Choosing a Domain and Web Hosting for Online Business!

Selecting the right web hosting company for your online business is key. Below are some tips on what to looking for in a website hosting company.

I personally use Host Gator because it is the most user friendly for newcomers, but everything an experienced online marketing needs as well.

When you first start your first online business, one of the first steps is choosing a domain name.  You cannot choose a domain name until you decide what you are going to sell online.  Niche markets are the best way to start.

A good niche is one that has sufficient web traffic, but also less competition.  It starts with keyword research to determine how many people are searching for certain things online, followed by additional research to see what the competition level are within that market.

Which brings us back to choosing the best domain name and web hosting for your company.  Let’s say you want to sell pet collars.  This may be a niche marketing because it is a very specific within a larger marketing.  You do the proper keyword research and access the competition.  You decide that this is a good market to go into.

The best domains are ones that reflect the main keyword of your online business.  If you top keyword is “buy pet collars online”, then you want to choose a domain name that reflects that.  If www.BuyPetCollarsOnline.com is not available, then you need to try different variations of those words.  You may also want to consider a different domain extension, such as .net or .info.

It’s best to not have dashes in your domain name just for the sake of looks, but doesn’t hurt either.  In fact, many websites using the Site Build It online business building process use dashes in their domain names to get the keywords they want in the domain.  i.e.:  www.buy-pet-collars.com

You do not need web hosting to do the initial search of your domain name.  All web hosting companies have a search tool on their home page so you can conduct domain searches for free.  But once it comes time to register your domain name, you will need to sign up with a web hosting company.   As  mentioned above, I use HostGator.com. They offer both domain registration and website hosting.

The cost of a domain is roughly $7 a year, sometimes less depending on the extension… i.e. .biz and .info. Web hosting whoever is where you website sits for open access by people on the internet. There is a monthly fee involved for obtaining hosting.

The Reason I use Host Gator is because they have a great starter package for those who just want a single domain…. but also allow hosting of multiple domains. You access one account for multiple domains and website. As well, Host Gator allows you to install a WordPress Blog with one click – literally…. and fro there you can easy to get the Thesis Theme installed as well, which is the one I recommend.

In closing, an important note about existing hosting that may be Free to you.. Often, when signing up to membership website or web building training courses, website hosting is also included. This is true of Chris Farrell Membership, as well as Site Build It.

In both cases you learn how to build a one page website, as is the case with Chris – or create a multiple page website with a lot of content about your passion, hobby or service based business. In BOTH cases, web hosting is included.

If you have any questions about web hosting or domains or anything to do with getting your online business up and running, please feel free to email me.