away without your consent. Having your own slice of cyber turf can help build name recognition for you and your company.
• It Adds Credibility to your Site
  In business-to-business dealings, people tend to choose business partners with sites that have their own domain names. Having your own domain name gives you and your organization a professional, business-like image that is normally associated with large companies. It tends to project you as a serious business person, operating an established enterprise in a professional manner.
• It Allows for Permanence while giving you Flexibility
  Ownership of your domain name gives you the option of moving your website to any host while maintaining your address. It thus allows for the continuity of your business and allows you to shop for the hosting service that gives you the best bang for your buck.

What an Effective Domain Name Should have
Here are the characteristics of an effective domain name:

• It should be Memorable
  Your domain name should be easily memorized from casual conversation. People should hear it once, and know it forever. A successful domain name sticks on your mind while an unsuccessful domain name requires a lot of advertising to establish itself in the mind of the consumer.
• It should be Simple and as short as Possible
  Your domain name should be easy to remember, straightforward, uncomplicated and as short as possible. The spelling of your domain name should be obvious from the spoken word. Moreover, it should convey only one idea.
• It should have the .COM Extension
  You should do whatever you can to get a .COM name as it has become the default extension for most everyone. The .COM extension seems destined to remain the standard default extension for commercial websites, at least for the foreseeable future. Don’t use a .NET, .ORG, or .WEB, etc. as your primary extension as it seems second nature for internet users to type-in .COM in their browsers when they want to find a site.
• It should contain the Benefit
  If your company’s name is taken, try registering your benefit. If you company’s domain name is taken (e.g: Wendy Pens, Inc.), then you can use your product’s benefit as a domain name (www.durablepens.com). In another example, a company called Resort Sports Network registered their benefit, www.fasttravel.com, instead of their full name or an RSN short form.
• It should contain the most important Keywords
  Some search engines give better listings to sites that include important keywords in their domain names. Think of keywords that people might search for when they use the search engines in looking for the products that you have to offer.

Useful suggestion in Domain Name Registration
After having selected your domain name, bear in mind the following points in registering the name:

• Register Multiple Extensions
  It would do you good to register various domain name extensions (called top level domains). People often type in different extensions because they want to be sure to explore all websites that have the same name. So, if you own www.Google.com, you should also buy www.Google.net or www.Google.org, then point one site to the other. This guarantees that you don’t lose traffic due to mistaken extension.
• Register Multiple Variations
  It is advisable to register different variations of your domain name so that you are assured of catching visitors who type-in words that are very similar.
• Register Misspellings
  If your company’s name can be misspelled, chances are that it will be. Be proactive and register the misspelled name so that you are assured of catching the traffic.
• Register both the full name and its short form or abbreviation
  If your chosen name is quite long, register both its full version, as well as its short form. Many big companies failed to do this and have seen the consequences of this oversight. These are strong points to consider as you weigh the potential benefits of registering your own domain name. Ultimately you’ll have to consider what your goals are and whether the cost of domain registration is warranted. Whatever your decision is; try to keep in mind the points presented above so that your potential customers will find you on the web.

For more visit: www.version-next.com

This is the question that is bothering many online business owners; how to transfer a domain name ‘Shifting’ from one Registrar Company to another?

We have also heard many people asking if they can shift their expired ‘Invalid’ ones before they renew them. My answer is a big No.

So, here are the tips. The first thing to do before starting the shifting procedure is to apply for a transfer to the registrar company you intend to shift it to. This is to inform it to grant you permission of shifting it to them.

It is your obligation to give your new company contacts of your previous company. These contacts were supplied to you during registration. Your new company will use these contacts to contact the administrator of your previous domain company. Make sure to give the correct information regarding these contacts or else the shifting may not take place.

Note that companies will not permit shift of any invalid names. If it is already invalid, you need to renew it before you shift it. The shift of your name will not affect your website relevant email or either the DNS which stand for domain name system.

The company you intend to shift your name to, will have a form on their website labeled ‘transfer domain’ that you will need to select in order to action a successful shift.

Your new registrar will then contact your current registrar through email, informing it to transfer your name to them. If the administrator accepts the shift, then your name is successfully shifted to the new registrar company.

It will take some days for it to be completely shifted. The complete transfer period differs from one company to another. Some registrars will take few days and some will take a longer period. So, don’t panic if you don’t see immediate results.

If the administrator of your previous registrar company does not grant permission of transfer within the stipulated period, then know that the shift has been rejected.

Your registrar will deny you the transfer of your domain under the following reasons; order by court, if there are outstanding balances you have not cleared, express written objection of transfer by interested party, if it was engaged in any fraud manner and if it does not qualify any transfer requirements.

Domain Name Transfer Qualifications;

• You should have an permission code from your registrar company.
• It should be valid not expired.
• Make sure it’s not closed
• It should be at least 60 days old with your current registrar before transferring it.
• It should not be under dispute court case or illegal judges.
• Contacts of your registrar Company.

You will be charged a fee for shifting it. The amount of fees charged is not the same in all registrar companies. It differs from one company to another.

You may be fortunate to transfer your name for free if only you accept a condition that your new registrar company demands from you.

When you have shifted your domain from your current company to a new company, the new registrar will be responsible for maintaining it. The new registrar will keep all your registration records and also be responsible in managing your renewals.

Do not change any domain contact information prior to transfer! This is super important. If you do, you won’t be able to transfer for 60 days Remember, don’t change the email, address, name or anything. Unless of course you have more than 60 days to play with and don’t really mind waiting then change it and you can start transferring 3 months later.

If your registrar has a push option, it’s a lot easier to use that. Both seller and buyer may have to use the same domain registrar but you can always transfer this later to your favorite registrar. It’s much easier to transfer if you have access to both the transferer and transferee accounts.

For more visit: www.version-next.com