Having a website can become a real nightmare for someone who has no knowledge of how it works, what it is worth, the time it should take, etc. Many web design companies out there charge excessive amounts of money and abuse their customers because these poor customers have no clue what to ask for, what is happening in the background, what kind of result they should expect.  Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against web designer. I have been one myself for the past 12 years. But because of that, I know what I am talking about. And I have had many customers running to me asking for help, telling me that they got ripped by some unethical firm because they didn’t know anything apart the fact that they wanted a website.

I think what differentiated me with these companies was the fact that I was explaining the process and answering any questions that the customer had right from the start and all along the process. I am a very honest person and I know for a fact that I have been charging a lot less than I could have charged if I compare to other web design firms, but i have built trust and respect along the years, which in my mind is worth a lot more in the long run. A reputation is very hard to build and when you treat your customers right they are the best advertisement that you could ever have. In a business world where competition is so tough, the only thing that can really make a difference and why people choose a company over another one, is what that company gives extra, the customer service, the effort to always please them, etc.

So I decided to start this series of articles to explain every step required to have a website just like when I was explaining that to my own customers, from the very beginning starting with buying a domain name to after its completion and how to market it once it is online. I will explain it in the most basic and easy way possible targeting people that have no knowledge at all or very limited about websites and computers. For the most advanced people, I will create another series about more in depth subjects, and I welcome all great ideas or questions you may have related to web design, servers, marketing of your website, web strategies, domain names and more for future articles.

1st crucial decision: buying a domain name

Before even thinking about what your website will look like, you have to choose a domain name. Do not overlook the  importance of this step, because it can make or break your business. One of the most important thing to keep in mind while choosing a domain name is to choose a short one easy to remember that includes the most important keyword(s) that people would search for in the type of business you are offering. Use a dash (-) instead of an underscore (_) if you have a longer name, as some search engines grab your keywords differently depending which way you choose to write it (my-name-is.com will show up as my-name-is, but if you choose my_name_is.com, it will show up as mynameis).  Also, do not make the mistake of using a free e-mail address for your website (hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc) as it really looks bad for a company’s reputation. You can’t be seen as a serious company that can be trusted if you can’t even buy a domain name and do things properly.

Easy steps to choose your domain name

First, write down all the keywords that are linked to your area of business
For this example, let’s say I am a company that offers online security. My keywords could be: online security, web security,  security scan, online protection, online privacy and so on…You can also use some online services to find keywords (like Google keyword search or just do a search for keyword generator).

Then write down everything that you think people would write down in a search engine to find your company

Ex: how can I protect my website, website scanning, online security company,…There are some services that can tell you which keywords people search for the most by categories. (you can check Google Trends)

Compare the two lists

Compare your two lists of keywords. You will see what words get repeated the most often. Choose the five most important ones and then try to create domain names from those five words. Choose a couple of different ones in case your first choice is already taken.

Buy your domain name

There are many companies out there that are selling domain names. I have to say that my favorite one is GoDaddy. I have been using it for many years. The process is very simple: you search for the domain name that you want to buy and if it is available you can follow easy steps and it is yours! If it is not available, it usually suggests other domains close to the name you requested or you can try another one on your list.

Congratulations! You now have a domain name.