Domain Name Registration

Before you can even get started with a website you’ll need to go through the process of registering a domain name. If you’ve never registered a domain name, you’ll realize that there is not one set company to use for domain registration. There are a number of internet providers offering domain-name registration and each company has their own set prices. The domain regsistration cost can range from as low as about $8, all the way up to as much as $35 per domain name registered, per year.

When you are first getting started with domain registration, you’ll also find that many of the names you would like to register are already taken. This name shortage can be indeed frustrating, but due to the internet being around for over 15 years, the vast majority of dictionary-based internet domain names are already registered.

The most popular domain name extensions are:

.com:  This is the original and most popular domain name extension. By default most people expect websites to end with .com, so you should always do your best to register a .com domain extension, especially since dot-com will get more so called “typein” traffic from folks typing-in the words they are looking for (without spaces) in front of the dot, followed by the extension which will frequently be .com. With that said, our website traffic research indicates dot-org is second in typein popularity behind dot-com.

.net: Most people consider this domain name extension to be the second best among domain name extensions. If you are unable to secure a .com with your chosen name, then you can go for a .net or .org, and consider other extensions such as .biz or country-code domains including .us (United States).

.org: This domain extension was initially setup for non-profit organizations but may now be used successfully by for-profit business too. The dot-org extension carries with it a nicely perceived degree of trust and a non-commercial connotation

.info: This domain extension is for “information” type websites and is usually the lowest price of all extensions

.biz: The idea behind .biz was its potential use by businesses based on the biz-business connection. Dot-biz recently appears to be getting more popular.

Some other domain name extensions are .me .tv .name along with many country specific domain name extensions including the very popuar .de (Germany), .ca (Canada) and co.uk (United Kingdom). When conducting your domain name research you’ll able to search for your name and you’ll be provided the results of if the domain name is available with your chosen extension. If not available, you are usually given the option to view if any other extensions are available for the selected name.

A simple search for “Domain Registration Providers” using Google will provide you with a list of companies to choose from for your domain registration needs.

Commodities Futures – Selecting A Broker

Commodities Futures can be a very rewarding investment and venture, but selecting the right broker is going to be a very critical aspect. You need to ensure that the broker you are working with is extremely knowledgeable and will be available when you need him/her. By default, the commodity broker more than likely will be working for a firm, so you should ensure that you do the necessary research on the brokerage firm in advance before making a selection of which firm to work with.  To do this you can review the National Futures Association to get some background information on the firm.

If you are finding too many complaints against the firm, then that should raise a red flag, and you should consider moving on to another company. Of course you will always find a few complaints from users who may not have been pleased with their results from trading, but if the complaints are too many when compared to other firms, then it is definitely time to move on to another company.

Your goal is to find a long term relationship with a company and broker that you can trust.  The integrity of your broker will be of utmost importance, since you will be trusting them with your account. Take the time to thoroughly ask questions when talking with the broker. You’ll need to establish a good rapport, and comfort with your broker. Do not be afraid to ask tough questions.

Of course one of the best ways to avoid using a firm that does not have a proven track record is to go with established companies and not start-ups. This is not to say a start-up brokerage company is bad, but for your own peace of mind, it is perhaps best to choose a company that has been in business at least five years and who have a proven track record of excellence.

Best Marketing & Advertising Options

With the emergence of the internet, it has led to a wide range of advertising opportunities for businesses. It’s now becoming more of a necessity to have an online presence rather than just having it as a luxury. Without an online presence you are literally losing potential customers. As most companies do have a web site, the next step really is to find ways to promote and advertise that website online. There are a few ways you can go about promoting your website.

Option #1: Pay Per Click Search Engines

Pay Per Click (PPC) is perhaps the most popular way of advertising a website since you can get started with it almost immediately and start driving traffic to your website. That’s the upside of PPC, the downside is that it can be very competitive. Due to the competitiveness you are then faced with high pay per click rates. Always keep in mind that there will always be other businesses competing with you for traffic.

The top tier Pay Per Click search engines are:

Google (Google Adwords)
MSN (Microsoft Ad Center)
Yahoo (Yahoo Search Marketing)

Each of these search engines provide Pay Per Click advertising.

Option #2: On Site Banner Advertising

There are a variety of networks that allow you to place your banner on their website. These networks have a collection of websites that will in turn place your banner or text link on their website. Some companies that offer this type of advertising are AdBrite.com, Double Click, ValueMedia and others.

Option #3: SEO

This is not technically an advertising option but it is something that you should always ensure you do when setting up your website.  SEO simply stands for Search Engine Optimization, and it is an important aspect of your website development. Every site you create should always be well optimized to rank well in the search engines for terms that match what your website is all about.

Of course there are many other options for advertising, but these three options should get you started.