money for my life

Internet Marketing - The Domain Name Server (DNS)

In a nutshell, the DNS is the address of location of the server that holds your website. In order to change that, you will need to log into the account where you set up your domain name that you recently purchased (or will purchase). Choose “Manage Domain” once you are into your account, and then click the link that says “Manage Domain”.

You should have received an email from the hosting service when you set up with them.  Contained within that email you will find your own domain name servers. Copy them from your email into the fields that are asked for in the domain name management account. Once you do that, hit “okay” (you’ll probably have to hit that twice).

You are done.

What seems like it should be more complex than it is really isn’t. You are well on your way to having your own website and enjoying the rewards that Internet Marketing and successful traffic flow will bring.

Have a GREAT day!

Tags: domain name selection

Internet Marketing - The Web-Hosting Is Not All That Scary

The last thing that you need to do when purchasing your domain name (see earlier posts) is to set up the account. Once you have picked a web-hosting service like HostGator,  yhey will ask you to set up a user name. Make sure that you follow the criteria that is set forth for you and be sure to write it down. I have a couple of places that I put it down so that it will not be easily forgotten. Don’t just put it in one place, you need to have other locations available.

You may ask ,”Why do I need to have a web-hosting service?” A web-hosting service is simply a physical place for your website to be stored. Your web-hosting account allows your website to be stored somewhere other than your location and will be much less expensive for you than going out and purchasing servers and expensive equipment. A good web-hosting service like HostGator can also be a lifeline when you are having technical difficulties or possibly any server issues.

Tomorrow we will discuss the DNS, or Domain Name Server, process, a quick and easy process to help you get your very own website up and running.

Have a GREAT day!

Tags: domain name selection, web hosting

Internet Marketing: Actually Purchasing Your Domain Name

Once you have gone through the process of purchasing your domain name and it comes time to pay for it, you will be given a lot of different options for how long you want to have your domain name for. Some advocate getting it for only one year. It may cost a few dollars more that if you were to purchase it for a three-year period. The length of time is up to you, but I tend to lean toward the one year timeframe.

Why one year?

The name may not work out for you. What you thought was cool and catchy for you may be problematic for traffic generation. You don’t want to be stuck with having paid for that name for the three to five years. If the domain name that you purchased did work ou well, you can always go ahead and purchase it for the additional time.

Now that you have purchased your domain name, now what?

You need to have a web hosting account. Basically a web hosting account is where your website will be located. I have used HostGator and have been very pleased with them. Start out small, and as your success grows, you can always add more size and storage to your site. The reason I recommend HostGator is that they have tested a lot of the scripts and programs available to you for your website and their customer service department is well-staffed and knowlegable.

When choosing your options at the web-hosting service, make sure that you choose the option you choose is the existing domain because you have already purchased the domain name.

More later, and have a GREAT day!

Tags: domain name selection

Internet Marketing: Purchase That Name!

Yesterday we looked at the domain name selection process, which is fairly easy and painless. Now that you have found a domain name that is available, you can easily purchase it. This process can usually be done in a short amount of time. Here are some things to think about that will come up during your domain name purchasing process:

* Privacy - once you register a domain name, by law, the information goes into a “whois” directory. For a fee of about $10 a year, you can make that private. If you don’t make it private, anybody can have access to your name, address, and phone number. That will be a decision that only YOU can make.

* Avoid the add-ons - Securing a domain name is a pretty cheap prospect, and it can be for as little as $4.95 a year. At this early stage, it is recommended that you just purchase your domain for one year. I have purchased multiple names that sounded good at the time, but now I no longer need them. Companies are good at selling you the extras because that is where they make more of their profits (think: “Do you want fries with that?”)

* The extra domain names - The easy part is now that you just have to fill out a few fields that will take you about five minutes or so. Some of the sites that sell domain names will offer you variations of your site name with .org or .net endings. You will be better off by just getting the .com domain because most websites are of the .com variety.

Tomorrow: Getting a Hosting Site

Have a GREAT day!

Tags: domain name selection, internet marketing

Internet Marketing: Let’s Get it Going!!

A lot has been said about driving traffic to your website lately. That is all good and well, but I had somebody ask me the other day, “how do you get a website?” My fault. I assumed that everybody already had a website. It wasn’t too long ago that I hadn’t a clue on securing a website. So, let’s take some time to do just that.

One of the first steps that you can take is to secure a good website name. In retrospect, www.money-for-my-life.com is alright, but it can be a bit cumbersome to type in all of the dashes. You will want to go to a site like GoDaddy and get your website name. They have a great tool that allows you to check the availability of the name, and, if it is available, you can easily add it to your shopping cart. Personally, I have about 10 different names, but I have only developed three of them, but as time goes on, the others will have actual sites. The names are just reserved at this point.

Choose names that will go along with the target audience and will be one that they will easily remember. You can try several words run together, and even use an online thesaurus to find words that mean the same as others that people will still use to find your site. It is always a good idea to have a list of ten or more when you try to find your domain name. The reason is that some of the best ones may already be taken so you want to have a backup plan.

Tomorrow:  Actually purchasing your domain name.

Have a GREAT day!

Tags: domain name selection

What’s In a Name?

In order to build an online presence and having traffic to your website, the choice of the name for the web address is of utmost importance.  The web address must have something to do with the product or service that you are offering, or you may find cobwebs growing on your website.  Here are some tips to choosing a good domain name:

* Find a keyword phrase and check its availability.  One of the best sources for domain names that I have found is GoDaddy.  The rates are reasonable and when searching for a domain name, they often will pop out some that are similar that you haven’t thought of.

* Don’t use all initials.  If you recall the early days of the Internet, it seemed that initials were the thing.  This is great if you are KFC (originally Kentucky Fried Chicken), but not so great if you are Domains Of Real Kingdoms Making A Niche (DORKMAN).  Take the time and do the research and it will save you in the long run.

* Use a .com ending, especially if you are doing a business.  There are more and more endings available (.org, for example), but people still associate .com with a more legitimate website. 

Be sure to check back here for more sources, links, and ideas.  I would love to hear from you!

Tags: domain name selection, internet marketing, money, web hosting