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Lots of people will tell you that you either don't need a domain name or all good ones are already taken. I don't agree, I find (and register) good domain names on your regular basis, and I think they're more than worth money (you can register domains for less than $20 per year).

1. LONG URLs

If you don't have a domain name for your web site, you'll have a long URL, something like http://members.yourisp.com/~yourcompany or perhaps http://yourcompany.yourisp.com/

Now that doesn't look good on a business card! What's more, your customers and prospects probably won't be able to remember it.

On other hand, if you get your own domain name, you'll have an easy to remember URL, that looks professional and is easy for folks to remember.

2. MOVING WEB HOST

When you have type of long URLs I referred to in point 1, your URL is tied to your web host or ISP. What happens if you change hosting company? What happens if your hosting company goes out of business (it happens)? Answer: Your URL changes, which means you may have to reprint your stationary and any promotion efforts that you've already done and most likely wasted.

A Cautionary Note

Picking a domain name is like getting married. You are going to have to stick with it till bitter end. People use your site will come to know it by domain name. Repeat visitors will often simply type in domain name to get to site, better known as “type in traffic”. As an example, do you search for “Amazon” when you want to buy a book or do simply type in amazon.com? If Amazon were to change its domain name to Desert, there would be a lot of confusion. The same goes with your domain. Once you pick something, stick with it.

Your Choices

Well, obvious choice is your business name, but it may not be best. There are four significant issues to consider.

First, is there something about your business name that makes using it as a domain an unwise choice? This situation typically arises if you have a long business name or have plural words. “Halstatt’s Rip’n Marketing Campaigns, Inc.” is going to be a horrible domain name. Clients are going to find it difficult to type in such a domain name.