The answer is yes you can register a domain name yourself. To register a domain name you can do this at almost every web hosting company but before rushing off and order a domain through a registrar you need to consider a few factors first

1. What Top-Level Domain are you going to use?

There are several top-level domain names and you are probably aware of the common ones such as .com, .org, .net, .info and then you have likely seen country-specific domain names such as .ca for Canada, .us for United States and .co.uk for UK domains

When you ask yourself the question “Can I register a domain name myself” you now know that you can and it’s for easy to, at the end of this article I will show you the domain registrar and web hosting company I use for domains I acquire for myself and my for my web site design clients .

2. Do you want an email account with your domain name?

Some people simply want basic hosting with an email account attached to their branded company domain name, if you use domain registrars or web hosting companies other than the ones I recommend you will need to check that you are getting the services you are going to need for your company to conduct business online and an email account is just one of the items you will need

3. How to I Choose a Good Domain

Choosing a good domain name is definitely a stumbling block for a lot of entrepreneurial minded people and business owners.

Here are a few tips for choosing a domain

Try to register a domain name that is as short as possible because a long domain name becomes hard to remember for your visitors. Tip: The length of your domain name should be brandable. A good test for domain name length is ask the question “Will that domain name fit on a baseball cap logo?”

Try to register a domain with at least a base level of keyword phrase you intend to target for search engine rankings. Domains with at least the root keyword you intend to target will help with search engine rankings.

An example of this is a domain I own that targets phrases in the financial industry is called Crediteria.com – The base phrase in this domain name is Credit

4. What to avoid when you register a domain

Before you build a website you will want to avoid a common pit-fall I have seen many webmaster fall into and that is when they inadvertently register a domain containing another company trademark. Trademark infringement is a major issue so make you register a domain name that is a unique brand that you will build

Where can I register a domain name myself?

Here is where I go to register a domain names and web hosting

Blue Host gives you a free domain with their web hosting. Not only do they give you a free domain name another cool thing is they accept PayPal payments.

You have to pay for a domain because there are costs involved to domain name registrars. Costs such as technical support staff and physical Domain Name Servers (DNS Servers) are involved so typically a nominal price is charge to maintain the infrastructure.

How much does it cost for a new domain?

But the cost to register a domain name is incredibly cheap, prices for new domain names vary from one domain registration service to another but you can find some hosting companies that will offer a free domain when you use their hosting service.

Other domain name registrars will charge you over $75 / year for domains but you should never pay that much.

Typical prices for new domain names range from about $7 to $15 per year. If you find a registrar charging in that range then you are paying a fair price for a domain.

While you do have to pay for a domain name with most web hosting companies the cost when you break down to a monthly cost is like 50 cents a month.

But if you want to say a couple bucks on the prices for new domain names then you can take advantage of a promotion BlueHost, one of my favorite web hosting companies give you a free domain name

You can get your FREE domain name registration here

So you ask why do I have to pay for a domain name I guess you don’t have to pay for a new domain when you take advantage of the BlueHost web hosting offer right now.

Once you get your domain name you can begin implementing promotional strategies to build a newsletter following and grow an online business. If you have been hesitant to register a domain because you aren’t sure if it’s a viable way to earn extra income, I invite you to register to receive my free newsletter, my book Constant Conversion is included when you subscribe today.

You will get ideas for registering a domain, the price of a domain name is worth it and you will see that after reading my book. Considering that BlueHost is giving you a domain free of charge with their web hosting there is no better time to register a domain than right now

Go here to register your new domain for free

Top level domain name extensions seem to be a roadblock to getting on with the task of conducting business online and getting your web site found in the search engines.

The top level domain isn’t as important as you might think but I will list the common domain extensions with my commentary on each extension

1. The Dot Com Domain Extension Means What?

Dot Com (.com) – This is the most common extension that we have all known about since 1994. Dot Com stands for Commercial meaning that this site is intended for commerce but the intent of that original intention has been lost and now almost every site, even information only website use the .com top level domain extension because it has become the defacto extension used by the masses

2. The Dot Biz Domain Extension Means What?

Dot Biz (.biz) – Since the original intention of the .com extension was supposed to have been for commercial use but became the mainstream top extension, the .biz top level extension was introduced for business websites. But one of the drawbacks to .biz domain names is the tendency for them NOT to appear in the search engine results pages. Rumors circulate that this is due to webmaster abuse of these domains while it is very likely that they don’t appear as often because fewer people register them.

One strike against the .biz domain is from your visitor’s perception, the .biz top level domain extension screams of a sales pitch. As an online seller, especially in today’s uncertain times you must focus on building a community with people that visit your web site and give them answers to their unanswered questions.

3. The Dot Info Domain Extension Means What?

Dot Info (.info) – This top level domain extension is intended for information websites that are not selling anything. A good use of .info domain name extensions is for lead generation and community building. You should avoid using this extension for making money directly and stick with the spirit of the intended use and provide information only to reinforce your branding and trademark of a .com extension where you sell your products from

4. The Dot Org Domain Extension Means What?

Dot Org (.org) – These top level domain names are intended for non-commercial use. While anybody can register a .org domain name it should be used for non-profit organizations. Like the .info top level extension domains, these are best used for building a community and reinforcing your trademark and branding efforts to gain the trust of your web site visitor’s. To accomplish that simply provide immense value.

5. The Dot Net Domain Extension Means What?

Dot Net (.net) – This top level domain extension really serves no meaningful purpose other than at one point many of the good domain names were getting taken up so this generic top level domain joined the landscape. There are rumors with the .net extension just as there are with the .info top level domain extension that search engines like Google have an uncanny tendency to not generally rank these domains in the search results.

The above domains are the most popular top level domain name extensions but there’s more such as country level top domains such as .us, .ca, .co.uk and the list goes on. Top level country domain extensions are best suited if your business and target audience is only the country you live in and typically to register a country level domain you have to be a resident of that country.

Other advice when looking at sale of domain names on various registration and escrow services you need to try to find a domain name that is short and memorable, again you need to think about building a community of visitors that know you, like you and trust you in order to be a successful internet seller.

If you register a domain that looks something like mylonganddulldomainname.com then you risk having your web site visitor thinking this is a stupid domain.

One last thing you need to know about registering a domain, 24 hours is permitted for your domain to get updated throughout the internet, sometimes up to 48 hours.

I hope this helps you understand what domain extension means what.

Stay tuned to the VEO blog for more information to help you get your internet business and marketing questions answered.