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How Customers Can Help Improve Your Ecommerce Site

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:34:00 +0000

Getting people to visit your ecommerce website is always good; but translating these clicks into sales is even better. When it comes to promoting your ecommerce site, creating traffic is always important. Even if you have a good ecommerce web hosting plan for your site, if you are not significantly turning these clicks to sales, then it could be a huge problem for your online business. In this case, you need to improve your ecommerce site. Other than a reliable ecommerce web hosting plan, you can improve your site’s usability by knowing exactly what your customers want. You may not know it, but other than the right ecommerce web hosting plan, your customers just may be the very people who can help make your ecommerce site achieve its goals.

For one, customers want you to be specific. For instance, if you offer free shipping for orders, then your customers expect that their purchases will be shipped to them for free wherever they may be located. Unless your free shipping features are limited to selected locations, you need to be specific about it otherwise your customers will feel that you are ripping them off. Point out whether you offer free shipping for selected location or free shipping to anywhere and be clear about it. Customers always want to get what they expect from your ecommerce site. If you fail to give them what they want, then they will definitely leave.

Also, keep in mind that a customer’s time is precious, so you don’t want to waste his/her time taking interest in your product that is not available. When a customer sees a product on your ecommerce site, then s/he expects that it is available. Nothing can be frustrating or disappointing than for a customer to be informed that the item is not available just when it has already been dropped into his/her shopping cart. Always inform your customer beforehand that the product is unavailable. You would not want to waste your customer’s time, much less, confidence in your service.

To give your customers a better shopping experience at your ecommerce site, you may want to allow them to back-order a product once it is available. Several ecommerce web hosting packages come with a back-order feature so you might want to take advantage of that. If, however, you are unable to provide this feature, then get your customer’s contact info, at the very least. This way, you can make for a potential sale in future time.

Customers also do not like too many distractions especially when shopping online. You may offer cross-selling to your customers in your ecommerce site, in which you give recommendations or suggestions on related products. However, cross-sell items that are only related to what your customers pick. Suggesting items off their choices is not only an improper selling technique but can be very annoying for your customers as well.

Cross-selling should also stop once your customer checks out products from the shopping cart. The next thing that your customer wants is to close the sale, so avoid directing them to unrelated links. These unwanted links are not only unhelpful but they may change your customer’s mind about purchasing the item's in his/her shopping cart. You would not want this to happen if you aim to make your e-commerce site profitable. This should also apply to window-shoppers on your ecommerce website. Avoid unnecessary pop-ups or advertisements as much as possible. The right ecommerce web hosting plan can help you avoid this from happening.

A customer’s attention span tends to be shorter especially when shopping online. Even in just a split second, they decide whether or not your ecommerce site can give them what they are looking for.

Moreover, you want to convince your customers that shopping in your ecommerce site is just a click away. If they have to click through your site so many times just to get to what they are really looking for, then they are more likely to abandon your ecommerce site. Customers also get annoyed with broken links and pages that load too slow as well, so avoid them as much as possible. To avoid this, get an ecommerce web hosting plan that allows superior usability.

Your ecommerce site should also pay a premium on customer’s privacy and do all means to protect it. Ask information that is only needed to close the sale. Asking too many questions may only draw suspicion among your customers. Your ecommerce site should provide your customers a safe and secure environment for giving out sensitive information.

You might want to get live chat software for your ecommerce site to better promote your products and provide maximum customer support. Although this may apply to bigger ecommerce sites, it can significantly boost sales. Many ecommerce web hosting providers offer this feature in their packages..

Getting a Merchant Account: Tips for Beginners

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:19:00 +0000

An e-commerce web hosting merchant account enables your online business to accept credit card payments. A merchant account provider transfers payments made from your online business transactions into your bank account, with a small percentage taken off for every sale.

A merchant account is a must for e-commerce web hosting users because it allows their customers to pay through credit cards. It can also be used alongside payment gateways and shopping cart as well. Moreover, a merchant account is useful in transactions both by telephone or face to face.

In e-commerce web hosting, a merchant account serves as the third party between the credit card processors and the website. It can be used for purchases manually submitted by the website owner or entered by the customer. Simply put, a merchant account is the reason why you get paid for every sale you make.

Accepting credit cards online is important because consumers tend to spend more using their credit card than other modes of payment. In fact, the use of credit cards for online transactions has been proven to increase profitability by as high as 52%.

Those who are new to e-commerce web hosting may be swayed by several merchant accounts claiming to be the best but actually aren't. If you are looking to get an e-commerce web hosting merchant account, make sure to look out for ridiculously high transaction fees and hidden charges.

There are some e-commerce web hosting providers offering cheap merchant accounts but slap with you fees. It makes sense to get a plan for your e-commerce web hosting needs especially if you are doing heavy business a month. You might want to go with a plan that has a higher cost per month but with a lower transaction fee.

To get a merchant account, the business owner should meet certain requirements set by the bank. Merchant account providers set certain requirements depending on the size of your business. For one, your online business should not have appeared on the MATCH file, which is the file list for terminated merchant accounts.

Similar to a credit-investigation institution, the MATCH file contains information about online businesses that have flunked in handling their merchant account processing responsibilities properly. If your name appears in the MATCH place, you must get rid of it by working with the company that put you on the MATCH list. Otherwise, you cannot be approved for a merchant account.

For online businesses that have a sales projection of more than $5000 a month, merchant account providers may require you to provide documents such as tax returns; proof of partnership, corporation, nonprofit or limited liability status; checking account statements or previous trading statements. Trade references may also be required from you as well.

Compared to a physical business, it is more difficult for an online business to get acquire a merchant account because there are more risks involved as regards to transactions made through the Internet. There are three kinds of risks that online businesses present when getting a merchant account, one of which is credit risk. Merchant account providers look carefully as to how much an online business might owe them in future time. For instance, the credit risk is relatively low for a new business that incurs monthly charges of $5000. Simply put, a business's credit history is a primary factor in the merchant account provider's decision-making process.

Another type of risk that merchant account providers put the biggest concern is fraud risk. As much as possible, merchant account providers want to make sure that they incur very little chargebacks from fraudulent credit card transactions. This is because if a customer demands a charge on the sale, the bank is required to refund the money. The refund is passed on to the merchant account provider. Finally, it is the merchant that shoulders this loss. Newer online businesses are said to be at a higher fraud risk.

Contigent liability is another type of risk that not only includes fraud risks but other risks related with unforeseen marketing circumstances. Businesses offering lifetime service guarantees have a higher risk of contingent liability because the merchant account provider can be passed on the liability should the business close.

There are various e-commerce web hosting providers that you can find offering merchant account services. There are a number of e-commerce web hosting plans that enable you to get free domain registration. Various merchant account providers can help you find the right domain registration for your online business.

Merchant account software will be needed to run online transactions, aside from your shopping cart. Many e-commerce web hosting services offer software that is payable on a monthly basis.

E-Checks: Paperless Checks for Your Online Business

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:24:00 +0000

Latest figures reveal that many online customers do not have a credit card or are hesitant to use it for their online purchases. Also, a good 20% of all transactions online are check-based. If you are running an Ecommerce business, can you afford not to honor checks?

There's the rub, however. Mail order checks usually encounter problems such as clearing of checks, which can take up to two weeks to clear. This may be a hassle on the customer's end, as he will have to wait until the check clears in order for the purchases to be shipped. There is also the risk of shipping out the order after receipt of payment, which some companies apply, since there is the possibility of a bounced check.

Now, your online business can get fast and less risky verification of your transactions with an e-check. This payment option allows your customer to place their order and then submit their banking information such as checking account number and bank routing number. Their check number may also be required, in some cases.

The e-check option is a very good alternative for online sellers who are not keen on the idea of offering mail order check payments for their customers. With an e-check, information is verified right away, after which you print out a check and then deposit it to the bank, the same way as you would a regular check. A lot of merchant accounts that accept e-checks usually have an eft option, in which the funds are deposited to your checking accounts automatically.

In some ways, banking information can require more caution than credit card information, as some banks do not protect against fraud when it comes to checking accounts. Make sure you provide your customers a secure environment for them to enter in their information.

Moreover, an e-check payment option is also an excellent temporary solution if you are experiencing difficulty with getting a merchant account approval, up until you find one that works best for your online business. Whatever payment processing service you find, it is always smart to understand what they offer before making a commitment. Selecting a credible and well-known service can help build trust from your target market.

Select an online payment processing service that allows your online business to honor e-checks. Some of the most popular services are Authorize.net, Google Checkout, VeriSign and Paypal Payflow Pro.

To accept e-checks on your e-commerce site, here are important things you should follow. For one, your payment gateway must use SSL encryption. You also need to obtain a valid security certificate for your site. This way, you assure that your customers are protected and when it comes to submitting sensitive banking information.

Design a professional-looking website. Your customers will feel safer and more secure when you do so. Picture this out, even if your website already has the encryption, valid security certificate and the guarantee of security and protection, if your interface looks foolish, then your potential customers will more likely veer away from your site. Know which layout, colors and text best suit your business and which you think your target customers will positively respond to. Get a skilled graphics designer to do the job, unless you are one, yourself. Remember that your website's look can influence how customers feel about whether or not they should do business with you.

When setting up your business, it is essential to select the right ecommerce web hosting service. You want your online business to attract customers, not alienate them. There are a number of ecommerce web hosting services who provide their clients quick, quality personalized features that allow your online business to gain web presence at a budget you can afford. Getting the right ecommerce web hosting provider can give you the usability, customer service support and reliability that are essential for your business's sustainability.

There are a number of good reasons for getting a good web hosting service. For one, you get flexibility and dependability for your account. This way, you don't tie yourself down with a low-end web hosting service. In addition, ecommerce web hosting is also great for website developers or designers since you can divide your account with ease. Shopping carts are typically incorporated in most web hosting plans, making it easier and more convenient to sell your products.

While e-checks may be a good payment option for your customers, make sure to still cater to other payment options that are convenient for them. Your customers may still prefer to use their credit or debit cards, mail order checks (if accepted), PayPal accounts and other payment modes. After all, customers are always first.

Leaving the Fraud out of an eCommerce Web Site

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:14:00 +0000

Setting up an eCommerce web site takes a lot of effort especially when it is done from scratch. First, you need to go through all the effort in creating a good design for your website and then start coding it, making sure that the design is achieved and at the same time make sure that it is secure enough to prevent any exploits. Then you need to find a good web hosting provider that can fulfill your bandwidth, storage, and other server requirements in order for your eCommerce site to be running smoothly even during heavy traffic sessions. This web hosting provider must also be trusted and safe to further protect your content and code. Domain registration also takes place in this step to make the website easily accessible by real consumers and the domain itself will serve as a major component in making the website visible on the web and for marketing purposes.

After all of these steps are completed and your eCommerce web site is fully tested, you should be able to open up your website to the public with confidence as your small business finally gets connected to people on the web. However, this doesn't really mean that your eCommerce web site is fully safe. As a webmaster, you still need to handle your website and its visitors with care to combat the most concerning issue - credit card fraud. This is something that the web hosting cannot deal with so you need to apply these tricks to completely leave any fraud out of your eCommerce web site.

Have a Verification Number Field

Adding a verification number field only requires some small coding to the eCommerce part of the website, but it will aid greatly in fighting credit card fraud. It is very essential to request people to enter this number as it eliminates the instances where people that steal credit card information from others through unconventional methods that can then use the information. Customers know that this 3-digit number is found on the back of the card so make sure the shopping cart script that you have includes this feature.

Obtain an Address Verification System

An Address Verification System or AVS may not be a complete security solution, but it will add an extra layer of security against credit card fraud. It works by obtaining the zip code of the current card holder and then comparing it with the information entered on the site. People can still bypass this layer if the thief has the billing address so make sure it is combined with other methods below too.

Take a Closer Look at the Addresses

The AVS won't serve as a reliable protection layer if the thief has the billing address. But usually, thieves that enter the billing address would normally supply a different shipping address so they can receive the item. This could be an early warning sign of a fraudulent order, but look at the other parts of the form as well just to make sure. The e-mail address may provide a lead as well since thieves have the habit of using an e-mail address obtained from a free web account since orders usually have e-mail confirmation. The only exception is if a person will order and ship it to another address as a gift so it is even safer to do the task below.

Get Confirmation from the Customer

It is normal to encounter some transactions that look suspicious and that should prompt you immediately to reach out to the customer by any means of communication just to confirm the order. Use the information supplied by the customer and make sure that the source is really genuine. It is a good habit to get into this not only for security purposes on your web hosting side, but also to keep customers happy which can grow into more trusted relationships where people will be doing business on your eCommerce site in the future.

If ever you are still in doubt, you can always contact other fraud protection services or possibly even your web hosting provider if you got a special eCommerce package. These services may cost some extra money for use, but it is well worth it if it means keeping your eCommerce site completely safe from credit card fraud.

SOHO-Friendly Web Hosting Services

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:24:00 +0000

For any business to be truly successful in this technology driven age, an internet presence with a well-designed website is an absolute must. Whether the website for your small office or home office (SOHO) is purely informative, or allows customers to interact and directly purchase merchandise, it must be easy to find, easy to navigate, and always available. Here's how to choose the best web hosting company for your needs and help your business grow to its fullest potential.

Before you even start looking for a company to host your site, establish your needs. Depending on what kind of business you are marketing, you will need different elements available on your website. If you'll be selling merchandise directly to the end-user client, for example, you'll need to make sure there is a shopping cart available as part of one of your host's packages. How many pages would you like your site to have? Four or five pages are pretty standard, while more pages, for example if you are selling many different items, will generally be more costly. If you have a large quantity of photos, would like to have video or audio clips, or are implementing the use of any sort of other media, you will need to be sure that your web hosting service will accommodate these large files and elements.

Now that you have a clear idea of what elements your web hosting service must offer in order to fulfill the needs of your business, it's time to decide on a domain name. This is the internet address that people will put into their browsers and so should be closely connected with the name of your business. For example, an accounting firm might try to include the word "accounting" in their domain name in order to make it easier for customers to find and remember their site. If you've already gone through the process of domain registration, you can skip this step; otherwise, take some time to investigate what website names are still available. The hosting company you choose can usually take care of domain registration as well, so be prepared before you select your provider.

Now that you know exactly what you need and what you'll be requesting of your web hosting service, you can begin the process of reviewing specific companies and the services they offer. First search the internet to find the most highly rated hosting companies, which are often also reviewed by their actual clients. Many other satisfied customers mean your experience is likely to be a good one as well. Once you have a short list of highly rated companies, you can start analyzing their specific offerings. How reliable are they? A website is only good if it is up and running. Will the web hosting service offer a guaranteed uptime so your clients can always find you? If you do not already have a domain name reserved, is domain registration included?

Other important things to consider include the available technical support and the flexibility of their layout and design options. SOHO professionals don't always work traditional hours, so having the ability to speak with someone knowledgeable at any time of the night or day can be extremely important. Different web hosting services also offer different options with regard to layout and structure of the site. The more flexibility afforded the business owner, the more costly the service may be, but this increased cost may result in exponential returns if your site is more professional in appearance and easier to navigate.

With all this information in hand, you can start to compare prices. Determine how much the amount of storage space you require, the number of pages offered for your site, and the compatibility with other forms of media will cost for each web hosting service that you're considering will cost, along with the availability of 24-hour technical support and flexibility of layout. Don't forget to add in possible additional charges for domain name registration or potential discounts for paying for a year in advance. Once you organize the data in this manner, it should be easy to determine which site is most compatible with your business needs, and will allow you to grow your web presence with little effort, and no stress.

Firewalls: Better Safe than Bankrupt

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:15:00 +0000

Web hosting is a tricky business, and many who set up web based businesses often consider whether or not they need a firewall. If you are having your website hosted on an off-site server, then that server probably has a firewall. But what about you? Have you completed your domain registration and decided to host your website locally? If you have, then you need to know that there are precautions that absolutely must be taken.

You do need a firewall. Even if you believe that your website is completely secure, it might not be. For those who aren't that computer savvy, it seems impossible to break into a website. For those who have dedicated their lives to learning the ins and outs of computers, every webpage is an open door and an invitation.

Let's take a look at a few of the things that could become vulnerable if you fail to take the proper precautions:

Customer Information: We're not just talking about names here. We're talking about credit card information, social security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, you name it. This information was given to you because the customer trusts you. This is information that will not be given away lightly, and as such you need to protect it. Failure to do so may not only lose you your customers, it could also lead to criminal prosecution.

Store Information: This is a big one, and while it's not as big as the customer information issue, it is still something to be concerned about. To drive home the point here, we'll talk about a store that failed to hide it's information. The store in question had two versions of it's website. One version was for the customers, and one was for the employees. The two sites were perfectly identical, but the employee site had much lower prices. In essence it was like Black Friday every single day. The store in question caught a lot of flack about it when someone ran across it inadvertently, and they certainly learned their lesson about firewalls

In addition to 'accidents' like the one mentioned above, there may also be instances where a person actually goes looking for the information. This is called corporate espionage, and while it can be illegal in many cases, it is still something that is done on a regular basis. It can spell the end of your company, so make sure this does not happen to you.

Overall Security: One other thing that you have to fear are actual hackers. Hackers like to break in to corporate websites and change the page in any way they can. Why do they do this? Simply because they can. Of course this may also be another form of corporate espionage. It would not be surprising for a competing company to try destroying your website to turn your customers way. You might think that your customers are loyal, but you would be surprised what an unstable website will do to a customer base these days. If one site does not seem to work, they will simply move on to the next, such is the way of e-commerce.

Can all this happen to you? Yes, it absolutely can. You would not be the first website that has fallen prey to these types of attacks, but remember that your chances increase as you grow in popularity. For instance, if you run a website that sells candles you probably won't have to worry about the vandalism. If you run a company that sells electronics, or a company that sells to a wide audience in general, then yes you are a huge target. That being the case, you need to put a firewall in place to ensure that you stay in business.

Do not overestimate yourself or your website. Accept that you could be a target and that your site could be very vulnerable to attack. Accepting this will allow you to improve on your firewall and adjust it for each and every new threat. It's a lot of work, maintaining and setting up a firewall, and in many cases it can be expensive. But as they say, you have to spend money to make money.

Pace Work Technologies is a fast web hosting company and a domain registration offering free domain name, free website builder, dedicated server, virtual private server, semi-dedicated server, website builder, php scripts, 30 days money back guarantee and 24/7 customer and technical support.

Quality Assurance: Backing up Your Word with a BBB Seal

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:36:00 +0000

So you've just started up a brand new e-commerce company, you've finished with the domain registration and worked out the web hosting details and you want to know whether or not having a BBB seal on your front page would be a good idea. The first thing that we will need to do is talk a little about what the BBB is. Once that is done you can decide for yourself whether or not it would be prudent to have their support in your e-commerce endeavors.

The Better Businesses Bureau is an organization that oversees the quality of any companies that claim membership in it. For instance, if you have a company that is a member of the organization and fails to meet the quality standards that they have set forth for themselves, then the BBB can either drop them or charge a fine if they do not correct the situation.

On the other hand if you have decided to use a company that is not governed by the BBB, there is no one to watch over their actions. They might follow through, and they might choose to not follow through. It really depends on the situation and how that company is feeling. Then again it might be the best company in the world. You'll never know unless they decide to have the BBB seal on their website.

Essentially the BBB seal is allowing your customers to see your dedication to their satisfaction. It lets them know that your company conforms to the standards that the BB has set forth. In order for you to get a BBB seal on your website, there are a few things that you will need to do. For instance you can start with becoming a member with your local BBB.

Once you become a member, you are going to have to pay some sort of fee. The fee you pay will depend on the size of your business and what you can afford. Before you start the process, you can always check out the BBB's website and find out exactly how much you will need to pay. But receiving your seal is only half of the process. Yes, you will gain the trust of your customers, but you need to follow through.

You will have to begin answering your customer's questions and support calls promptly and leave no one waiting. If a customer is not satisfied they can always report you to the BBB, which means you can get in trouble. The last thing you want to do is lose your BBB membership and lose the trust of your customers. This can actually spell disaster for your entire company! If you are a good business owner however, this should not bother you in the least.

When you are buying online, don't you expect the best from the company that you buy from? Wouldn't you like them to provide you with the technical support that you deserve? After all, there is nothing more frustrating than to buy a product and have no support for it. More than one person has experienced this in their lifetime, and you hate being one of them. If that is true, then you should have no trouble understanding why others would expect the same from your web based business.

If you want to take it a step further, you could try applying for the BBB seal of Privacy. You will need to post a privacy policy on your website, and make sure it adheres to the guidelines that the BBB has set down. You will be monitored by the BBB to ensure that you are complying with their standards, but this will let your customers know you plan on protecting their privacy, which can sometimes make all the difference in the world.

These are seals that can propel your business forward. It may not be cheap, and it may not be easy to comply with some of those BBB standards, but in the end won't it be worth it to have that seal and have the huge customer base? This is an investment that can and probably will further your company, so make sure you give it a chance. Don't dismiss it as something you don't need, because you certainly do need it.

Keeping Tabs on Broken Links

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:36:00 +0000

When you visit other websites, are there any aspects to your visit that you found less than thrilling? If you are like most people, you probably are quite annoyed when you click on a link only to find that it is broken. It is disappointing when you wish to learn more about a subject, product, or service and the links just are functioning. It also does not say very much positive about the web hosting company either. Really, broken links make a website look like amateur hour which is why you need to make sure that your own website is devoid of broken links and similar problems.

When you look into web hosting and domain registration, you will want to hire a development team that will always test your links prior to placing them live on the web. The service should also do what is necessary in terms of periodically checking the links to make sure they are properly functioning. This way, the visitors to your site are not as disappointed as you would be if you can across a website that was riddled with broken links.

Yes, broken links make a very improper impression on visitors which is why they must always be located and fixed. And here is some news, if you want to make sure the links are not broken, you will need to check them yourself. While you could leave the task to the web hosting company, you definitely would be better served double checking on your own to make sure all links are properly functioning. Would you want the link to your online store to be broken? Imagine the horrors that would cause your online business!

This does raise the question of how to go about checking the links. Yes, there can be a deliberate step-by-step process you can follow since this will ensure you do not miss anything. For those curious about such a process, here is a brief rundown:

Taking your time with the creation of the website is always advised. When the creation and publishing of the website is rushed, errors are prone to be caused. Broken links are certainly a high risk possible when rushed or sloppy website creation is undertaken. As such, careful deliberation is best employed when crafting the site.

Double check the spelling of the URL in the HTML code and also double check the coding for possible spacing errors. Such problems are frequent reasons behind broken links. Running a quick check of the site for HTML issues is always advisable in the development process.

It also does not hurt to set file structures in a manner that makes naming and new files (or even updating old files) without issues and problems with discrepancies. This will dramatically reduce problems and issues related to broken links.

Images are also important to check as well. While this is often overlooked, it is really a very important facet to making sure you have checked to see that all links are properly functioning. Image links have a tendency to be the root of a lot of dead and ineffectual links. There are various reasons why an image link could be flawed. A close examination of the link will yield a better understanding of the problem which will allow you to correct such a problem. Of course, these tasks could be left to web hosting or domain registration service professionals as well. But, as previously mentioned, you also need to do a little checking on your own to make sure the proper amount of work is performed. This is not only true of image links but any and every facet of web hosting and publishing in general.

Updating links on a regular basis is another means of reducing the potential for broken links to overrun a particular site. Again, this is a facet that is sometimes overlooked but it really should not be since it is so important. Sometimes, the pages you link to may have been tweaked, modified, or altered. If this is the case, you will want to know so and make the proper adjustments. This way, your visitors are always directed to where they need to be directed.

Yes, there are many different ways to make sure that the links on your website are working effectively. Following the various steps of making sure the links work is highly recommended since it will maximize the value of your website.

Choosing A Web Hosting Company Which Keeps Its Hands Off Of Customer Data

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:21:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the company entrusted to hosting your website and all its data including customer databases stole some of that information for its own purposes? It is analogous to a fox guarding a hen house. Most web hosting companies are honest and would never even think of compromising your data security or stealing your customers' personal information, but as in all industries, there are a few shady operators out there

The best "cure" for this thankfully rare problem is prevention. You don't want to have to tell hundreds of customers that their personal information has been stolen by the very people responsible for maintaining the server that the information is on. When a customer gives you personal information such as their mailing address, email address and credit card number, they are placing a huge amount of trust in you.

Identity fraud is a serious crime that has ongoing consequences for victims. With a name, a credit card number and a social security number, a criminal can assume a false identity and set up bank accounts or even take out mortgages using that identity. Meanwhile, the real person whose identity has been stolen watches his or her bank balance and credit rating take a huge plunge before they are able to halt the damage.

It's is better if before you sign on for domain registration and web hosting that you check out that web hosting provider as thoroughly as you can. The first red flag should be a lack of contact information. Do they only give a P.O. Box, or do they give a street address too? Do they offer any way to get in touch than through email? If you have any suspicions about a company you are considering (and sometimes even if you don't), run their company name through a search engine and run the address through a search engine as well; It could be fictitious.

Be prepared to dig for more information if needed. Search for objective web hosting review sites and read several of them. The problem with this is that some hosting and domain registration companies pay forum posters to talk up their products. If you find a "review" site with nothing but glowing praise of the company, be suspicious. Pay more attention if you find a site full of harsh criticism of the web hosting provider, but keep in mind that these sites are sometimes created by the company's competitors.

Unethical practices are often brought up on discussion forums. You can search for forums that mention your prospective host company, and then search the forum itself for words like "scam," "unsatisfied customers," or "dishonest."

If the web hosting company is registered with the Better Business Bureau, it's a good sign. Don't put too much stock into "awards" their site claims to have won unless they are awarded by leading magazines (like PC Magazine or Wired).

Once you find a web hosting company that looks promising, print out and read every line of the Terms of Service. If you find something you don't understand, ask someone at that company and don't sign anything until you get a satisfying answer to your question. Do not sign with a company that puts in any kind of legal loophole that would allow them to access your customer's data files. It is illegal for them to do so and you should definitely not agree to such a thing.

Along with the Terms of Service, read the company's privacy policy very closely to find out what, if anything they do with your own personal data. What do they do with the data (such as a customer database) that you host on their server? If it is unclear, call them up and ask them: "Do you or would you sell customer data from my database to third parties?" You want an unequivocal "No."

As the owner of a web based business, you have a responsibility to live up to your own privacy policy and terms of service, so it is critical that the web hosting company that hosts your site is honest and won't compromise any of this data either. Most hosting companies are reputable and with some internet sleuthing you can usually find the ones that you should stay away from, so don't neglect to do this research before you choose a web hosting company.

The Importance of Finding a Relevant Domain Name

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:08:00 +0000

When running an online business, it is very important to put some consideration into the domain name that you use, since this is one of the first impressions that a potential customer will have of your company. The name that you choose should, first of all, be easy to spell and remember, because people are lazy and will give up and go elsewhere if they cannot remember it. By making it as short as possible, you can take away this worry, but it can be somewhat difficult to find a short domain name that can easily be associated with your company, regardless of where you go for web hosting.

The domain name does not necessarily have to include the company's name, but it should be representative of it in some way. For example, if you are operating a website that sells football apparel, your domain name should somehow reflect that by including something about the service you wish to provide for your customers. Obviously, you will want to include the word football in the name somewhere, but you will also find that many of the names that you want will have already been taken by someone. You might have to use a thesaurus to come to a final conclusion on what to use in this situation, or you could get some help with the domain registration process from your web hosting company. Many web hosting companies provide a domain registration service as well, which will allow you to take care of both of these problems at once.

If you are running an online business that does not specialize in one item in particular, you will have to come up with something clever that will let the visitor know that. For example, you might simply be using your website for your click bank account, which means that you will be selling a number of products that were developed by others. The best way to go about this scenario is to come up with a domain name that portrays the information that you are giving out. Since you will have to write articles on this type of website, you can come up with a name that lets the visitor know that you are providing free information on a number of products. Once again, your web hosting company might be able to help out with this type of domain registration because, at the very least, they can let to know which domain names are available.

What you are basically attempting to do in this situation is brand your website, so that you can build up a constant stream of visitors. By branding, you will be able to create recognition within the industry, which will attract repeat business. It is simply amazing that you can run a legitimate business by simply finding a web hosting company and then going through the domain registration process, but that is exactly what the internet has done for the business world. Branding will give you the opportunity to create an identity for yourself online, which will go a long way in the grand scheme of things. Remember that you will likely be competing with large corporations, especially if you are selling products, so you will want to make yourself as visible as possible. Your domain name should probably be a phrase that search engines will recognize in this situation, as this could lead to you getting more search engine traffic in the end.

Your online business will be highly dependent on your web hosting and domain registration, so do not take this lightly at all. The name that you come up with will be the first impression that customers will have, which is what makes it so important to the online marketing process as a whole. While it might sound intimidating to have to deal with large companies online, the fact that you can build up your online presence so easily gives you a definite advantage over the offline world. As long as you can find a good web hosting company, you domain registration will be a breeze and you will be making money in no time at all. The only thing you will have to do is come up with a relevant domain name to get the ball rolling in this situation.

Domain Hijacking and The Ways To Cope With It

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:32:00 +0000

Domain name hijackers, unfortunately, proliferate around us, whether in secluded rooms or in Internet cafes, even across the globe. They are all scheming to steal your domain names from your web hosting site. It is a good thing to know that there are ways to prevent losing your domain names in your domain registration.

Domain name hijacking is the phrase generally used to define the illegitimate acquisition of a domain name from its rightful owner by deception or fraud. Relative to this, here are the usual forms of domain hijacking:

1) Enactment of a posing registrant in dealing with a registrar (also known as "social engineering")

2) Registering an expired registered email address to acquire a new password and make way for a registrar or registrant transfer through the web hosting site

3) Registering an expired domain name, applied for an administrative contact or account email address, then deceiving the email address

4) Hacking or spyware

5) Counterfeiting of transfer authorizations and other account verification data

6) Stealing of data by a disgruntled employee or business partner

7) Incorporating new verification data and then falsely confirming the data to illegally gain account access via web hosting

8) Hijacking an email server to deceive the email to make it appear it came from the registered owner

Reasons for Hijacking Domain Names

One of the main reasons hijacking of domain names is resorted to is money. Domain names are generally expensive whether for an existing establishment, for reselling, or for the online traffic it might bring. Some would do it just for the fancy, the challenge or the negative reputation it might generate. But usually, hijackers infiltrate an account and gain control of domain names from web hosting sites to be able to sell it to other unknowing parties. Some do it for malicious intent.

It can be very hard to redeem a stolen domain name from a domain registration. Registrars are apprehensive in entertaining claims of domain name hijacking. Hijackers usually spirit away domain names and make it appear they have been auctioned off to third parties even though they have not. More often than not, you will only discover that your domain name has been stolen when you find out that it has been claimed by a third or fourth different registrant who alleges that the domain name has been acquired at a certain price.

Prevention Is The Best Solution

The best way in dealing with domain name hijacking is outright prevention. Hijackers know the different weaknesses in the domain registration system and they take advantage of this. The following can help in minimizing the occurrence of domain name hijacking:

1) Always keep definite contact information with your registrar or service provider. When stealing happens and the contact information is incorrect, the registrar encounters difficulty identifying who the rightful owner of the domain name is. Avoid providing false contact data or information.

2) Deal only with reputable registrars with your domains. There are virtually hundreds of registrars in web hosting sites to choose from and thousands of resellers. Complaints abound on lack of service and unresponsiveness by dishonest service providers. When your domain name is hijacked it would be very difficult to get anyone from listening to you. A key point is to look for a registrar that sends a transfer confirmation email before actually transferring a domain name.

3) Avoid expiration of your registered email address. As you know, your email address is the essential aspect in opening your domain names. Your registered or administrative contact email address can be used at many registrars in accessing the user names and passwords to many accounts. Under the Transfer Policy of ICANN, the regulating web hosting site, an acquiring registrar normally gets the needed transfer confirmation via email sent to the registered user or administrative contact email address on record for the domain name. An expired email address can be very prone to domain name hijacking.

4) Maintain secrecy in user names and passwords. Never divulge these valuable data to other persons to keep your account secure and safe from hijacking.

5) Make use of a Whois privacy service, because with this feature, your account will be more difficult to deceive and infiltrate.

6) Use locks for your domains available from your service provider.

7) Keep track and tabs of your account profile for any illegal changes. The sooner you get to know about a hijacking occurrence, the better your chances of having this resolved in your web hosting site.

How to Pick a Domain When Your First Choice is Taken

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:18:00 +0000

If you're in the process of completing a domain registration and purchasing web hosting, you may have already come upon a few stumbling blocks. Unfortunately, there are many instances when the domain name you are most interested in is already taken. If this is the case, what are you supposed to do with your domain registration in order to ensure that you still see success? The good news is that you have many options at your disposal in this phase of the web hosting process.

The truth is that we will all come across this problem at some point or another. There is just far too many people out there, with far too many interests and goals, that we will always be able to get the domain name we are most interested in. As mentioned though, there are plenty of options that you have to help you still find a domain name that you are interested in. Here are a few different paths that you can take.

One of the first options you have is to change the extension of the domain name you are interested in. For domain registration services and acquisitions, a .com name is by far the most popular. More of these names will be taken up than anything else. If your ideal domain name is already taken up with a .com, consider switching to a .net, .info, .org or .biz.

There are other extension options as well, and each will fit into certain niches better than others. You should find that even when your ideal .com name is already taken, you should still be able to acquire the name with a different extension.

Another option that you have if your domain name is already taken is to consider adding dashes into the domain name. If you were looking for domain registration and web hosting for the name www.mykeywordphrase.com, but that is already taken, you can switch it to www.my-keyword-phrase.com, or www.mykeyword-phrase.com.

The most important rule here is that you should not use more than 1 or 2 dashes in any domain name before it gets excessive. Additionally, you should never use underscores and should only use dashes, as underscores can hurt your rankings as well as the visual value of the domain name itself. For web hosting, you can actually achieve benefits by using dashes because for some people it will make your name clearer as well as more memorable. Just be sure to remember the two guidelines above to avoid running into SEO and other domain registration problems.

If you're not interested in dashes or other domain extensions, you can also consider switching to a new keyword phrase or a new name altogether. While having your number 1 choice of domain registration is always great, you don't need the perfect match in order to see results. Synonyms of your best keyword, a slightly different variation of the phrase or a new keyword to target altogether are all viable solutions. Don't be afraid to get creative or to switch up your choice a little bit, you really won't be hindering your results at all.

Finally, keep in mind that if you're name has already been purchased for web hosting by somebody, that you may have a chance to purchase the name at a premium value. Many people purchase domains only to resell them later. So you have to determine if having your number 1 choice of domain name is worth the added cost. Some premium domain names can cost a few hundred or a few thousand dollars, and some extremely rare and exclusive names can be quite a bit more than that. So evaluate how much the domain registration of a particular name is worth to you, and see if it's available on the premium domain name market.

As you can see, you really do have a lot of different choices at your disposal if your ideal domain name is already taken. Domain registration and web hosting are competitive fields, so you won't always get your number 1 choice. However, there are lots of ways that you can still end up with a great name that will help lead to success for your online business.

Getting Familiar With Vanity Domains

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:18:00 +0000

A vanity domain is a domain name in the field of Domain Name System or DNS, usually a sub-domain, with the aim of showcasing the identity of the person to whom the name was registered and is used in web hosting. This is different from the domain names which are used to identify organizations or the services that the organizations offer.

Vanity domains may be likened to vanity car registration plates that emphasize and identify the owner and gives him distinction from the others, and not just depending on another organization's services in web hosting. A sub-domain is at times referred to as a vanity domain, particularly when it is a sub-domain of an Internet service provider named after an individual user account. Some other descriptions of vanity domain are:

1) In domain registration, "a domain you register for the sole purpose of having your own domain so you can have an easily remembered URL and email address", according to the Free Online Dictionary of Computing.

2) According to the Jargon File, a vanity domain is "an Internet domain, particularly in the .com or .org top level domains, apparently created for no reason other than boosting the creator's ego."

Vanity domains are applied primarily to ordinary domain names that are registered at the highest permissible level instead of sub-domains, although in essence, a second level domain name is in fact a sub-domain of its high-level domain in domain registration. Since vanity domains are used for and in behalf of specific individuals, these normally would not impart the full services of an organizational domain name. Vanity domains, aside from being easily remembered, especially when registered as a top level as allowed by the registrar, give the feature of personal mobility, which means they continue to be related to the person even if that person transfers to another Internet service provider.

All About Vanity Domain Names

Very similar to vanity car plates, vanity domains are becoming well-known and an attraction to many web hosting users. With the trend of web hosting companies permitting multiple domain-pointing, it has become easier and more convenient to use vanity domains.

Instead of the regular domain names which make use of either a person's name or a company name, vanity domains use famous key words and phrases that describe the person owning the domain. Vanity domains can seize the opportunities of the prevailing market trends and also motivate and inspire visitors to the web site.

Some vanity domains are created even if it leads to a site that is totally unrelated to what its name implies. A customer clicks the site with a given domain name but is led to another, totally different web site. Although this is not too ethical, and may violate standard codes and procedures, many companies engaging in web hosting use this method and come out with successful results. Still, there are several other ways to use vanity domains and come out successful altogether.

You could analyze the prevailing market trends. When you come across popular events that somehow correlates with your web site's products or services, you can register a domain name that coins the essence of such events. A lot of people have succeeded using this method of exposure. You could also take the time to analyze and evaluate the usefulness and suitability of your domain name and change it for the better if you have the chance.

Vanity domain names can also be used to shorten lengthy domain names, and vanity domains can offer catchy words and phrases that easily get the attention of customers and visitors. It would not replace your regular domain name, but rather, it would complement it as it would also direct you in your registered web site.

Another option is to purchase an already popular domain name. There are several domains that are for sale on the Internet. You can choose a popular domain name for sale, provided it matches the products and/or services that you offer in your web site. In web hosting, this would only work if the domain name you decide to buy is related with your web site. Of course, you will have to make the necessary notification that the domain name you purchased is now owned by you to avoid any confusion.

Pace Work Technologies is a web hosting company and a domain registration company offering free domain name, dedicated server, virtual private server, semi-dedicated server, website builder, php scripts, 30 days money back guarantee and 24/7 customer and technical support.

What is an Add On Domain?

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:43:00 +0000

An add on domain is another feature in web hosting. Add on domains gives you the opportunity to create and possess more than one web site for web hosting, while maintaining your main domain which is the first account that you set up in your hosting account.

In order to have an add on domain, you will first have to register another domain name or direct the existing domain that you have already registered with the servers. You will then need to use the add on domain feature in your web hosting control panel to secure your web site and its features. This will cover your domain registration.

The control panel prompts you to create a user name and password when you add an add on domain. The user name will then be used to put up a directory within your own public html directory which will store all files relative to that domain. The password will give the independent ftp access to the said domain’s directory and files.

Now the nice part about this is that add on domains have the luxury of its very own URL, addondomain.com, and everyone wishing to visit the site can just put it the URL at their browsers and enjoy it like any other web site. An add on domain uses the space and bandwidth that is typical to your main domain in web hosting. Add on domains also have its own CGI and FTP access, its own email accounts and web statistics, which include the preferred AWStats package by clients, and sub-domains may even be created under these add on domains.

It is worthy to note however, that every add on domain does not have its own configured control panel. The viewing of statistics and the placing of add on domain configuration must be done at the control panel of your main domain. The add on domains also count as sub-domains, meaning that every time you add an add on domain in your web hosting process, you are deducted one sub-domain that is available to you.

Optimizing Your Web Hosting Space With Add On Domains

You wonder if it is possible to have two or more web sites with two or more domains using a single domain account. You ask if you can do all this without paying for another separate hosting account. Yes, this is possible by using add on domains.

Add on domains are new domains added and included over and above your main domain. It develops a sub-directory within your main web hosting directory but can interface a different or another web site. After your domain registration, the add on domain gathers the information from the sub-domain directory using the same space and bandwidth as your main account but cannot have its own separate control panel.

Benefits of Having an Add On Domain

1) You can create several domains and web sites using the same web hosting account.

2) You can save money using a single hosting account instead of several accounts.

3) The add on domain shares the same resources with your main site, like disk space, bandwidth, etc.

4) The add on domain has its own independent FTP manager, site statistics and storage bins which are automatically posted.

5) You can upload different postings, pages, images and forums to your add on domain directory.

6) You can access your add on domain using various web site addresses.

7) Several sites can be promoted with just a single hosting account using different sets of keywords.

Creating An Add On Domain

1) Register your new add on domain with a domain name registrar.

2) Direct the domain name server (DNS) information of your new add on domain to the same DNS of your web host.

3) Give an allowance of 1 to 2 days for the DNS to flourish over the Internet before uploading files or documents.

4) Log in to your control panel or web hosting manager and move to the add on domains.

5) You need to fill in three fields, namely: the new domain name, the user name, and a password.

6) Click the ‘Add Domain’ button, and wait for a couple of minutes for the system to set-up an add on domain name.

7) When completed, you can already start uploading your index pages, images, and other relative information.

Five Things to Know About Web Hosting and Subdomains

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:16:00 +0000

When you purchase domain registration service and web hosting packages, you may initially put all of your focus on figuring out the main domain name. That said, as time goes on, you are sure to think of other keywords, or different types of pages that would work better under a different domain name. Rather than purchase new server space and another name, you can try using subdomains instead. Aside from being much cheaper, you may find that they will be of immense benefit in other ways.

Setting Up Subdomains

As you may be aware, subdomains are listed in front of the main domain in a URL. For example, if your domain name is abcgadgets.com, you can create a subdomain for each category of gadget. If you create a subdomain for smartphones, the URL for it would be: http://www.smartphones/abcgadgets.com. In a similar way, if you want a subdomain for GPS devices, the URL might look something like: http://www.gps/abcgadgets.com.

Depending on your web hosting provider, setting up subdomains may be as simple as going to your main hosting account, and clicking on the subdomain option. Even though some web host providers will have to configure your subdomain for you, it is still worth the effort. Once the subdomain is created, you can add content to it just as you would to your top-level domain.

Boost Keyword Usage Opportunities

Many people go with domain registration of multiple top-level names in order to provide additional coverage for related keywords. Rather than spend all of that money, you can simply create subdomains to achieve the same goal. As an added bonus, if you have a domain name that includes the keyword you are most interested, the subdomains may provide more support in the search engines. At the very least, when you have a different subdomain for each keyword, it will alert the search engine spiders to the fact that you have a good bit of content related to each different keyword.

Arranging Data and Applications

If you are going to have a store on your site, or cover different subjects, it never hurts to put them in a subdomain. Even though you can see folders when you access the file server, the subdomains will make things look much neater. Without a question, if your site has more than three or four parts to it, things will be much easier to find if you use subdomains instead of relying on the file tree.

Unlimited Opportunities for Affiliate Marketers

Domain registration and web hosting tend to represent a significant expense to affiliate marketers. For example, if you are trying to sell 100 diverse products, you would normally need to pay for domain registration on well over 100 domain names, plus pay for server space for each domain. On the other hand, when you use subdomains, you can provide one for each product. At the same time, you can use something unique and brandable for your top-level domain. This will help you establish yourself in many fields, as well as ensure that you can keep your costs as low as possible.

Community Groups and Resale Options

Even though you may conduct most of your business online, there will always be community events and organizations that may need some help establishing themselves on the internet. In some cases, providing them with a subdomain on your server can help you gain recognition as an individual that is interested in community affairs. This can easily draw local web viewers to your site, as well as boost your ranking in the search engines for all kinds of diverse keywords.

It is very important to realize that someone shopping for books may also be interested in car parts and other items. While they may come to your site looking for books, information on other products may also capture their attention. Under these circumstances, subdomains may be far more valuable and useful than you ever realized.

Regardless of whether you are an affiliate marketer, or trying to build a following in your local community, subdomains can help you organize information as well as ensure that it gets an optimal level of attention from search engine spiders. During the process of looking for web hosting providers, you should seriously consider looking for ones that allow you to create an unlimited number of subdomains. Even if you can't think of any uses for them right this moment, plenty of ideas are sure to come along.

Trademarking your Domain to Protect your Cyberturf

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:25:00 +0000

When you're setting up a new website, one of the first things you do is to purchase and register your domain name, either through your web hosting provider or a domain registration company. Your domain names are your site's identity in a sea of other sites, and you're investing a lot of confidence in that domain. One thing you might not think of is trademarking it too. There are some very solid reasons for trademarking your domain.

One of the best reasons to trademark your domain name is to protect against domain name hijacking. Anyone signing up for web hosting should consider this possibility. The practice of domain name hijacking is taking a popular domain name and modifying it slightly in hopes of deceiving consumers into thinking they are going to your site.

If, for example I were to go through domain registration to set up an online book store with a name very similar to Amazon, or one that incorporates the word Amazon into it, I could siphon off Amazon's customers. While it may be good for my business in the short term, if the real Amazon found out about it, they'd probably be less than pleased.

Domain name hijackers have in some cases ruined reputations of honest websites by creating and web hosting spoof sites. These are sites that intentionally misuse names of legitimate sites in a harmful way. Suppose I registered the name ihateamazon.com and filled it with malware or pornography, or some other less-than-wholesome content. Assuming my site started generating traffic, I could expect an email from Amazon's legal team.

Because amazon.com has trademarked their domain name, they would have legal recourse against those who would go through the domain registration process to maliciously set up a site that drew traffic because of the popularity of Amazon. You can bet that those who try to do this are swatted down like so many flies by cease and desist letters and further legal action if Amazon deemed it necessary. You might well want this kind of legal armor when web hosting your domain name, too.

That way, if someone tried hijacking your domain, you could take them to court to make them stop on the grounds that it infringes on your trademark.

Trademarking can cost you money, and is not part of the domain registration or web hosting process. You can do the paperwork yourself and submit it for a few hundred dollars, and if you hire a trademark lawyer to do it for you, it would rapidly reach the thousands of dollars. But it is an investment you should strongly consider. You would be relieved to have trademark protection if you find out someone is trying to use your domain name illegally to serve their own purposes.

If your domain name is the same as your name or the same as your business' name, then trademarking the domain even before registering the name and getting web hosting is a wise move. You don't want someone else benefiting from your site's popularity, particularly if they are doing it in a way that would shock or disturb your legitimate customers were they to go there by accident.

Before filing an application for a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), conduct a trademark search to find trademarks that might conflict with yours. You can do this by going to the USPTO website (www.uspto.gov) and using the resources available there, or you can hire someone to do it. This is a good thing to do even before you register your domain name, because if you choose a domain name that conflicts with someone else's trademark, you could lose your right to it.

Once you have done a trademark search and done your domain registration, you can fill out the application for a trademark online, also through the USPTO website. You'll also have to provide a drawing of your trademark on its own piece of paper and pay the filing fee. It will take about four months, but the USPTO will review your application and determine whether it can register your trademark.

To let the public know that you have trademarked a domain, use the TM or SM symbols with the name. After the USPTO registers it, you can use the ® symbol. Your trademark registration lasts 10 years with the option of renewing in 10-year intervals. However, between the 5th and the 6th year, you need to file an affidavit to continue with the registration, or the registration will be canceled. Web hosting your business is a big undertaking, and trade marking your domain is a way to protect your investment.

Pace Work Technologies is a web hosting company and a domain registration offering free domain name, website builder, dedicated server, virtual private server, semi-dedicated server, website builder, php scripts, 30 days money back guarantee and 24/7 customer and technical support.

Are Second Level Domains Second Class?

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:26:00 +0000

One thing you will have to learn about as you look for a web hosting provider is domain names. A domain name generally refers to what we all think of as an "internet address." For example, www.google.com is a domain name. If you plan to have an online business or other high traffic site, you'll find a domain name for it, go through the domain registration process, and that domain name will be connected to your site until you either let the domain registration lapse or change it.

You've no doubt noticed that there are "good" domain names and there are "bad" domain names. In general, the good domain names are the ones that are short, easy to spell, and easy to remember. The bad domain names are too long, hard to spell, or difficult to remember. One-word domain names are preferred, but it is getting harder to find one-word domain names that haven't already been used. Two-word domain names can work well, as long as they're two easy to spell and remember words that don't form any unfortunate within them when combined. For example, is therapist.com about "therapists" or about "the rapists"?

Your web hosting provider will often be the ones who take care of your domain registration, and they may be able to advise you on the desirability of your preferred domain names. In addition to having names that are considered desirable, your website should also have a domain extension that's considered desirable. The domain suffix that springs to mind for most people is ".com" because it has been associated with commercial sites for so long. Other so-called "top level" domains include .co.uk, .org, .edu, and to some extent, .net.

You may find during the domain registration process that the name you want is available, but not with the extension you want. In other words, yourbestdomainname.com might not be available, but yourbestdomainname.org might be. It can be a tough decision to make: change the first part of the domain name in order to capture the coveted ".com" extension, or keep the first part of the name but use a different suffix.

There are also second level domains that are considered as less desirable than the top level names. These are extensions like .biz that haven't been used all that much yet. Supposed you discover that the domain you want is available, but only with the .biz suffix. Should you go ahead and pounce and tell your web hosting provider to grab it for you?

Maybe not.

The problem is, if the ".com" version of the name is taken, there is a very good chance that whoever has it has trademarked it. That not only means that you can't use the .com version, it may mean that you aren't allowed to use the .biz version either. If your domain with the .biz suffix could be considered deceptive, as if you're trying to use their name to siphon off their traffic to your site, then they can take legal action against you. It may be a simple cease and desist letter, or it could be a lawsuit, but in any case, it will mean wasted time and money for you.

Your best bet is, possibly even before hiring a web hosting provider, you should do some domain name research. List some of the possibilities, then go to the U.S. Trade and Patent Office website and conduct a search for trademarked sites. If you cannot find a trademark registered to a name you want, the next step is to see if it is available. Be careful. There are unscrupulous sites that will pretend to help you research a domain name, and if you find one unregistered that you like, and don't immediately register it, they will register it themselves and hold it hostage for several hundred dollars to find out how badly you want it if you change your mind later.

So be ready to pounce if the name you want isn't already trademarked and isn't already registered. Domain registration isn't that expensive, so sometimes it's worth taking a chance on both if you have two that you can't decide between, for instance.

The domain registration process simply registers the available name that you want. It doesn't do a trademark search on it. So when you're ready to pick out a web hosting provider for your new website, do some research on trademarks, top level domains, and second level domains before you proceed. It could save you some big trouble down the road.

Are More Domain Extensions a Good Idea?

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:18:00 +0000

Say you're starting a website, and you've done your research on domain names. You've done a trademark search and have found a domain name that you like, that did not show up in a trademark search, and that is available with the extension you want. First of all, congratulations. It's not that easy to come up with a good domain name that has the extension you want. When it comes time to proceed with domain registration, you may ask yourself: "Should I register my domain name with as many extensions as possible to keep them from being hijacked?"

Some people will tell you the answer is yes. Registering a domain name is not that expensive, and it would keep everyone else's dirty paws off all the versions of your name. But then again, what would stop someone from registering a common misspelling of your domain name and using it to siphon off your web traffic? Maybe you should register all the common misspellings of your domain as well. This is the kind of thing that can go on until you're steeped in paranoia, not happy until you register every domain extension in every misspelling of your domain name, which can add up to a lot of money. And if you're a small start-up, you may not have that much money to throw around.

A better idea is to trademark your domain name. That's expensive too, no question. About the cheapest way is to do all the forms yourself then file them along with the filing fees. It will add up to around $300. But once you have a registered trademark, you have legal protection that comes with it, and you have legal grounds to stop someone who is trying to either capitalize on your site's popularity or maliciously make a similarly-named malware site in an attempt to ruin your business. It's sad, but true. People actually do this sometimes.

And sometimes business will go ahead and grab up the other top level domain extensions when they go through domain registration because they can use their web hosting providers to direct all those names to the main site. For example, if your main website name is yourawesomewebsite.com, you might want to register yourawesomewebsite.org too. Then have your web hosting provider point yourawesomewebsite.org to the main site, yourawesomewebsite.com. There are people who will register domain names with keywords in them and also have them point to the main site. And it is possible to get carried away with this process, too.

Perhaps the best strategy is a combination strategy.

Once you've found the domain name you want with the extension that you want, and it hasn't been trademarked, and it's available, while you're going through the domain registration process, go ahead and register it with the top two extensions you want, say .com and .org. If you can afford it, register the most common misspelling of your domain name with the top two extensions. Register your domain name's trademark. Have your web hosting provider point all the domain names to your main site's domain.

You will have most of the bases covered by doing this. Anyone with malicious intent will have to go to some trouble to get a name similar to yours, and will probably have to use one of the less common domain extensions. And if someone is this determined to either ride your popularity or harm your site, you will have the protection of a registered trademark giving you legal standing to tell them to stop, or threaten to sue, which is usually enough to get them to back off.

More domain extensions are a good idea in some situations, and to a certain extent. If you can afford it, register your chosen domain name and the most common misspelling when you go through the domain registration process. Trademark your domain name. Then you can focus on the most important thing, which is making your new site a big success.

What is DNS Propagation all About?

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:56:00 +0000

When you set up your website with a web hosting company and go through the domain registration process, they will tell you that your new domain name will be done "propagating" after a period of time between 24 hours and 96 hours. Don't worry if you don't know what this means - a lot of people don't. Domain name propagation is actually fairly simple to understand. The propagation time for your domain name is the time between you registering your domain name and the time people can actually type it into their browser and be taken to your site.

A lot of behind the scenes work takes place during the propagation period of domain registration. It's something that all new websites have to go through. During this time, your new domain name and its IP address are linked up with each other on DNS servers all over the web. Your IP address is a series of numbers separated by decimal point that is assigned to your website on devices using the internet protocol for communication. It identifies your host, and your site's address on your host's server. Even though IP addresses are stored in the form of binary numbers, you'll see them displayed not as a series of zeroes and ones, but as what look like ordinary numbers, such as 999.88.77.666.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_address - cite_note-rfc791-1
Propagation is a process of your web hosting provider "introducing" you as the new guy on the network and letting all the other servers know that your domain name is hooked up with the particular string of numbers that makes up your IP address. Your web hosting company creates what is called a Master DNS record in their Domain Name Server database. As you can probably guess, DNS stands for Domain Name Server. This master DNS record tells the rest of the web that your host's DNS server is the master keeper of information about your domain.

For this to happen expediently, the information mapping your domain name to your IP address has to propagate throughout DNS tables on the web. This is what takes place during domain registration. The information in the DNS tables include the IP address, the nameserver (a computer whose job it is to translate domain names into appropriate IP addresses and IP addresses into domain names), information about the host, your web hosting provider's hardware and software information, and other necessary fields. DNS tables have to be updated to include the information about your site. Normally, this updating occurs once a day. If you've just missed a particular DNS server's update, it will be another 24 hours before your next chance to be included in their update.

When propagation has successfully taken place, If someone wants to find your website, they type its name into their web browser. From there, the browser goes to the registration database to find out who the DNS authority is for your site. Once the browser finds this, it goes through the provider's DNS servers to match up the domain name to a specific IP address. When it finds your IP address, it can display your website for the person who has typed your domain name into their browser.

The whole process of updating DNS records makes web surfing faster. Each web hosting provider has their own copy of the master records, and reads from it rather than looking up the IP address on the internet each time someone wants to see your website. This process makes it faster for browsers to get an IP address when they look up domain names, and keeps your web host's information local rather than web-wide, therefore reducing web traffic to just the necessities.

If you should transfer your domain name, go through domain registration for another domain name to be attached to your site, or change your nameserver, propagation will have to take place again. The propagation process is usually done within 24 to 48 hours, but you should allow up to 96 hours to take place because there's no real standard for how often DNS servers update.

While the propagation is taking place, you can still access your new site so that you can set it up the way you want it. Once propagation is complete, the translation of your domain name into your IP address takes place automatically whenever someone types your domain name into their browser so that your web hosting provider can quickly retrieve your website based on its IP address.

Different Kinds of Internet Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:11:00 +0000

Internet marketing is a very diverse and growing and field. There are many different paths you can take to try to succeed. Of course, the ultimate purpose is to establish a greater online presence which will help you build a steady stream of traffic to your site and produce more sales and revenue. Here is a breakdown of many of the main forms of Internet marketing, although not all inclusive, it will provide a great overview of how you can produce an effective online marketing strategy.

Article Marketing

Article marketing is extremely popular because it provides many different benefits at once. Essentially, with article marketing you write unique articles and then post them up on one or many different online magazines or article databases such as Ezine Articles. At the end of every article you can of course include links back to your own website along with a short sales pitch or description, which can help produce traffic and find new customers and leads. With an effective article marketing plan you'll be able to raise your value in the search engines, grow your reputation as a trusted resource in your niche community and also add direct traffic to your site as well.

Video Marketing

Video marketing is the process of making and distributing videos to various online video communities such as You Tube. You can easily produce a short and entertaining video that captures the attention of your audience far more easily than an article or other piece of content would. The key factor is that you need to keep the videos short and also have to make them worthwhile. They should be unique, engaging and informative or entertaining. Examples of effective videos include demonstrations of products and services. Additionally, search engines turn up properly tagged and titled videos very highly in their results.

Pay-Per-Click

Pay-per-click marketing, or PPC, is when you advertise on the result pages of search engines such as Google, as well as on the websites of their network who display ads, showing up prominently as a sponsored result. You don't have to pay unless somebody actually clicks on your advertisement, hence the name pay-per-click.

With PPC you have to be very careful to do all of the necessary research. You have to determine how much you are willing to bid on a particular keyword or topic to show up prominently for it. You also have to pick the right words and phrases to begin with. Without the right level of research, PPC can become very expensive and won't produce results. It takes some trial and error to run an effective PPC campaign that drives leads to your website.

Social Networking

Social networking is a growing element of many Internet marketing strategies. With social networking you participate in a number of different online communities that are based on user generated content and user interaction. One type of social networking site is the massive profile and friend sites such as Facebook and MySpace. With this kind of site you create a profile, share your interests, add friends, join groups and so on.

Another type is the link sharing and voting site, such as Digg, Reddit or Propeller. With these you submit links to articles and videos that other people can go and see. When they like the link, they vote for it in one way or another, which gives the link even more exposure on the site.

Blogging

Blogging is of course still a very popular way to participate in Internet marketing. You can create a blog hosted on your website which can help draw in much more traffic through the search engines. Alternatively you can create separate blogs which lead back to your main website. Another way to take advantage of blogging is to comment on other people's blogs. This will create more incoming links to your site and will help your status in the search engines as well as keeping your name out there in the community.

Search Engine Optimization

The most basic and prominent of all Internet marketing strategies is search engine optimization. With SEO you are fine-tuning your website in order to make it show up higher in the search engines. There are many different ways that you can participate in SEO and it takes a lot of work to make it consistently effective over the long haul. All of the other forms of marketing listed in this article, besides PPC, help increase your site's offsite SEO, which generally consist of your online presence and the incoming links that lead to your site.

Onsite SEO is the work you do within your own site to help it show up higher in the search engines. This largely focuses around the use of specific keywords and key phrases related to your niche or business. You have to include keywords in your content at specific densities so that you show up as more relevant. Too many keywords and you will like look SPAM, but too few and you won't get noticed at all. Besides including keywords in the content, you should also include the right keywords in your page's title, the internal links to other pages of your site, your META tags and more.

As you can see there are many different types of online marketing that you can utilize to help your company grow and thrive on the Internet. However, it can be challenging if you have no experience or don't have the time necessary to devote yourself to this task. If you are trying to get your Internet marketing plan under way and would like the help of experienced professionals then please visit pacework.com and limdox.com.

Pace Work Technologies is a web hosting company and a domain register offering free domain name, dedicated server, virtual private server, semi-dedicated server, website builder, php scripts, 30 days money back guarantee and 24/7 customer and technical support.

ICANN vs Internic

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:30:00 +0000

One of the first things you will see when you choose a domain registrar is mention of the words Internic and ICANN. Do not let this confuse you because they are very simple to understand.

ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is the system that searches through every registered domain name to make sure they have not been bought by anyone else. Another service they perform is the allocation of IP addresses for the domains. They work with web hosting services to ensure that all domains have a unique IP address.

Web hosting companies buy their IP addresses and use them to assign to customers. If the server they are using is shared, many domain names may have an IP address that is the same. The domain names must go to the IP address assigned to them and this is another aspect of ICANN. In addition, the domain registrar can be accredited. This simply means they agree to meet or exceed the standards set by ICANN.

Customers will be assured of receiving the quality and assistance they need when choosing a domain registrar that has been accredited by ICANN. Internic and ICANN are owned by the same corporation. Internic maintains a list of domain registrars that are accredited so that you may choose the one best suited for your needs. This will give customers the assurance that regulations set down by ICANN are being followed by the domain registrar.

When Internic provides domain name information to the public, the following happens. The search for a domain name is initiated, WHOIS, the server for Internic finds the name and displays the information. The domain names that are registered using an ICANN domain registrar is arranged by Internic to show the latest information WHOIS has on the name.

Should you find a domain registrar that is not performing as to the standards set down by ICANN there is a form that may be filled out for submission. Along with this there is also a form for reporting a domain name that is not correct but listed in the Internic directory.

Who is ICANN?

ICANN has headquarters in Marina del Rey, California. The corporation was originally created in 1998 to oversee jobs that were originally taken care of by IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority). This was work performed for the U.S. government. Organized under the California Non-profit Public Benefit Corporation Law, ICANN is a non-profit corporation used for "charitable and public purposes".

There are six representatives who make up the Board of Directors. There are eight who represent the interest of the public and the President and CEO. Introducing generic top-level domains (TLDs) is one of the things ICANN has been concentrating on. Another is the preservation of the operational balance of the Internet.

What is Internic?

Internic was the first to provide information to the public about domain registrar services. This was until 1998 when ICANN took over. The website for Internic was internic.net and was run by AT&T and Network Solutions, Inc. Internic is licensed to ICANN and is a 'registered service mark of the U.S. Department of Commerce.'

Created in 1993, the National Science Foundation created the Internet Network Information Center (Internic). The creation was to manage the assignments of addresses. The contract was awarded to three organizations. Directory and Database services were awarded to AT&T, Registration to Network Solutions and Information was awarded to General Atomics.

When it comes to web hosting services the IP addresses must match without a problem so taking care of this aspect is relegated and this is one of the tasks for which ICANN is directly responsible. If you decide to choose a domain registrar which is not an ICANN approved registrar you will probably end up paying too much for your registration. These are usually resellers and they will end up using an ICANN registrar but you are getting it resold to you so the cost will be more.

One thing you should be aware of is an authorized domain registrar is the only one allowed to access the master database supported by Internic. They are also the only ones who may make changes to the database. The web hosting service that you choose should be one that supports ICANN and Internic. In order to ensure that you receive the best service possible and the registration of the domain name you choose, using these services to ensure the name is going to be all yours is essential.

Pace Work Technologies is a web hosting company and a domain register offering free domain name, website builder, dedicated server, virtual private server, semi-dedicated server, website builder, php scripts, 30 days money back guarantee and 24/7 customer and technical support.

Do you Know How to Transfer your Domain Name?

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:19:00 +0000

Is it time for you to consider whether or not you need to transfer your domain names? This situation occurs frequently for many people, and with so many new domain names available this can become a perplexing question. Sure, a cheaper new name might be a great idea, but you should always look at exactly what is involved before you make that plunge.

There are times when transferring the domain with its present name makes much more sense. Some web hosts may offer new clients a package plan that includes an updated web design when they transfer. If the price is right, this might be a good plan for you to select.

Renewing the domain name with the original hosting company can also be a good plan but you need to check out all of the particulars first. Sometimes the hosting service has high rates that they charge for the renewal of a particular name. Many people find that they are bound to these rates by a legal agreement. This means that transferring your present domain could once again be your best bet.

Before you attempt to make any of these moves you should always make sure that you know the answers to the following questions:

• Find out whether your domain name is handled through a registrar/reseller. If the answer is “Yes” then you will find that the process is generally much easier to initiate. Resellers of domain names are eager to help you with the change when you are keeping the dealings within the same company network. For instance let’s say that your registrar/reseller works with a company like ICANN. Then you are going to be fine as long as you can find another ICANN registrar/reseller to use. The transfer can become a little more difficult if one of the registrars is an ICANN member and the other is signed under a different company like Network Solutions.

• Make sure that the contact information you have listed for the domain account is updated and correct. The parent company must give their approval whenever you attempt to move a domain. They will look at the email address that is connected to the domain registration. Should you have an out of date or inactive email address on file they will automatically block any type of transfer. Always remember to keep the contact information section current, and check it before you initiate any type of transfer.

• Have you prepared yourself and your site for the time that your business will not be available? Do you know whether or not the migration process for your site includes little to no down time? A transfer can take as much as 72 hours to complete. Set aside some time for the site to be down and let people know that they may see a banner stating “Site under Construction” for a brief time. The length of time involved for the migratory process varies depending upon the company that you are working with. There could even be a hitch in the process that keeps the site from going up as scheduled. Perhaps some sites can weather this without problem, but for some other online businesses this kind of offline time could be the Kiss of Death. It is necessary to arrange your schedule of operations around the transfer down time or let your customer base know what you are doing. If you let your clients know that you will be down for a temporary period of time they will not abandon ship during this process.

• Do you know whether the nameserver data on your account is current and accurate? A quick check ahead of time can save you many problems in the future. After the domain is transferred you have to log on with your new registrar and make sure that everything went smoothly. A backup plan is a good preparation to have on hand. Although you will find that in most cases the information you need is simply moved from the old account to the new one you should take the time to check and make sure.

• Will your present company transfer your domain if it is close to an expiration date? Many people are not aware that some registrars can not initiate a transfer of a domain that only has 15 days remaining before the name expires. This is another key factor that you need to discover before you begin making any plans to transfer your account.

It may seem like a good idea to constantly look for better deals regarding your domain name, but you will come out ahead if you find a package deal that you can stick with. Frequent changes of a domain name can end up causing you more headaches than it is worth. If you are happy with the features, service and price then there is no reason to go shopping just to save a penny or two. The only time a domain transfer should become necessary is when you are not satisfied with what you are receiving for the money. Remember that any time you transfer a domain you will generally end up with a longer commitment. Be sure to find out exactly what the terms of your new agreement will be prior to making a final decision.

How to Sell Your Domain Name

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:38:00 +0000

If you've got an old website and registered domain name you're preparing to take offline, you may have a chance to make a little money in the process. Don't just let the lease on your domain name expire and fall back into the pool of available domain names. Believe it or not, domain names for websites can be valuable. There are companies, organizations, and individuals who are willing to pay to get the perfect domain name. just by selling or auctioning off your website's old domain name, there is a good chance you can make some money—possibly even a lot of money.

You may have a lot of questions about this. How do you know how much your domain name is worth—if it's worth anything at all? How do you go about advertising your old domain name's availability? How do you handle the transfer to the new owner? This article will try to answer all these questions.

How Much Is Your Domain Name Worth?

Essentially, how much you can charge for your domain name depends on how highly demanded it is. If lots of people want it, one may be willing to pay more to get it. On the other hand, if you have an obscure domain name that almost no one wants, you won't be able to charge much for it—if you can sell it at all.

Personal Names

If your domain name is based on your personal name, you may have a limited number of people willing to pay for it. If you have a rather common name, such as www.JohnSmith.com or www.BobJones.com, there may be a lot of people interested in it. If you have a rather obscure name, such as www.OliverMokrzycki.com, you may have trouble finding even one buyer.

Company Names

Company names have similar problems, mainly because a company name can generally only be registered to one company. If you have an unusual name for your online store, such as www.HotDiggity.com or www.KramphAndSons.com, you may not find many people interested in buying your domain name. On the other hand, if your company domino name contains rather non-specific words or slogans, such as www.TheComicShop.com or www.CornerStore.com, you might find several businesses who might want to buy such descriptive, easy-to-remember domain name for their online store.

General Names

The domain names that will attract the most interested customer and sell for the highest prices are ones that have very general or common words, such as FreeSamples.com, CheapClothes.com, or ComputerHelp.com. There are tons of companies, organizations, or individuals who might want to buy a domain name like that.

There are two tests you can do to tell just how valuable your domain name might be. The first is to measure your domain name's search engine ranking. Go to a search engine like Goggle or Yahoo! and enter a common, general search term that might apply to your domain name. For the example domain names listed above, for example, do a search on "samples," "clothes," or "computer help." If your domain name appears fairly high on the search engine's results—say, on the first page or two—then your domain name may be in high demand by a company that wants to increase their website's search engine ranking in order to reach more customers and attract more business.

The second test is see if your domain name contains high ranking keywords. There are certain keywords that people search on more often than others. For example, millions of desperate, sleep-deprived new mothers may enter the keyword "newborn" into a search engine much more often than a handful of hobbyist would enter "models". If your domain names contains words that are popular, high-ranking keywords, that makes your domain name much more attractive to potential customers.

How Do I Advertise My Domain Name?

First, once you take down your old website, put up a notice in its place saying that the domain name is for sale. Be sure to include your contact information and any other data relevant to the sale.

Second, there are several websites available where you can advertise your domain name. You may have to a pay a fee for this service, but you are guaranteed to reach more potential customers this way. This is the difference, for example, between hanging a "for sale" sign in your car windows, and listing your car for auction on eBay Auto.

How Do I Transfer My Domain Name to the Buyer?

This is easier than you might think. Contact the company that registered your domain name to you, and let them know you are transferring ownership of the domain name to a different person. Let the buyer know the name of your domain name registrar as well, and have the buyer contact the same company that is handling the transfer. Once this is done, the domain name registrar should handle all the technical details for you.

How to Register Your Domain Name

noreply@blogger.com (Marcus Lim) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:21:00 +0000

Registering domain names is not as complicated as you might think. Your web design is completed, everything is set up and you are ready to go. The best thing to do is to find a registrar that is an official Internet registering service and use this to register the name. Often web hosting sites will offer registration of your domain name. However, there is some confusion among some of the sites when it comes to ownership of the domain name so the best idea is to register it yourself.

Where to Go

Your domain name can be anything that you can think of that describes your site. As long as it is not already taken by someone else, you will be the owner of the name when you register it. Find out if your choice is available by visiting http://www.whois.org and search the name you have chosen. Whois is a database that displays information for those searching for domain names. If someone does a search for the one you have chosen, after you register it, this is where the information comes from to show the name is already taken.

For instance, you may do web design for people who do not know how to do their own. The name of your site will be the URL that is entered when people search for a web design service to help them set up their own web site. So the name you choose needs to reflect the service you provide so that it will be easier to find. Because there are millions of domain names this may prove a little difficult. But if you do a search for keywords that describe your site you should be able to come up with the right combination.

Once you have chosen the name you will use and made sure that it is available, visit some of the Internet registrars and find the one you want to use. What the registrar basically does is resells domain names. The prices vary among the different ones but typically start at around $5.00 for a one year registration. They can go as high as $50 so finding the one that offers the best price can take some investigative work.

When you are ready to register the name, you will be required to provide either a PayPal account or a credit card to pay for it. This is not optional. Most all providers require this method of payment. On the plus side by paying using this method you can immediately have access to the name.

How Long Can You Keep the Domain Name?

You may also register the name for a longer period than one year but this is the minimum time. The domain name may be registered at some domain register for up to 10 years. This is a good idea if you are worried about forgetting to re-register. If you have a very popular name and want to ensure that it remains yours, registering it for as long as possible will keep anyone else from purchasing it.

When you find the registrar that you want to use, they will ask for your contact information. This is the information that will show in the Whois database when someone searches this domain name. The contact information should have a correct email address as well as other information because this is where re-registering information as well as anything else that concerns your name will be sent.

If someone should want to purchase your web design name for their site, they can contact you to make an offer. Some domain names have sold for a lot of money if they are very popular.

The Importance of the Domain Name

The web hosting site that you are using when you choose your domain name may not always be the site that you use. If you change to another site you can take your name and this will allow you to keep your regular customers as well as visitors. The name will be typed in the same as before and they will be taken to your new site.

If you have a web hosting site already, you will need to get their name servers. There are normally primary and secondary ones. This is necessary for pointing your domain name to the website you have set up. Often this information is in the frequently asked questions section under the domain name category. Email the host if you cannot find them.

By following the instructions at the web hosting site you choose, this is not difficult. The main thing you want to remember is to re-register your domain name at the end of the period of time you have chosen. This will ensure that your name remains with you which is essential to finding your website and keeping your business going.