Create Social Media Accounts
Building social media presence takes times. But you have to create your social media accounts as soon as possible to secure social media URLs.
It is recommended to choose the social media URLs that match to your domain name. For example, my domain name is HostLater.com and my Facebook page URL is http://facebook.com/HostLater. In this way, people can find my page easily. And it will rank higher for the term Host Later .
There are several social networking sites. But you dont have to join all of them. Join social media sites based on your audience. Here is a list of common social media sites.
How To Buy A Domain Name
Do you want to promote your business on the internet? If so, you need to build a website and to do that, one of the first things youll need is a domain name.
You may have heard of the term domain. It is the online location of a website and every business must have one if they want to have a site.
However, to get a domain, you need to buy and register it. If youre not sure how to do that, read on to find out how to buy a domain name.
Then consider partnering with WebFX for our web design and development services. just call 888-601-5359 or contact us online to get started today!
Get Business Phone Fax Number And Po Box
Getting a dedicated phone and fax number for your business is essential when building a company. You can always have these numbers forward calls to your cell phone or home phone or simply get a toll free number for your customer feedback and client services.
A PO Box also helps you avoid the need to give out your home address for your business. This is also helpful if you are leasing premises for your business and would like the freedom to move to another place if the need arises.
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Favicon And Logo Creation
Favicon is nothing but a small image in front of your website name.
For example open google.com. On the top of your browser, you will see the G icon. That is called a favicon.
Also, you have to create a logo for your website. Although it is a bit optional. But it is good if you have your own logo for your website.
Your logo and your favicon give a visual identity to your website.
What To Do If You Cant Get The Domain Name You Want
Its not always possible to get the domain name you want. What should you do then?
- It might be unavailable or parked. You can contact the owner and make them an offer. Alternatively, you can modify your domain name by adding a word to it. For example, if you are using your product name, consider adding the word get to it, as Drip did with www.getdrip.com.
- It might be outside your budget. You can significantly reduce the cost of your domain name by choosing a less popular domain extension. Just dont go overboard with this. A whacky extension that no one has ever seen before might hurt your brand.
- It might be trademarked, like WordPress. When thats the case its best to just drop the idea and go back to the drawing board. Dont play with fire if you dont want to get burned.
Yes, its really annoying when you cant get a domain name that you want, but your only option is to get creative. And who knows, maybe youll come up with something even better?
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Top 10 Essential Things To Do After Buying A Domain Name
You have made the leap and decided to start your own business. You know what you want to do and what you are going to call yourself. So what next, how do you get online?
First things first, you have to register your domain name.
Once you have that perfect domain name secured, you can crack on, because registering your domain is just the tip of the iceberg. There is a lot more to be done to kick-start your new business venture. Thus, if you are wondering, I have a domain name now what? or how to go about it, then here is a list of essential things that weve put together to help you set it all up.
Domain Name Expirations: What You Need To Know
Website Domain names are the primary address a person or a business reserves to establish and distinguish themselves on the worldwide web. This name acts as a billboard, alerting potential customers of who you are, where you are, and what goods or services you provide. A website without a domain name cannot be found since it is not only the storefront sign, but also the doorway into the shop.
So, do domain names expire? Selecting the perfect domain name for your business can be a lengthy process that costs a good amount of your time, effort, and money. But once its yours, its yours until it expires. So, imagine this process: you get your domain name and link it to your website. You then spend months, if not years, building your brand around it. If successful, people begin to associate your product or service with the domain name. That domain is now an integral part of your business and the way people find you on the internet. Then, you log in one morning and receive a message that your domain has expired. All the hard work, all the time and money invested in building your brand around your domain name and domain name extension is simply not associated with your brand anymore. At this point, your expired domain name is up for sale and available to the highest bidder.
Domain.com has the tools you need to continue building your business into a success.
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Find A Credible Domain Registrar
A domain registrar is a company that is responsible for registering and managing domain names. Its accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers , a non-profit organization that controls the rules and regulations of domain name registration.
Choosing a reliable domain registrar is crucial because it can impact a project or business for years. Pick the wrong one and you might end up paying hidden fees or even get scammed. For example, there have been cases where a domain registrar pressures users into purchasing domain names similar to the ones they hold under false pretenses.
It can be challenging to pick from hundreds of domain registrars out there as they all offer similar services. Therefore, consider the following when choosing a registrar:
As we mentioned earlier, people can also purchase a custom domain from a hosting company that offers domain registration services, like Hostinger.
Since having a web hosting plan and domain name is essential to make a website, it may be more convenient to purchase and maintain them together at the same place.
Here at Hostinger, we offer low upfront and renewal costs for the most popular domain names and a dedicated 24/7 support team ready to assist you.
If you buy a domain name at Hostinger, its also possible to activate domain privacy protection. This feature can help hide specific details from being discovered through a WHOIS lookup.
What To Do After You Buy A Domain Name
After you buy a domain, what you do next depends on why you bought it in the first place. If you got itsolely for the purpose of having your own custom email address, and no other reason, seeHow toGet a Domain Name for Email Only for the steps to take.
Otherwise, I will assume here that you bought the domain so that you can create a website on it.
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How Can I Get A Free Domain For Com
You only need to register for any of the web hosting plans that offer a free domain name. However, make sure the value is enough for you to buy the .com TLD.For example, if you sign up for Hostingers Premium or Business shared hosting plans, you will get a free domain for one year with the value equivalent of a .com TLD.
You Already Have A Web Hosting Account
A web host is basically a company that has specially configured computers that are permanently connected to the Internet. They allow you toplace your website on their system so that it can be viewed by otherson the Internet.
If you don’t have a web host, you’ll need to sign up for one before you can point your domain anywhere. For this article to be relevant,your web host must allow you to use your own domain name for your site, which is the case for allcommercial web hosts .
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Select Your Domain Name Registrar
The first step is to find a reputable domain name registrar that youll use to register your domain name. While there are many domain name registrars out there, you need to make sure that your chosen registrar meets several criteria:
- They are an ICANN accredited registrar.
- They provide 24/7 quality support.
- They give you complete control over your domain name.
- They offer affordable domain names, several payment methods, and additional options such as domain privacy, bulk registrations, and additional extensions.
What If My Domain Is Already Taken
If someone already has your domain, you might still be able to buy it, but it will cost more. This is because instead of buying it from a registrar for a standard price, youll have to buy it off of whoever has it. Many people register domains they think could be profitable and then sell them on domain marketplaces like Sedo and Afternic. You can try searching those services if you need that specific domain.
The cheaper thing to do though is to try a different top level domain . There are many mainstream ones like .org, .net, and .co, but also some more obscure ones like .xyz, .biz, and .business. Often these wont be taken, and you can find a domain with the same name by buying one of these.
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How To Choose A Domain Name Registrar
The first step toward buying a domain name for your new venture is selecting a domain name registrar.
There are several factors youll want to consider when selecting your domain registrar, but before going into those details, lets break things down a bit and explain a few different terms that you might come across as youre searching for the right domain name registrar.
Registrar refers to a company, such as GoDaddy, that manages the domain name registration process. Different domain extensions are managed by their respective registries, but those registries dont sell domains directly to users . Thats where the registrar comes into play.
Like a middle man, the registrar works with the registries in order to deliver domains to end-users.
So, now that youre a bit more familiar with how the registry/registrar relationship works, lets take a look at what to consider when selecting your domain registrar.
What Happens When A Domain Expires
There are a variety of steps that will occur during a domain name expiration:
Step 1:
Domain expiration alerts: Prior to domain name registration expiration, Domain.com will begin sending reminders to you via email. At least two alerts will be sent before expiration, and one within five days of expiration.
Step 2:
Domain name registration expires: If the domain has not been renewed by the owner prior to the expiry date, the domains status will be changed to what is called a Renewal Grace Period. Under this status, you can still renew the domain name without incurring additional fees for a grace period of thirty days. As early as one day after expiration, your domain name will be deactivated and replaced with a parking page indicating the domain name has expired, and other services you have associated with the domain name may no longer function.
Step 3:
Renewal grace period ends: Once this period ends, the expired domain names status is changed to Registrar Hold. During this thirty-day period, the original domain owner may pay a redemption fee as well as the renewal fee.
Step 4:
Step 4b:
Step 5:
Step 6:
End of registry grace period: If this grace period ends without the domain name being renewed, it will then be put under the status of pending delete. If no actions of restoration occur on the part of the original owner, registry or registrar, the domain will eventually be deleted. This deletion will then release that domain name back for general registration.
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Secure Your Social Media Accounts
Before you get too involved with one particular social media network it makes sense to secure all the relevant social media accounts for your website/business.
In the short term you may only plan to use Twitter or Facebook, but whos to say later down the line you might not look to use other platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram as you expand your social media footprint?
For branding purposes its wise to ensure your social media accounts all have the same username/handle. Theres nothing more frustrating than going to sign up to a social network only to find someone else has beaten you to the punch.
When you find out all the best usernames are taken
For instance, at LCN.com we use the handle lcndotcom for all our social networks
- com/lcndotcom
- com/user/lcndotcom
- you get the idea
While this sounds like a terribly laborious task, its actually pretty easy to check the availability of your preferred name without signing up to each network individually.
Check out a tool called namechk , then just pop in your desired username/handle and hit enter. All of the social networks that are available will show in green.
This kind of preparation at the beginning of a website and/or business launch is vital for your long-term branding prospects. Get it right from the get-go.
Create A Custom Email Address
Once you own a domain, it allows you to have your own email address that is not tied to any ISP or webmail service. An email address with your domain name improve the credibility of your email and company image.
For example, it looks more professional to have than Most hosting plan allows you to create free email accounts with your domain name.
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