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Considering your own Internet domain nameWhat you should know...Contrary to popular belief, having your own internet domain name, like www.yournamehere.com, is not just about being cool. If you’re wondering whether you should register a personalized domain name, consider the following questions:
If you answered ‘yes’ to either one of these questions, then read on, because you’re not far from arriving at a decision about getting your own domain name. What picture are you creating? If you are still pondering the merits of owning a personalized domain name, chances are your e-mail address looks something like yourname@serviceprovider.com. While your current e-mail address might not present a picture of you hitching a ride on your service provider’s back, it does contribute to the impression your web friends, customers and business associates have of you. Your internet image should be important to you, especially if your business involves communicating by e-mail, maintaining a website, or conducting e-commerce. With so many people relying on the web for product and service support, it’s important to make sure that all aspects of your presence on the internet, including your e-mail and website addresses, are consistent with your business image. We’re not suggesting your internet contacts will think the worst of you, but just consider: 1) your contacts can readily conclude that you’re not among their contacts who own their own domain names, and 2) you’ve created a situation that prominently advertises your internet service provider at your expense – that’s like prominently displaying the name of your telephone company on your business card or office sign. Is that the kind of image you want to portray? Increase your resources Having your own domain name doesn’t just present you as a professional, internet-savvy person. It also provides new internet tools. For example, you can use e-mail aliases, like sales@yourname.com, specialoffer@yourname.com, or newemployee@yourname.com, to help sort and prioritize incoming mail, indicate the size of your organization and accommodate additional staff. You can even switch internet service providers whenever you have a chance to get better service or lower fees, because your internet domain name-linked address will always remain unchanged. Around the virtual block Since becoming a household word some 10 years ago, the worldwide web has become a pretty crowded place. Reaching the right website address or information source can be as frustrating as trying to find a downtown parking space in a big city. Sometimes, the person trying to find your website will be persistent, battling through a labyrinth of search engine directions and dead-end addresses. Other times, it’s two wrong turns and goodbye. It’s becoming increasingly important for business site hosts to do everything possible to provide straightforward directions to web travelers. If you’re on a freebie server and your address looks like www.serviceprovider.com/users/~yourname, you’re not making it easy for visitors. Without your own domain name, even search engines are less likely to help you. While they don’t promote it, an increasing number of search engines are refusing to register sites attached to free website servers. So, your chances of getting into the top 20 on a search list are slim to nil. On the contrary, a well-thought-out domain name, like a nickname or local phone number, can be easily remembered and is more likely to be used. With the necessary registration, your domain name will be exclusive to you. It is your advertising asset. Your own domain name can help to build your reputation and offer potential customers clear directions to your site information, services or products. Easy steps to follow There is a regular registration fee, which can be readily transformed into your investment in better internet usage. DynIP’s dynamic DNS services can help you to keep costs down and minimize technical requirements. Only you can decide whether it’s to your benefit to register your own domain name for your e-mail/website addresses. Are you tired of piggyback rides? Do you want your contacts constantly circling the virtual block in search of your site? Besides, did we mention it’s cool having your own domain name? |
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| Printed from: /main/ns/114/doc/86/lang/EN on Monday November 25, 2024 |
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