Even before you launch your website, you can (and should) begin
to use your domain name. Why? Because it is the worlds cheapest
advertising tool and an excellent way to brand your business.
How? By using your domain name in your email address and in your
signature file.
If your email address reads yourname@aol.com or you@bell.com -
you are branding the name of your Internet Service Provider. Why
should you do it? Your ISP doesn't pay you for it. Indeed, you
pay THEM a monthly fee!!!
Quite likely you were not aware that you do have a choice here.
Instead of advertising Earthlink, GTE, BellSouth, or AOL, you
can advertise and brand your own business and your own name.
In case you didn't know, here is how it works. For example, my
own service provider is home.com -- but my e-mail program is
configured so, that the address I use in my "from" field says
"wanda@loska.com". I can do that because my web host provides
me with a forwarding service. That means, any message sent to
wanda@loska.com is forwarded automatically to my *home.com*
account.
Don't think that you need to launch your web site to be able to
do this -- even if you are not ready, you can use this feature.
I suggest that once you get a domain name, you set up a simple
page like this: http://internetsuccesscoach.com/bizcard.html
-- but even this is not necessary.
To use your domain name in email address, you only need to have
a domain name and a decent web host. Yes, really. With domain
name registration costs as low as $9.95 per year, and with web
hosting fees around $15-30 per month -- can you afford NOT to
do it? I don't think so!
To register a domain name, you might want to use a special
name-find tool at http://BuyDomains.com -- it allows you to
search for the domain names containing your specific key words.
Excellent time saving device!
When choosing your domain name keep this in mind:
-> Select a name that is not only easy to pronounce and easy to
spell -- make sure that it spells the same way as it sounds.
-> Avoid hyphens, numbers and abbreviations to prevent future
confusion -- unless registering both versions -- for example,
I registered both domain names: EMailMarketingTips.com and
E-MailMarketingTips.com
-> Chances are that the name you really want is not available as
dot-com anymore. If so, select another, less perfect name, but
try to get dot-com before you opt for .net or .org -- or any
other extensions.
-> Make it is as short as possible. Yes, virtually all one word
domain names with dot-com extension are taken, but don't give
up too easily on two-word names. There are still many great
ones available.
-> Three, or even four-word domain names can be good too if
they are not too long. Make sure you count syllables as well.
If it is easy to pronounce and under six syllables, most
likely it is fine (my InternetSuccessCoach.com has 3 words
and 6 syllables for example)
Using your own domain name is not only cost-free branding tool.
In addition this type of email address adds instant credibility
to your correspondence and - even more important - your e-mail
address will stay the same even when you change your ISP (and
most likely you will, trust me!).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wanda Loskot is Internet Marketing Coach. Sign up for her FREE
course "7 Strategies For Lasting Internet Success" -- learn what
you need to know about Internet marketing in just one short e-mail
per day. To subscribe go to http://InternetSuccessCoach.com
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