Whats in a title ? In a word: Everything!

Choosing an appropriate domain name for your internet page is one of the first and most critical decisions you will have to make on the roadway to Internet success.

What Makes A Great Domain Name?

Is it punchy, sticks in the mind, is short and fits your product/service? Does it begin with a letter closer to the initial of the alphabet, instead of towards the finish ? If so, and its not taken, you may have a winner!

However, with more than 60,000 new domain names being registered each month, many of the short, memorable, two-word names have already been snapped up. But dont despair: there are other ways to win at the domain game.

Expired or On-Hold Domain Names

Every day, domain names come up for renewal. And every day, the owners let them slip away. Why? Either theyve gone out of business, or simply let the memory slip to renew. You may utilize free web sites to monitor these domains, and you can get lucky. As a bonus, your new title might come with built-in visitors !

Just be aware: many people are actively searching for nice domain names to buy and sell, at a profit. For example, one domain, http://www.business.com, sold for millions! So be warned: if you see a title you want, dont wait - grab it.

Ive successfully used lists posted on the following two sites: http://deleteddomains.com and http://www.dailyexpireddomains.com. You will soon notice that some names are available immediately, while some are on hold.

Technically, once expired, all names are available. However those that have expired within the past 45 to 60 days are in a grace period. Prior owners are given the chance to make workable on their debt. If they dont, and the grace period expires, the name is deleted from the master domain registry. It is then available for purchase by others.

The date of expiration is posted. If your dream title is on hold, you will need to pay close attention to the lists. When the one you want is finally free, buy it quick.

Expired domain names could be purchased at any domain registration site. I continue to prefer http://www.godaddy.com, since buying a title through them for a year still costs under $10.

Once youve bought the domain, immediately make an appointment with yourself for one month BEFORE the domain expires, to renew. Dont fail to remember and have your business name slip away!

One last tip: Reserve your own title as a domain. For example, Ive reserved http://www.paulamorrow.com. Even though you may never actually use it as a website, this at least insures that no one else will either! Take your title off the market.

The Great Suffix Debate

As more and more many people come online, and the stronger names are taken off the market, there will be more suffixes added to expand registration options. Currently, the following endings are available: .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .ws, and .us. With more to come.

If at all possible, choose a domain name ending in .com (dot-com). This is still the most widely recognized ending, and the most popular. When typing in a domain title , everybody will still, by default, try .com first. The next popular ending after .com is .net -- but always try for a .com name, if at all possible.

As you make this very important decision choose well because, if youre successful, youll be living with it for a very long measure .