In our second article of the "Getting Started" series, let's discuss choosing your domain. I can't tell you how important this is in Internet marketing, and it can mean the difference between success and failure. Why? You'll be living with that domain for a very long time, and it's how you will "brand" your business. It's how people will know you. Yet, also think about the future. What will your business look like down the road?



Offline business is different from Internet marketing because brick and mortar stores are in the same place for a very long time. Even if they open a chain of stores, they'll all be named the same thing.

This isn't the case with Internet marketing. Because the World Wide Web is open territory, there are billions of websites and more are being added every single day. It's pretty cheap to throw up a shingle in cyberspace, but even if you plan to have a chain of store fronts, they can't be named the same thing because each domain points to a different web space.

You also need to consider what your business model will be? Are you going to create your own products? If so, think about continuity. My First products are associated with Tellman Knudson because I developed the domains myfirstlist.com, myfirsttraffic.com, myfirstconversion.com, and myfirstemails.com, though they're all under the overcomeeverything.com umbrella. So, here's the thing... Decide whether you're going to create your own Internet marketing products (which I don't recommend until you have lots of experience), or whether you're going to be an affiliate for other people's products. Then, you may want a blog rather than a website, but you'll still need your own domain.

When you're choosing that name, try not to use something that people just won't trust. The domain "makeamillionovernight.com" just won't create the trust you need to succeed with Internet marketing. Also, be sure that the domain you choose is a .com. Because people tend to type in "website.com," regardless of what the domain is and if your site has a .net extension, they'll just get a "page not found" error. That's not what you want to happen.

Here are the things you need to remember when choosing your Internet marketing domain: First, consider your business model. What will it look like three years from now? Second, decide on a name that you'll be able to live with for a long time. Third, don't allow it to be "hypey." And fourth, be sure you choose a .com. If you use these guidelines when choosing your domain, your Internet marketing business will be that much further ahead.