Posted on October 03, 2008 by Brett

Domain names can trace their roots back to ARPNET. This introductory method of transferring information electronically used alphabetical sequences because they were easier than remembering random numbers. Unfortunately in order to send an email to someone, you had to know the entire track the email needed to travel. As long as the email system was relatively small this was manageable. When the Internet became publicly used, things quickly got too difficult to handle.

The new system, the Berkley Internet Name Domain (BIND), was developed by the University of California, Berkley. Originally a graduate student project, the application now controls virtually every domain name system in the world. The popularity of BIND can be partially attributed to the fact that it is free open source shareware, which allowed everyone to tinker with the system creating a whole that was much greater than the sum of its parts.

Choosing a domain name can seem like a daunting task. Millions of web sites are up and running around the world. Even so, good domain names are available with a bit of thought. Your goal in setting up an Internet based business is to provide something different, and as a result, your domain name will reflect that.Your web design firm can help you with domain questions

Your first goal is to create a list that describes the purpose of your website. Make a couple of lists to help expand your thoughts. For example if you are planning to start a web based knitting business you might include the types of supplies, yarns and materials you plan to have available. Describe your ideal customer or your aspirations and you will start to narrow down your choices.

Once you have a list in mind, use a name domain research tool to see whether or not your choice is available. Don’t forget to see if variations of your name also exist. Continuing in the knitting theme, YKnot.com and WhyKnot.com are similar enough that someone searching for you might hit one or the other, it is advisable to purchase both domain names to prevent customers getting lost at another site. Domain names are certainly cheap enough to pay for the extra name to avoid such problems and you can choose a long or short contract when the time comes to commit. The cost for paying for a domain name for two years makes sense.

Remember to keep an open mind when investigating your choice of names with a research tool. There are people who picked as many likely names as they could think of and bought them all in the hopes of selling you a name you like. These individuals are out to make a quick buck by convincing you that you can’t live without the first name that came to your mind. Ignore them and move on to your next choice. The only exception to this rule is if you have an established clientèle and forget to renew your domain name in time. At that point you might want to consider paying a reasonable amount to regain your old name, but be wary and always remember to ask people with experience like your web designer for tips.

Getting an online presence is so easy these days. Most large domain name sites will walk you through all the steps and you can have a site online in a matter of days. Your domain name is your anouncement to everyone, pick something fun.