Secure a Domain Name
The domain name is what people will type to view your web site. For example, the domain for South Central College is http://southcentral.edu and the domain for IBM is http://ibm.com.
A good domain can be difficult to find because over the last 15 years most of the common ones have already been taken.
You want one that meets the following requirements:
- Describes your site
- Is easy to remember and easy to spell
- Is available
An annual license for a new domain name will cost about $17/year. Many web hosting services offer domains for free or very low priced as a loss-leader. If you use one of these "free" services make sure that you have ownership of the domain name and not the host provider.
Names that are already purchased by people are more expensive. Many people around the world purchase domain names hoping to resell them later. Often licensed names will cost thousands of dollars, but is deemed worthwhile, especially if a company really wants a particular name as part of their product identity.
