Internet Marketing Basics - Setting Up Pt IV - Checking Available Domain Names
In the last two posts, I talked about choosing a domain name and the difference between having a .com, .biz, .info, etc., TLD (Top-Level Domain). Before you can actually register a domain name, you will want to check what is available. Your Internet Hosting Provider will likely have a domain-availability checking tool. I like to use ExpertHost's tool because I can check several domains and TLDs at the same time. (Initially, you enter one domain name. Once you submit that for checking, you get a new page that allows you to enter several choices.) ExpertHost's tool also is secure in the sense that no one can poach the names while you're checking. That is not true for some of the domain registrars the last time I checked. Name poachers watch there to see who is searching for names, and if someone doesn't register a name they searched for, the poacher may register it themselves. [Note: I do have several domain names registered through ExpertHost, as well as one hosting plan, but I am not an affiliate.]I also tend to use GoDaddy's tool, as that's where I'm now registering all my new domains and my clients' domains. [Again, I am not an affiliate at the present time, but that may change.] As their tool only lets you check one name at a time, I often use a variety of domain-checking tools that are not part of a Hosting Provider. My favourite is DomainsBot. It's an excellent tool for not only checking on the domain name you want, but related names as well. Using their tool, you can enter a word or phrase, and it'll give you back a long list of related options for domain names (including different TLDs) that are available. For example, if you are selling mushroom-related products and services, you can enter "i love mushrooms". DomainsBot will tell you, in this case, that ilovemushrooms.com is taken (you can backorder it in case it expires without renenewal), but that iwantmushrooms.com, iloveshrooms.com, ilovefungi.com, and many other variations (including .net, .info, .org, .biz) - some good, some silly - are available. It lets you check the ones you are interested in registering. That is, you can register the names with them, and then when you find a Host Provider you like, you can transfer the name registration records. As you'll find out in my next post, I prefer to register with my Host Provider instead of elsewhere.
(c) Copyright 2005-present, Raj Kumar Dash, htttp://www.chameleonintegration.com/blogs/netmarketing
