One of the decisions you have to make when setting up a website is whether or not to get your own domain name.
The most frequent objection we hear about having a 'virtual domain' is that it's an unnecessary expense. And yes, it does cost you a little more money to get a domain name.
Your extra costs will be:
- Registering a domain with InterNIC is $100.
- If your ISP submits your registration forms you'll probably be charged from $25 to $100 for their time and effort in setting up the domain.
- Some ISPs charge more money per month to host virtual domains.
In short, it could cost you an extra $200, plus possible higher hosting
fees, to get a domain name. Compare that to the total cost of having a
website created and marketing it, and that's a very small additional
expense.
What are the benefits?
As the Internet gains users, the professionalism of your website become
more important. Would you name your business "Susan's subdivision of the
Bob Company"? No. So why be www.somebody-else.com/~your-company?
In addition, if you want to advertise your website in brochures, your
letterhead, business cards, or other forms of advertising, your website
address needs to be easy to remember. A certain percentage of your hit
traffic will come through search engines and other links where the user
doesn't have to type anything, but if you want people to be able to just
sit down at their browser and go straight to your website, a domain name
makes the job easier for them.
It's possible that the domain name you want has already been registered by
someone else. Are you out of luck? No. In the near future, seven new domain endings will be added to the now-familiar .com, .net, and .org: '.store' for businesses offering goods, '.info' for information services, '.nom' for individuals who want personal sites, '.firm' for businesses or firms, '.web' for entities emphasizing the Web, '.arts' for cultural groups and 'rec' for recreational or entertainment activities.
