The Benefits of Getting Your Own Domain Name
If you are starting an online business one your first considerations should be buying a domain name. There is often a temptation to start a new business by using free hosting while you "see how it goes" This is a mistake. Buying a domain name is cheap and has many benefits that far out weigh the cost.
Your domain name establishes your unique online identity. It is your address on the web...your Internet "real estate". Contrast that with hosting your site on a free server. Which do you think is going to give you more credibility with your customers or clients? Having your own domain name gives your customers confidence that they are dealing with a legitimate company.
When you start to do search engine marketing, you will be doing a lot of work to optimize your site with keyword rich pages so you can capitalize on the free targeted traffic that the search engines can send to your web site. It is much more difficult (if not impossible) to get good search engine positioning with a site hosted on a free server than it is if you own your own domain name. Don't waste your valuable time. Buy a domain name right at the start and begin optimizing your site for good search engine positioning.
Once your domain is set up with a hosting company it is very easy to set up multiple email addresses and aliases. For example, you could have sales@yourcompany.com or admin@yourcompany.com or whatever suits your needs. You can then set up folders in your email program to filter each of your email addresses. Having the ability to set up multiple addresses adds additional credibility to your business presence.
Over time, as you build your business, your domain name becomes your most valuable asset. Make no mistake, whether you are marketing your own products or affiliate programs, having your own domain name is fundamental to your online success.
One more thing. These days many people do offline as well as online promotion. Imagine handing out business cards with the URL of a free hosting site with your business name attached almost as an after thought. How tacky is that?! How much more professional it is to hand out a card with your business URL on it. Buy a domain name on day one and start off on the right foot.
