6. Web Hosting Services and Domain Names

Domain names and web hosting services may seem like the least of your worries, but there are numerous reasons to seriously consider these underpinnings for your website. 

First and foremost, when it comes to domain names, try to stay away from the silly, stupid, ridiculous or clever. 

Keep your domain name simple and make it something your customers can remember if they lose the link to your business website. 

Take note that, while your domain name on Geocities or AOL may seem like the least expensive way to go, it may also get you dropped from certain search engines. 

Some search engines ignore domain addresses that reside on these free or 'on the cheap' servers. 

Even if your site is recognized and considered by search engines, a professional domain name that uses your primary company name or associated words is likely to get more attention and be considered as a stable business by your prospective customers. 

Domain names are not that expensive (they run about $16 and up, and there are many companies that can register the name for you, assuming it is available and has not already been used by another company).  www.godaddy.com are very cheap, and good. And if you host your site with IX webhosting, you get domain name registration included with your hosting.

Using one of your keywords in your domain name can increase your score on some search engines.

For example, governorsteeshirts.com might have been more effective as governors-teeshirts.com or perhaps even teeshirts.com if that domain name was available.

You might also choose to establish more than one domain name using keywords and then link your related sites to your primary site. 

You will have to pay for the domain name and for monthly hosting fees, but it may be worthwhile, depending on the type and size of your business and your competition.  Some hosting companies, such as IX Webhosting, have a good deal where you can host multiple sites in one account. They're inexpensive, and I've found them to be reliable. Plus you get a number of different IP addresses for each account.  For example, with the Business Plus account, you get 3 free domain name registrations included, and 6 IP addresses - plenty to try the strategy below out.

Let's say governorsteeshirts.com wants to buy a few more domain names and tie them to their primary site. The related sites could be niche content sites that generate traffic for the primary site, which contains the storefront.  Content sites are a great way to 'pre-sell' visitors - that is, to put them in more of a 'ready to buy' mood.

Once established, the navigation could look something like this:

allteeshirts.com -->>  Governorsteeshirts.com (primary site) <<-- teeshirtsandmore.com
                                                  ^
                                                   !
                                      teesshirtsarewe.com

The other reason you want to have a professional domain name that it is owned by your business and isn't some free or cheap domain through a web host or other service provider is that it gives your business a professional feel. 

When a customer gets an email from dominicstone@governorsteeshirt.com the customer feels as if they are dealing with a stable, professional business operation. 

That customer doesn't need to know that you are answering email for all the email boxes on your domain.  They just need to feel your business is dependable and reputable.

When you have an established domain name with a good web hosting company, you can get reports on your traffic and which of your pages your customers are visiting most often, as well as many other statistics.

Your web host will charge you a fee for monthly service that ranges from $3.95 or $20 to the more expensive $50.00 per month.  Plan to pay between $45 and $500 per year to your web host. 

As we said before, say away from free web hosting services, because you may experience a lot of downtime and you are likely to have significant limitations in storage, email addresses, FTP upload, etc.  I use IX webhosting and have never had any problems with them.

With free hosting, you will also be using a URL and email address that is obviously small time and this may lead your customers to think you don't have the money to be in business.

Be sure your web host can accommodate e-commerce and storefronts, wireless capability, blogs and anything else you want to add onto your site. 

Estimate what your growth needs are and ensure that this web host can serve you as you grow. 

You don't want to have to change web hosts in mid-stream unless you absolutely have to do so.

Check your bandwidth capability to be sure that, if your website traffic grows rapidly, your customers will not have to wait to download or view information.

• Introduction
• Why Is My Website Traffic So Low?
• Is your website designed for search engine optimization?
• What is the quality and integrity of your web hosting service?
• Does your website give enough information for customers to contact you or to purchase your product or service?
• Understanding Your Target Customer
• Design A Website To Attract More Clients - Keywords
• Use Keywords in Page Titles
• Understanding Keyword Density
• Site Component Design
• Website Storefronts and e-commerce Sites
• Are You Search Engine Savvy?
• 15 Simple Tips To Get Repeat Search Engine Traffic
• Keeping Up With The Competition
• Become A Web Sleuth
• Getting Professional Help
• Summary

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