Domain Names

Introduction

When you're about to create a business website, there are several things you need:

1. some place to host your site,
2. a name for your site, and
3. an email address for customers to connect with you.

These elements act as your virtual property, address, and communication method where people will find you and communicate with you online. 

Important Note: As of Spring 2022 only Pro Accounts have access to pointing custom domain names to our servers. Any participant that wishes to set up a Custom Domain (purchased Domain name) can acquire a name after completing the course, and use a follow-on Pro account for pointing a custom domain name to our servers.

BizLaunch provides the hosting site for you.  For your assignment, you will select a domain name (but not purchase it for this course,) and then set up your business emails.

There are significant benefits to using Gmail email services, perhaps most importantly a high level of deliverability!  

Gmail from Google is the best email service available today.  For those who want a basic business email, choose a regular Gmail account which has the form - "yourbusinessname@gmail" which has become acceptable in the business world.

Or you can move up to the next level and choose a GSuite account, considered a low-cost solution, where you get email addresses like "[email protected]" which provides a higher level of professionalism.

The Learning Objectives in this lesson are:

• 1. Choose a domain name by following the best practice principles for choosing a domain name.
  2. Create your Gmail mail accounts. Note that it might be tempting to use a mail service from your domain name provider, however, these are as a general rule, low-performing mail services. Gmail is the absolute best email system available. This course takes the position that we provide you with the best tools and recommendations for your success as an entrepreneur. Hence we recommend Gmail. As you launch and grow, we recommend moving to GSuite which is a fairly cheap, and outstanding email system for serious entrepreneurs used the world over. 

Theory Corner

The theory behind choosing a domain name is to select a name that accurately represents the brand, is memorable, easy to spell and type, and is consistent across all platforms and media.

The key theories behind choosing a domain name are:

1. Brand representation: The domain name should accurately represent the brand and its values, mission, and offerings.
2. Memorability: A domain name should be memorable, making it easy for customers to remember and return to the website.
3. Easy to spell and type: A domain name should be easy to spell and type, reducing the risk of typos and making it easier for customers to find the website.
4. Consistency: A domain name should be consistent with the brand's name, messaging, and visual identity across all platforms and media, building brand recognition and reinforcing brand identity.
5. Extension: The extension of the domain name, such as ".com" or ".org", should be appropriate for the type of organization or website.
6. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): The domain name can have an impact on search engine optimization (SEO), as search engines use the domain name as one of many ranking factors.

In summary, the theory behind choosing a domain name is to select a name that accurately represents the brand, is memorable, easy to spell and type, and is consistent across all platforms and media, taking into consideration factors such as brand representation, memorability, ease of use, consistency, extension, and SEO.