Obviously there should be a takeaway for small business here, and there is. I will share my experience on choosing domain names and why you might want to think about changing your domain name, too.

From Idea to Domain Name in 60 Seconds  (It May Actually Take a Bit Longer)

The best time to think about a domain name is when you have the idea. Even if you are not sure if this is the perfect name, you should try to secure the domain name as soon as possible. Many registrars have mobile websites and/or mobile apps that enable you to find and register a domain name on the go.

Think about these characteristics when deciding on a domain name:

What if the Domain Name Is Registered by Somebody Else?

According to a Verisign report, there are over 209 million domain names. That is a lot of domain names, and it also makes your chances of getting the domain name of your choice a wee bit remote. If the domain name of your choice is already registered to someone else, use Whois to find out who owns the domain. Then you can try contacting the owner directly  to make an offer to buy the name, or use a certified offer service to escrow the transaction.

What if the Domain Name Is Expiring?

The registrant of a domain name is given a good amount of time to renew their domain name. It may take up to 40 days before a expired domain name is available for re-registration. You can look for back-order services that may be useful with expiring domains.

Dot.com or Bust Is No Longer True

Remember the .com era where we first moved content and commerce online? The Web has evolved, and so have domain names. Now you have a choice of domain name extensions, and there will be many more to come. When you search for a domain name, most registrars give you a  choice of many extensions. .Co is one such extension that you can choose.

How Many Domain Names Should a Small Business Buy?

At a minimum, look at registering a few of the popular domain name extensions. Consider misspellings of the domain names if your gut tells you that people may make typos when inputting the domain name.

Social Networks and Domain Names

Here are some ways to use your domain name with your social networks:

• If you have a Blogspot blog, you can choose to have a custom domain name; the same with WordPress.com domain names.
• Use a domain name to forward to your Facebook or Linkedin profile.
• I use third-level extensions to forward to my Linkedin, Facebook and Flickr.
• If you have a really long domain name and are not registering another short one, explore using a URL shortener service like bit.ly to customize the URL and redirect it to your domain name.

About Todayisp
Todaynic.com International Limited(Todayisp.com) was incorporated in Hong Kong in 2005, directly under Todaynic.com, Inc. which was established in 2000. As one of the first ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), Verisign, HKDNR, and CNNIC (The China Internet Network Information Center) accredited registrars, Todayisp is also a leading provider of services in domain name registration and web hosting.

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