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 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!).
I hope this helps in your future marketing decisions.
