Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
So you've finally decided on the perfect domain name foryour Web site. That's great, but nothing's going to beofficial--or usable--until you take the time to register andreserve that carefully selected Internet address.
Fortunately for you, when it comes to domain name registration,you've got several options right at your fingertips. Just goonline: There you can register your domain name for free atInterNIC (http://www.networksolutions.com),which handles the majority of the Internet's domain nameregistrations. Another option is to let an ISP service do it foryou for an extra fee. (The cost is usually about $10 to $20.) Ortry logging on to the Web sites of Internet hosting companies suchas Sage Networks (http://www.domainsforfree.com)or Internet Communications (http://www.domainsarefree.com),which also offer free registration.
What if you've got a great business idea, but you aren'tquite ready to launch your company? No problem: For $119, you canuse either of these services to "park" your domain nameuntil you're ready to use it, whether you've got a businessto back up the name or not. This way, you can keep someone elsefrom beating you to the punch.
The registration process is simple: Entry forms at both siteslet you check to see whether your desired domain name is availablefor use. If the name is still up for grabs, all you need to do isfill out some online registration forms. Once you've completedthe registration, the sites automatically send your registration toInterNIC, which charges $70 to use the name for the first twoyears, and $35 for every year thereafter.
Shannon Kinnard (shannon@ideastation.com) ispresident of Idea Station, an e-mail marketing agency in Atlanta,and author of Marketing With E-Mail(Maximum Press, $24.95,800-989-6733).
Built To Last
Pressed for time? Pressed for moolah? Depressed about how hardit seems to turn your idea into a booming commerce-enabled Website? IBM's new CustomConnections program could be just whatyou need to cheer yourself up.
CustomConnections is a Web-based service that helps businessesgear up for online commerce. The program links you with partnersand consultants who can help you set up a new Web site, advise youon improving the look and feel of an existing Web site, suggestways to provide better customer service and more.
As part of the program, CustomConnections lets you accessHomePage Creator software (starting at $29.95 per month) so you cancreate a home page without any expertise. Included in the softwarerental are tools to build your site and a registration service tolist the site in search engines.
HomePage Creator also lets you take advantage of various onlinesupport services, such as assistance with site development, hostingusing IBM's secure servers, transaction processing andorder-form generation. Once your Web site is up and running,IBM's small-business experts will visit the site to assessfactors such as ease of use and security, then e-mail you theirevaluations and suggestions for improving and promoting thesite.
North Kingstown, Rhode Island, BIZ Experiences Elaine Land usedHomePage Creator software to build an e-commerce-enabled site (atleft) with secure processing. "I needed something that couldbe revised and expanded [as the business grows]," explainsLand, who continues to rely on HomePage Creator's onlinesupport services. Her business, The New Englander (http://www.newenglander.com),sells specialty gifts from that area online.
Thanks to e-mail support features integrated into its site, TheNew Englander can offer excellent customer service. Says Land, 34,"Customers receive immediate order confirmations via e-mail,and any additional inquiries [receive] detailed responses viae-mail within 24 hours, but usually much sooner."
