Gargi Banerjee

For many new and existing companies, moving from offline to online can be quite an unattractive proposition.  "I don't find the need to do it", "I will do it next year" or "I already have my products on face book" are some of the common excuses they have. However, an online presence can do wonders for their business. And to achieve those wonders, one needs to take the first stride, which is booking a Domain Name.

When is a good time for getting a domain name?

As soon as you have decided that you want to start a new venture or a new division, and you have a fair idea about what you have to offer, that's the time you must go out and buy a domain name. Never mind if you are not ready to kick-start your venture as yet. It is important to buy the domain name as soon as you can, because the internet space is getting crowded and you may lose out on an opportunity to pick out a name of your choice.  

Step 1: Naming the website:

The name of a website is very important and should tell your target audiences or your potential customers about the nature of your business. For instance if you are running a business where you sell food from mobile vans, your domain name should have a variant of "food on the move" and likewise. It is important to identify certain keywords that are relevant to your business before you decide upon the name.

Sometimes entrepreneurs choose the names of websites that are different from their product, but for a small business owner that is not a very good idea, as it may confuse your potential customer. Choosing a unique name with a global appeal and a local flavour should be top of your mind when you are picking names. If you are unable to choose a name yourself, consult your friends and family and decide upon a name that you think is suited best for your venture.

Amit Grover, Founder of Nurture Talent Academy, the first institute in India that trains entrepreneurs recalls the experience of finding a name for his venture that he was passionate about. " I wanted to come up with a name that would convey that my passion about  mentoring and train budding entrepreneurs. It is my wife who suggested that we go with the word "nurture" and it struck a chord immediately!"

Step 2: Buying the domain name?

The good news is there are a lot of host companies that are offering very good deals for customers. Even the biggest names in the world in the domain space such as http://www.godaddy.com/are in India now. You can also try out other reputed hosts such as http://www.hostsite.com/domain-names.html and http://domain.indiatimes.com/WebSol/shopping/domainHome.sh, who offer to register domain names for as less as Rs 500-1500. You can also buy extension such as .net, .org, and so forth for a nominal additional fee, depending upon the nature of your business.

But what if you really want a domain name that has already been taken? Grover of Nurture Talent Academy suggests trying out domain exchanges in such cases. These are exchanges where one can not only buy and sell but make profits from pre owned domains as well, just like it happens in the stock markets. One such popular domain trading platform is http://www.protrada.com/.

Step 3: Precautionary measures

Once you have decided upon a domain name and are ready to make your purchase, carry out a small Google search with variations of your name. If you were to misspell your name only slightly, check whether or not you are landing up at a site which has web content that is offensive. It's best to have some back up names ready, just in case there any such issues. The last and most important thing you need to remember is that the domain name is registered under your name, as a business owner and administrative control lies with you. A domain name is akin to a piece of property, so you have to have full ownership rights there.