Thinking of starting a business now or later?

Of course you will want a catchy, meaningful and easy to remember business name.

After you have chosen a business name, you should reserve a “.com”, domain name.

I have done this on numerous occasions.

First, give some thought to your business name and try not to limit the scope of your potential business activities if applicable.

Next do a search on the internet to see who, if anyone is using your name and what your competition is.

Next, check with your Secretary of State’s office, or other state agency, to see if the name is being used.

Concurrently have some idea of what type of business organization you will use. Corporation, LLC, etc. You may need to consult a tax/business expert for advice.

As soon as you have a handle on your business name, reserve one or more domain names. If you are reserving a .com you may want to also reserve a .net and other
suffixes to keep a potential competitor from usurping your internet name.

If you have chosen a web hosting provider, you can search for a domain name and purchase it there, although it is often provided with the initial cost of hosting,

If you have not chosen a hosting provider or early on you just want to search for a domain name, here are some suggestions:

InstantDomainSearch.com

“See Domain Name Search Results As You Type

Just start typing! If the domain name you are looking for is taken, you can click WHOIS to find out who registered it or the URL to visit the website.

We apply a $0.99 coupon for .com domain names when you buy at Go Daddy. The offer is valid for only one .com purchase, and does not include the ICANN fee of $0.18 per
domain name per year. That’s a sweet deal!

Love the site? Spread the word on Twitter and Facebook!

All domain searches are encrypted over https, and searches do not leave our servers. Your search results are not recorded. Pressing Enter or Return will take you
directly to Go Daddy or the registrar you’ve chosen where you can buy your domain name. Good luck!”

Search

DomainsBot.com

“The domain name search engine!

Available domain suggestions + expired, expiring and for sale domain name search + whois lookup. Domain + Twitter + Facebook identity suggesitons.”

Search

PCnames.com

“Check Domains, Instantly!

Based on your query, PCNames.com instantly checks whether .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .us, .mobi and .name domain names are available. The domain search results
will appear with 2-second delay for your convenience.

Your domain search results are not shared with 3-rd parties. However, we keep history of your recent domain searches and favorite domain picks so you can easily follow
up on all the important search results.”

Search

From Entrepreneur.

“Do’s and Don’ts of Securing a Domain Name

Consider these six tips from small-business owners and experts before deciding on a website name.”
Read more

I have been using WordPress for blogging and website creation for many years.

I am sold on it.

I highly recommend it for small businesses, but what is surprising is the number of Fortune 500 companies using it.

Why?

It is flexible, cost effective and facilitates getting great SEO, Search Engine Optimization, ranking.

It is far more than a blogging platform.

I was preparing this article and as I normally do, did a search to see what the competition is on the subject.

I found an article ironically written by someone with the same last name. William H. Wells III, as the saying goes, took the words right out of my mouth.

From William H. Wells III, Internet marketing strategist, consultant and public speaker.

“As a web developer for twenty years now, I’ve been privileged to be part of the continuous evolution of Internet technology, website development and SEO (Search Engine Optimization).  Small businesses and non-profit organizations have been forced to balance affordability with having a professional looking website which would also obtain high search engine rankings.  They needed what they couldn’t afford… and what they COULD afford wasn’t what they needed.

Some made the mistake of letting family members, rookies, and novices do it for them to “save” money.  The result was generally amateur looking websites with no search engine optimization at all.  These novices eventually disappeared… sites quickly became outdated and business owners found themselves back at square one… starting over while losing valuable months and perhaps years in the process.  The “you get what you pay for” idea was never more true.  Read some fun articles I wrote on this topic back in the “old days”.”

“WordPress is now considered the “industry standard” website platform and has leveled the playing field when it comes to websites and search engine visibility.  You can now use the exact same platform that many Fortune 500 companies and major brands have chosen to use!  Who’s using WordPress?”

“5 Reasons to Switch Your Website to WordPress

1. Cost Effective
   As with any website, you’ll have your annual domain name renewal and website hosting fees.  The platform software is free and can be found at wordpress.org.  Most add-on modules (plugins) are free.  I’d strongly suggest you seek the help of a professional to assist with the original installation and software set-up.  This should be a one-time fee with minimal or no monthly maintenance fees.
2. 100% Total Control
   You have 100% control over every aspect of your website.  Appearance, layout, categorized links and content, add-on modules (plugins), SEO, photos, videos, calendars, contact forms, PayPal integration, and so much more.
3. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
   Search engines love WordPress… especially Google.  Easily include Google Analytics.  Virtually every aspect of WordPress offers the ability to include meta tags, descriptions, keywords and phrases.  From individual pages and posts to images, videos, links, categories, and more.  Each of these plays a crucial role in helping with search engine visibility.
4. Social Media Friendly
   WordPress provides users with the ability to easily include icons, links, and streams for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and others.  It’s, by far, one of the easiest platforms for connecting your website with your social networking tools!
5. Communication, Interaction, and Lead Generation
   WordPress comes complete with powerful communication and consumer interaction tools.   Built right in is the ability for visitors to post comments on articles you’ve written, pages you’ve created, and content you’ve provided.  You can easily add a “Log In” area for users and provide them with “Member Only” content.  Want people to sign up for your newsletter?  Most newsletter services such as “Constant Contact” or “MailChimp” provide you with the code you need.  Insert it anywhere in your website.  The opportunities are endless.”

Read more:

http://www.williamhwells.com/2012/04/21/website-woes/

After using the internet for years, I had some down time after surgery and delved into the nuts and bolts of websites, search engines, blogs and social networking. I experimented with my new found knowledge and gained a proficiency in SEO, Search Engine Optimization.

I have used this knowledge in my own sites as well as others to get consistent first page results on search engines.

SEO, search engine optimization, search engine marketing, site ranking, branding, brand recognition are all terms familiar to many in large companies involved in marketing and especially internet marketing. What does this mean in English or to the small business person. It is all about getting customers or potential customers to your website, telephone # and your physical location if applicable. It is also about the public recognizing your brand name, products and reputation. Remember years ago when photocopies were referred to as Xerox copies? That is brand recognition.

Think social networking is just about sharing photos and gossip with your friends? Think again. One of the fastest growing age segments using social networking and the internet is the over 50 group. More people each day are looking for products on the internet and social networking is one way to spread your message and gain internet traffic.

You can spend thousands of dollars with companies that tout expertise in search engine ranking. Most of them are doing the same thing that has been done for over a decade. The question is, how much money can you spend or should you spend to “outdo the Jones.” There is also another axiom that applies. One of the definitions of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.

We follow time tested rules created by the search engines but we also employ some techniques that most companies are not using. You can already envision the value in that. I.E., not practicing insanity. We also use the time tested approach of hard work. Our approach may best be described by another name recognition example from years ago that sticks in my memory. John Houseman for Smith Barney.

“We make money the old-fashioned way. We EARN it”
Whether you run a small, medium or large business, we can help.

If you are a small business owner, we can help you compete with larger ones at minimal costs if you are willing to follow our recommendations.

L. Wells