Domain Registration

Domain Registration

Domain Registration – Use the form below to create an account. Once your account is registered you can acquire as many domain registration names as you would like. Click on “New User” or “Click Here to Register” to setup your new account. You can use the www. window to check the availability of the domain you wish to acquire. If the name is not available it will show the availability of similar names or you can try a totally different name.

If you are new to domain registration names be sure to read 11 Tips, How to Choose a Domain Name located below the domain registration form.

Once your domain names are registered you can manage them as to Nameservers, DNS information or just park the name(s) for future use.

If you need help with setting up an account or domain registration please contact us at domains@webs4udesign.com. We are here to help. And after you register your domain name remember, we are also ready to help with web design and hosting.

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11 Tips
How to Choose a Domain Name

Domain Registration - choose your website name

What is a domain name?

A domain name is how your website will be known online, no matter what type of website you’ll have. It is the unique address of your site on the internet and it will be yours as long as you continue paying the annual fee. Users who know your domain technically referred to as a URL (uniform resource locator) can simply type it in their browser’s address bar, and be taken there. Others will be able to discover your blog/website through search engines such as Google and Bing.

1. Choose a unique name

If you are marketing yourself, ideally you’ll be able to use your first and last names (johnsmith.com or janesmith.com). Even if you aren’t marketing yourself, it’s not a bad idea to register your name as a domain now, in case you want to use it in the future. If you are marketing your business, you should see if your business name (yourbusiness.com) is available through domain registration.

Using a search engine like Google, search for your proposed blog or website name. Does your search show any sites with similar domain names? If it does, try a different name. Giving your website a name that’s similar to other existing sites is the first step to failure. Also, don’t choose names that are plural or misspelled versions of existing sites.

2. Brainstorm

Pick at least five words or phrases that describe the key topic of your website. Write them down, then mix and match the words to create possible domain names. Choose one that sounds good and will be memorable.

There’s a rule in advertising that says when launching a new product, you need to start by making a list of ten names. The first three are easy. Maybe you can do five or six without breaking a sweat, but by the time you get to last one, you’ll be stuck for more ideas. Using the outline described above, choose the best one from your list and you are on your way. Don’t be afraid to ask some friends what they like. That’s the best way to help choose your domain name!

3. Make it easy to type

If you have to spell out your domain name more than once for it to be understood, then it won’t work. Keep the name simple to remember and easy to enter in an address bar or search field.

Why is simplicity important? Because you don’t want your future visitors to incorrectly type in your name and be directed to a different site. A classic example is the popular social media site, Flickr.com, introduced in 2005. Four years later, the company had to acquire Flicker.com for a large sum of money in order to redirect the many visitors who misspelled their name. If you’re determined to have that oddly spelled name, make sure common misspellings are also available so you can register them and redirect visitors to the main domain.

4. Choose “.com” first

Up to 75% of all websites are “.com” domains. It is still the preferred extension and the easiest to remember. If your number one name choice isn’t available, then try your second choice before accepting other TLDs. Remember that some browsers accept address-only entries in their address bar. If you type just the domain name (and who knows how many of your users will just do that?) they will return, by default, to the “.com” site.

5. Make it brandable

Your domain name will be your brand. Some names speak for themselves. When you hear the name, you know what the website is about. Take a look at Top 100 blogs by DailyTekk, and you’ll see that most popular websites have brandable names.

6. Shorter is always better

As we’ve been saying, shorter is better. If you can’t get your domain name down to one memorable word (almost impossible to come by these days), then consider adding one or maximum two more words. Combinations of two words work great for the memorable names like LifeHacker.com or GeekSquad.com. Also, don’t use an acronym. People will never remember the letters unless it’s a highly catchy name.

7. Avoid trademark problems

Once you’ve decided on your top choices for your site name, make sure you are not violating anyone’s trademarks. To check within US, visit uspto.gov/trademarks and do the search before you register the name. It is always good to check now because this could kill a great website and business down the road. Also, if you are going to include some big name product, such as Twitter or Facebook, review their terms and conditions. Most will not allow you to use their name in any part of your domain.

8. No numbers or hyphens

Numbers and hyphens (especially hyphens) cause confusion. Stay away from them at all costs. Even something as clever as the number1website.com will cause confusion. Make the name speak for itself.

9. Beware of trends

Anything that deals with something trendy will, like the trend, fade away. Stick with a classic name that will span the generations and not be tied down to a trend or fad. Deciding whether something is a trend or here to stay, is a matter of personal judgment, but it’s usually not too hard to tell.

10. Marry your domain name

It sounds odd, but you have to be absolutely sure you love your domain name. Once it’s set, you have it for years to come. If you decide later to rename it, then you will lose time, money, branding, and rankings. We do not recommend changing your domain once your blog has been live for any considerable amount of time.

11. Check social networks

Before you register your desired domain name, it’s always a good idea to check social networks for the same name. To keep your site name constant and to build your brand, you want a name that is readily available. For example: check facebook.com/yourdomain, twitter.com/yourdomain – and secure them as well.

The above information is used from firstsiteguide.com  The information is used here to better help you in choosing the best domain name possible. You can find more information of this sort on their website.

“What is a VPN?” you ask. Read more……

IPVanish VPN (Virtual Private Network)

"So what exactly is a VPN?"

Get more from the Internet—especially privacy, anonymity and safety—by using an IPVanish VPN before you do anything online!

Who doesn’t love the Internet? It delivers information, answers, entertainment and connections to you, on demand, in seconds.

From anywhere and at any time from our desktop computers, laptops, smartphone and tablets.

It’s a life-saver for students of all ages, moms, businesses, organizations…everyone.

But the Internet is not perfect. It has some built-in flaws that make you vulnerable when you’re online. You should know that, because hackers, government and other snoopers and advertisers take full advantage of it.

A VPN changes that for you!

But you can make the Internet safer, more secure and definitely more private with the help of a VPN…a virtual private network.

You’ve probably been hearing more and more about VPNs for home use and travel. That’s because it’s more important than ever to be smarter and safer while you’re on the Internet.

More than that, don’t you want to go on the Internet without being tracked, monitored, and identified…without your knowledge? In today’s world, that freedom is getting harder to find.

A VPN…described.

Here’s a quick, helpful definition…and about all you need to know about a VPN.

  • An IPVanish VPN is a service that you sign up for online for a small monthly charge
  • Once you have an account, your VPN service should be “on” when you’re online
  • An IPVanish VPN, in action, takes your Internet connection and makes it more secure, helps you stay anonymous and helps you get around blocks and access censored sites.
  • The key to an IPVanish VPN is that it lends you a temporary IP address and hides your true IP address from every website or email you connect with

It’s Virtual…because it’s as if you have a private connection directly to any website or another computer you connect to.

It’s Private…because all your website visits and online activity is between you and the websites you visit.

It’s a Network…because you’re using a special network of VPN servers that covers the entire globe.

Your IP address is a potential problem. You may want to hide it.

Your IP address is a behind-the-scenes number your Internet provider assigns your computer that allows you to go anywhere on the Internet. It’s something like the house number on your home.

That’s the good news. The somewhat “bad” news is that your IP address also gives away your computing location, at home or on the road. That bothers a lot of computer users.

Why?

Because governments have tracked people down by their IP address, with the help of the person’s Internet Service Provider.

Also, online businesses of all kinds monitor activity coming from IP addresses. They may not know your name, but they know you like their website.

Online companies and networks can (and do) restrict someone’s access to a website based on where the user is located. Guess how they know where the user is? Right…the user’s IP address.

Finally, hackers can break into networks and sometimes take over devices through its IP address.

As hard as IT experts, Internet providers and technology companies try, the Internet is not as safe or private as you wish it should be.

As you can see, we don’t have nearly enough privacy, or security, as we’d like.

A virtual private network levels the playing field.

However, when you go online using an IPVanish VPN account, you tilt the scales in your favor. An IPVanish VPN account can instantly and continuously provide…

  • More privacy. Your connections cannot be linked to your computer…and you. You can visit any website and your ISP doesn’t know where you’ve been.
  • More security. VPN connections are super secure. The network is hack proof and all of your Internet activity is encrypted (coded) and unreadable in transit.
  • More website access. No more blocks or censorship. They can’t prevent from getting to websites based an IP address.
  • More anonymity. Your true IP address is hidden! You’re unidentifiable online because you’re constantly using a different IP address, never your own. In fact, it typically looks as if you’re in a different part of the world from where you really are.

Here’s the best part. Everything else about your Internet experience stays virtually the same.

But you will have so much more going for you.

Remember, you don’t need to switch the Internet Provider Service you use at home or the office to connect to the Internet.

You also don’t need to buy any new equipment, like a modem or router, or hire some squad of geeks to hook you up to anything.

It’s all done online. In minutes.

The more you know about the Internet, you’ll realize that using a VPN such as IPVanish is a smart idea.

The above information comes from whatismyipaddress.com