5 Tips for Domain Naming
By Christine Banning, SCORE VP Corporate Relations

1. Create an online identity. Get a Web domain now, even if you aren't building your site until later.

2. Pick three domain names that fit your business. Your first choice may be taken, so have a few domain name ideas. If your top three picks are available, consider getting all three. It's not too expensive and then you have flexibility to create a site for a special promotion or use a special landing page for an event.

3. Check out domain name vendors. You can register your domain with your choice of vendor. Here are some well-known domain name registrars:
· Network Solutions, "cgi/third_party.cgi?url=http%3A//www.networksolutions.com/"
· Yahoo Domains, "http://www.yahoo.com/"
· GoDaddy, "http://www.godaddy.com/"
· 1and1.com, "http://www.1and1.com/"
· Domaindirect.com, http://www.domaindirect.com/

4. Keep your renewal current. Don't forget to renew your domain name. Businesses have been known to let a name expire and then find that their Web site has disappeared from the Internet. Don't let that be you.

5. Once you have a domain, name your URL mycompany.com, place your URL on every marketing and business document that you produce. Let your company be known.

Brought to you by SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business."