Branding your business on the Internet starts with your domain name. Buying the right domain name is an important part of your planning process. Even if you don't plan on using the domain name right away you should purchase it anyway before someone snatches it. You can buy a domain for under $10 so it is one of the least expensive investments you will make. To put it in numbers, there are about 70 million .com, and about 10 million .net registered domains in the world.

Don't think that all the good domain names are gone. There are more great domain names available to you than you will ever need. Even though there are about 100 million top-level domain names registered already, there are many more to choose from. Don't believe it for a minute that you won't be able to find a domain name that will work for your business. A little bit of research and creativity will go a long way in your efforts to the find the right domain name for your company.

The name registration is a simple process. There are many domain registrars you can choose from. Some of the larger registrars are godaddy.com, enom.com, and networksolutions.com. All registrars have simple a registration process; a few clicks and you are done. The interface is user friendly, and you could register your domain name in less than ten minutes.

Registering a domain doesn't mean you own it permanently. Think of it as a car lease without getting stiffed with expensive lease termination fees. You have the right to use it, but you don't own it indefinitely. You are simply registering it for your business or personal use for a certain duration. You can register your domain for one year or multiple years. It is best to register business domains for multiple years. For additional protection, select auto renew as an option. Auto renew ensures that your domain is renewed even if you forget about it. You've probably heard horror stories about companies letting their domain names expire. If it happens to you, it could have devastating effects. In the worst case, you may be forced to go out of business. If your domain name becomes part of your brand, losing it could mean losing your business.

Once the registration expires you have to either extend your registration or let it expire, so someone else can grab it. If you are forgetful, you may want to select the auto renew option, so you don't let your domain name expire against your wishes. Don't think nobody will want you domain name, there is an entire market that is dedicated to profiting from expired domain names. Don't fall victim; take your domain name registration seriously.

All of the larger registrars are reputable companies, and you should have no difficulties registering your domain with them. A word of advice, watch out for the up sell. Most registrars make most of their money through the up sell such as providing hosting services, e-mail solutions, shopping cart software. I don't recommend hosting your Web site with the registrars. Register your domain with them, but don't fall for the up sell. Let the registrars do what they are the best at, registering domain names.