Let’s say your business is growing and you need a website developed for it. So what is the first thing that comes to your mind. Is it finding the right web developer? Well that’s important, but what is even more important is finding the right domain name which identifes with your company if not your industry.

But the problem doesn’t stop there. With so many domain names already being used and many more going out very fast, domain names are selling like hot properties all the time. Today it is almost impossible to find relevant domain names for your specific industry without making some alterations to it. The .com names are the most popular extensions for domain names, followed by .net, info and .org. Most of the popular .com domain names are already taken because of their immense popularity.

To book a domain name, the first thing that you got to do is look for a domain registrar like Go Daddy, Directnic, Domainsatcost, etc. Nowadays many webhosts also offer this functionality. They usually throw in a free domain name with their hosting account. Then you have to start searching for your desired domain name with their on site service. In case your desired domain name is already taken, they will offer you suggestions with different phrases like hyphens, numbers and various extensions.

People usually look for a .com domain name because of their familiarity, but in case you don’t find the appropriate domain name,then feel free to search other extensions like .net and .info. The extension has nothing to do with the performance of your website. Nowadays people also use extensions like .tv, .ws, and country extensions like, .ca, .in, .au, .us, .uk, etc. Govenrment and educational institutions go for .gov and .edu respectively.

Search engines also have an interest in domain names. Always try and include your top keyword(s) in your domain name. That way you are directly telling the search engines what your website is all about and which specific industry you represent. This can also help you get traffic and your search eninge rankings.

Try and protect your domain name from spammers by adding the private registration option when you register. In this way your personal details like your name, address and email will be protected from spammers.

I strongly suggest purchasing your hosting and domain name from the same company. Chances are you might even land up with a free domain name. In this way you also do not have ot bother changing the DNS (Domanin Name Servers) of your domain name, since your domain registrar and webhost will be the same company. Once you have all these things sorted out, then you are well on your way to developing your website and getting your business online.