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 Among entrepreneurs it use to be, you didn’t really have a business unless you had a Yellow Pages ad. These days, it’s the same but with a domain name email address… you don’t really have a business if you’re using an @aol.com, @yahoo.com or other generic email address.
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2008 saw the number of active internet users exceed 1 billion people worldwide, with well over 200 million of ‘em right here in the USA. Neilson Ratings reported that over 70% of the US population is regularly on the internet, and this year, the number of search engine queries increased 40% per month every month. It’s how people find things now. So, if you own a small business or professional practice, and you want people to find it, you need to get on the net. (And it’s ‘way cheaper than an old Yellow Pages ad.)
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The first step is registering your own domain name. Even if you don’t set up hosting right now. Registering a domain name costs less than $15 per year, if you’re a good shopper. So, if you haven’t already got one, reserve a domain name for your business, now. Here’s how.
Go to www.whois.com and type your company name, as all one lower-case word, into the “Enter Domain Name” box toward the top of the page. “.com” and “.net” are selected by default. Hit Search Now. If you’re incredibly lucky, that domain name will be available. Jump on it.
But probably you will not be this lucky, and your first choice domain name will not be available. So next, try slightly different variations of your company name, like try “tupperwidgetco.com” if “tupperwidget.com” is unavailable. Try adding your location, like “tupperwidgetarizona.com” Be creative. You’ll find something that suits.
Registering a domain name makes the name yours, and that’s all it does. If you want a website and/or email associated with the name, you have to get it “hosted,” which is basically rent you pay to have a place for your website and email to reside. You can have a small site hosted, with email, for as little as $60/year.
A website will almost certainly help your business, no matter what business you’re in. Even a simple site, with just contact and company information, will help establish the legitimacy of your small business or practice, and increase its “perception of quality”. And with all the webpage templates and tools now available, if you possess any nerdly skills, you should be able to put a simple site together by yourself (or with the help of a nerdy nephew or neighbor).
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