In the previous lesson, we talked about branding your business and naming your product.
Once you’ve come up with a product name, you’ll need to register a domain. However, some domains are much better than others, so I want to take a few minutes to explain it to you right now…
(Watch this video…)
Main points:
– .COM is usually the best, especially if it’s for the primary website of your business
– .ORG can be beneficial in gaining trust, and may be preferable for some information and service oriented websites.
– Country-specific extensions (ex. .CA, .IN, .JP) can be advantageous if you’re marketing exclusively to a niche within a certain country.
In general, I would prefer a domain with no hyphens. It’s debatable, but hyphens may create a visual advantage in some cases for SEO and PPC. However, it also makes the domain harder to remember, and more difficult to say out loud.
– If your product name is 2 or 3 words, it would be ideal for the domain to match it.
– If your product name is not available to register as a domain, you’ll want to check to see if that domain is currently in use. If someone is using that domain to sell a product in your niche, I would recommend coming up with a new product name to avoid conflicts.
– If your product name is long, you’ll need to come up with a shorter domain. (see example on video)
– There are hundreds of places on the internet where you can register a domain. Some are better than others. If you’ve already found a good and reliable registrar, feel free to stick with them.
– I recommend registering your domain with someone OTHER than your web host. (reasons explained)
– It’s important that you have good control over your domain (easily be able to change DNS, set up child name servers, etc)
– I recommend using www.LifeDomains.NET
(see registration walk-through on video)
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY:
You may want to consider getting your own domain sales business, like mine. There are always people who need to register domains, so if your business has anything to do with business or money, then this could be a good side business for you. Domain resellers are making as much as $37k per month with this opportunity!
Click here for info about getting your own turn-key domain business
(Includes bonus advertising credits and other freebies. See details on site…)
Action steps:
1) Register a domain for your business.
Use the guidelines from this lesson to register a good one!
After you’ve registered your domain, the next step is to get it hosted. There are good hosts, and there are bad hosts, and choosing the wrong one could be a costly mistake. Having been a web hosting company owner, it’s a subject that I know a fair amount about, and I’ll be sharing the important facts with you in the next lesson.
As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below 🙂 (Feel free to let us know about your new domain, even if it’s just parked right now)
Have a great day!
Eric,
Thank you for these wonderful lessons. You have helped me tremendously, as I’m sure you have others. I’m looking forward to more great insights from you. I also enjoy all the comments. One can learn from so many sources. LOL!
Hi Eric,
Last June 2008, when we got hold of IAT from you and Joel Comm, we registered our domain name with the webhost recommended in IAT. But except for the price which is a little more expensive, it was relatively quick to get one directly from the webhost. Before once can sign for webhosting, they ask for the domain name. And isn’t it the case also that when you register for a domain name, the registrar also asks for the domain server where it will be hosted? So it’s kind of confusing for an absolute beginner like us.
Because of IAT, we had the confidence to put up a website; even without really using any of the templates there. We had never written an html file much less use the cpanel and everything before this. It was really a great learning experience.
Many thanks to your free lessons, we have even learned more. But we find it’s not so easy to learn wisely really; if one is a beginner. So in our recent blog post at http://www.usefulstrategy.com/blog, we put up a link to one of your video lessons. Is this an accepted practice? Anyhow, this is also like our way of thanking you for the great work you are doing in Eric’s tips; and mostly for free. As you’d expect, we are always looking forward to your every lesson. Many thanks!
Hi Eric,
I’m going to upgrade my hostgator account. Is there a way to do it so that you get an aff credit?
Thanks,
Colin
thanks for thinking of me man, but I don’t think I can get credit for it. You could ask them, but it’s OK if not. thanks
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Hello Eric; Your tips are fantastic, I’ve been following them from the beginning. I’ve had my website on the net for 2 months now, unfortunately not much traffic to it. I’ve even written a free ebook listed on a seperate domain on the subject of internet marketing. That domain is http://www.freeinfoebook.com. Not much traffic there either. I don’t know why? I was wondering if you could possible spare some time and take a look at both of my websites and possibly give me some feedback on them I would appreciate this very much as I value your opinion as well as your tips. Thanks Brian
Brian, your http://www.planetinfoxpress.com/ site has numerous problems from a marketing standpoint.
-avoid using frames
-make it less cluttered
-the text looks jumbled, with not enough white space… needs to be more conducive for reading
– needs to be more focused
Your http://www.freeinfoebook.com site looks better. Still need to air out that text and make it easier to read. Might want to test adding a picture or video.
The headline is not catchy. “Major Companies Downsizing:Creating Massive Layoffs.” That’s old news… it will not connvince them to read the page. Be sure to focus on the BENEFITS. What’s in it for the visitor?
As far as not getting much traffic… that’s too much to cover in this reply. I’ll be doing about 20 lessons devoted to traffic. If you’re in need of a good course quicker, I recommend John Reese’s Traffic Secrets 2.0:
http://www.trafficsecrets.com/ericstips
Hi Eric – just a quick question….is this product yours? i have a alot of contacts that might be interested in purchasing it – are you open to set up a J.V or an afifliate on this product?
Speak soon,
Shah 07930385492
my name is MARK
which product are you referring to?
Hi Eric,
Thanks for the great lessons. Also thanks for the invitation to the ‘Illuminate’ convention. It was the best thing I have done for my IM education so far (with the exception of signing up for Eric’s tips)-unabashed plug for the good thing you are doing here to help us all learn the basics. It was really nice meeting you and your wife there. I like what you stand for Eric and it was nice to be around a lot of other IM’rs who were like minded. With all the hype and garbage on the Internet now days, it was good to be with a group of people who strive for integrity and have a desire to give something of real value. Marketers who try to put a face on the folks they deal with and who work for their customers as if working for the Lord. I still have a lot to learn but the most important lesson I learned as a complete newbie is to take action, just do a little bit everyday and don’t worry about it being perfect. If you are waiting for it to be perfect, you will never go anywhere in your Internet business. I am looking forward to being at Illuminate again next July. ‘Illuminate II” is bound to be even better.
Pete’s tip for ‘Eric’s Tips’ readers…. get on Eric’s early-bird list and get a special bonus if you attend. You won’t regret it!!
Hi Eric….
Your statments i DO-NOT….Find offensive….
Bro …Your coming from__heart & passion.
YET , currently …. folks are living in HI-
climate of : “Whats-Up ? ” ….
I think the french-President + american-President….allays ‘FEARS’….
NOW , is time to reassure All-marketers….
REGRADLESS….of Christian OR other persusions…
‘The-Time-Is-NOW’… to seize….
International-Co-Operation…
french & american__current-Presidents_
ASSURE Me WE can do This….
Thanks For_Your : Religlious-Honesty…
Honest-New- Maslows-Advertising is ‘Way-To-Go ‘…forget Freud & his nephew…..
Just-Be-REAL….
Let’s go ‘Open-REAL ‘…
Here’s to BE-REAL….
Larry
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Hi all,
My name is Jeff. I’m in the IT industry for 6 years.
I live in sunny Miami. You have a nice place here and I hope to become a serious contributor.
hi eric, again you have provided valuable info in an easy to understand way. I have viewed this lesson 4 times now and finally registered a domain name through life domains
my new domain is effectiveplrprofit.com
what do you think?
Pingback: LESSON #27: 5 Ways to Build a Website | Eric’s Tips
I think it’s a good domain. I think there might have been a better adjective than effective, but you definitely have the right idea.
Hi Eric,This is the first occasion i came across your web site.It is great.I am a newbie (and has been that way for the last 6 months lol).I specially liked the article on the young iranian lady (which I stumbled upon because we also have a similar problem with PayPal in my country!)It gave me a different perspective of what we have been taught to date!Hope to pass it on to a few of my friends ASAP.
Incidently I viewed your video on IM terms dictionary today.Very Useful I must say.Thanks for everything.
kind rgds
Great info regarding domain names. Thanx for your time and consideration, Eric.
Hi Eric,
I was psyched up after lesson #23 and was ready to get my domain name @ your site link posted in the lesson, and although I found one that I liked and was available, I could not get any further than that page. I did click continue but it says my session has expired after 20 minutes, so I tried again and again, but it still gives me the same error message. Can you help? I tried to go directly to the site and got the same thing. Is the site being worked on? Why can’t I sign up? Frustrated, pls help.
I am guessing it is a rare cookie issue with your browser. I would suggest, clear your internet history and delete cookies. Close all browsers. Then come back here and try again.
OK, thanx. I’ll try it again.
Hi Eric,
I’m brainstorming with domain names and I want to go with one that I think is right…it has total of 35 letters that describes the website…do you think that’s ok or is it to long.
thank you eric ,j am researcing my business from home almoust 6months and j reali mean that you are best teacher jve ever hade .j”am locking forward to start my online business and to work with you in the future best thanks to you from zeljko from macedonia -balkans europe YOU ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST
(I use Photoshop)
Is that Adobe Photoshop?
Thank you again for the great information.
Dan and Deanna “Marketing Unscrambled”
Hey Eric,
Thanks you for shedding some light on the disadvantages of using a free website. I own and operate chezsante.com and do my own site maintenance. Since this site is geard towards health and wellnesses services, would it be OK if I use it to sell information products? I await your response. Thanks
yes! there are plenty of information products that you can sell in the health and wellness niche. Just keep your site focused. If the main attraction of the site is to provide free information, do not detract from it. Keep all the free info in the forefront, and monetize it with the info-products on the back end. Build a subsciber list, and sell them the info-products through a series of autoresponder messages, etc.
Hi Eric,
Love the lessons. I look forward to a new one each day. I had a question about your HostGator affiliate URL. Is there some particular reason you use GetGator as a link to their homepage? Thanks.
It is a domain which I have redirected to my affiliate link. It is much easier to tell you to go to this short web address, rather than to give out my full affiliate link. When someone uses my affiliate link and orders hosting, I get paid a commission. That is one of the primary ways that I make money from these lessons.
Hello Eric,
Sorry for calling to the wrong number,I just didn’t know…
well what i wanted to ask is if the business opportunity of “your own domain Business” can be use in Mexico in regards of pricing, service info ..etc..this is were i would try to market. or it is best for USA and English speaking countries
thank you
Irving Orta
Best regards
No problem. Yes you can definitely use it in Mexico. However, all of the site an materials are in English language.
However, they do also have an API available, so you could build your own site in Spanish and tie it into the program. But obviously that wouldn’t be turn-key; it would be a lot more work for you to set it up.
oh , ok… actually i am currentlly in mexico so when i go to lifedomaine, I get pricing in Pesos..so, i guess currency conversion will not be a problem..
by the way..what is API..? =(
Currency conversion should not be a problem.
API is a programming interface, so you can connect a website with the back end of their system. I have not used it personally, but they said they have it.
I have been looking into getting a domain name but right at the moment I am only going to be affiliating so I kinda of having a problem picking a name. Ive been thinking dawnsbusiness.com and dawnsbusinessonline.com. I know they say you should have more than one name but should they be similar or not. Based on the fact that Im not really sure what I am doing at the moment.
any input would be greatly appreciated.I know this probably seems like a newbie stupid questions.
You could always start with one domain, and register another one later if you need it. I’d go with dawnsbusiness.com out of those choices. It’s a pretty good domain.
I may like to be your affiliate marketer as well. As a newbie, do you provide free website for us to start out first in our homebased business? Please let us know asap.
Is it risky for us to get a new domain name and web hosting for a fee and later on become a failure and waste all those money for nothing.
I do not provide free websites, as I teach how to build your own website. I think you have a better chance of success if you have some of those skills. Sure there’s always risk in business, but the point of these lessons is to minimize your risk and maximize your chances of success. Also, your risk for a domain and hosting is less than $100.
Protecting Your Business from Online Threats
Brief Description
Prescriptive advice on how businesses can protect their domains, customers, and assets
On This Page
Quick Details/Overview/System Requirements/Instructions
Download files below
Quick Details
Version: 2-2008
Date Published: 2/5/2008
Language: English
Download Size: 448 KB – 1.1 MB*
*Download size depends on selected download components.
Overview
This case study, which is a collaborative effort by Microsoft, the US Chamber of Commerce, and other industry groups, provides prescriptive advice on how businesses can protect their domains, customers, and assets.
Eric,
I’ve got such a download by clicking on “Search the Microsoft Download Center” from Microsoft Update > Administrator Options > Get more updates > Downloads A-Z > then clicked on S > found security & clicked on security > clicked NEXT till I found “Protecting Your Business from Online Threats – Prescriptive advice on how businesses can protect their domains, customers, and assets which was released on 2/5/2008 with Popularity of 9351 (or more).
Eric, will you be teaching us on how we can protect our business from possible copycats despite they might be possibly unintentional? I heard that we may need to get a software to protect us from some unfair competitors who know about hacking from trying to damage our online business by doing something funny. How do we do that as well? We can’t be simply focusing on how we must succeed by being complacent about protecting our butts. Where business competitions are most concerned, hackers don’t just hack into homes but banks, govenments, the Pentagon and mind you, also our online business. Do you protect yours, too?
Eric, as a newbie, this is one different question I need to know. Concerning developing a new business website, I was advised by Richard Quick’s book on Web Design that we shouldn’t use frames in our web because Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will fail to get us any traffic for sure. Can you advise us more about it?
Eric,
I was lured into buying web traffic softwares to get into SEO traffics much much more without paying so much like in PPC ads. Please advise.
Eric,
BlueVoda software was the first thing I had downloaded to give me a free beautiful blue website meant for my future online business but when I heard from one blogger who became a virus victim caused by BlueVoda on the following day, I clicked on to Control Panel and removed its programs at once. Prevention is better than cure. So, I did what I did. Nothing is truly free these days. What do you advise on this serious matter? There are so much things for newbies to learn indeed! Please advise.
Unfortunately it is not possible to completely protect your business from copycats. It’s just part of the nature of doing business online. I’ve dealt with my fair share of them, and I will answer questions for my subscribers and advise them of how to deal with it if any of them run into such situations.
Regarding frames and SEO, that is generally correct. You should not use frames.
If you have any malware/spyware on your computer, there are usually ways to deal with it, but sometimes it may require expert intervention. Here are some tips:
I actually like PPC a lot, and it is my favorite traffic method. But there are some good traffic related software. In fact I recommend these ones: Web traffic machines
Hey Eric this just great.I did not receive lesson 22.What do I need to do?
HI THANKS FOR THE GREAT INFORMATION YOU ARE MAKING AVAILABLE TO THE WORLD. PLEASE HOW CAN I DOWNLOAD THE TIPS.
for now I am not making them downloadable, you will just have to view them here on this site. When I am done completing the 100 lessons I will sell them as a collection.
here it is:
Hi Eric,
Another great lesson, thanks much!
Remember I told you I’m working on reinventing and marketing my Dad’s website (www.mystockpoint.com), do you think using the same name for product and domain is good i.e. product name is mystockpoint and domain remains mystockpoint.com?
With your lessons and guidance, I’m already beginning to formulate how the redesign new site will flow. Things are beginning to take more shape now, this is getting more and more exciting, thanks to you!
I know you will be talking about hosting in the next lesson, however I have 2 questions regarding hosting:
1. while I’m building on the new redesigned website with a new host, can the existing site with the current host still be available online? or when do I do the domain name transfer? since we have daily data posted we would like to have the existing available until the new website is launched, what’s the best way to handle?
2. I don’t know what tools I will use to build the new website. However, can you comment on the site build tools that comes free with hosting eg Hostgator vs xsite pro which costs about $200? As you mentioned in earlier lessons, at this point I want to minimize costs and buying, what’s your thoughts?
Thanks,
Shirley
1) Yes the existing site can still be online at the old host. You would change the DNS only when you are ready for it to go live on your new hosting account at hostgator.
2) I actually talk about both of those tools in lesson #31 🙂
Between the two I would definitely recommend XSite Pro, but if you’re short on cash you might want to wait until you watch lessons #28 through #33 to see which method appeals to you. You might decide to go with WordPress, which is free (and Hostgator has one-click install for it).