How To Choose a Domain Name (part 2)

Here are some other things to pay attention to when selecting domain names...

1. Domain Extensions
Many webmasters wrestle not only with choosing the best domain name, but also with the decision of what domain extensions to select for their website. The following is a general guide to what the most popular domain extensions represent...

.com - commercial (by far, the most popular domain extension)
.net - network host (often used by hosting companies)
.edu - educational institution
.org - organization
.info - informational sites

If your primary focus is in a local market, you may find value in a local domain as well.

There are also country-specific domain extensions, such as ".co.uk" for England and ".com.au" for Australia. A country-specific domain might be valuable to you if you have, for example, a Russian version of your software. In that case, you might want to register the ".ru" version of your chosen domain as well. Some studies show that country-specific domains perform better in that country's search engine results. In other words, google.com.au will give preference to domains that contain .au results.

2. Be Different
Distinguish yourself from competitors with a unique and easy-to-remember domain name. Choose a domain that is different. Select a domain that will not cause marketplace confusion.

3. Keyword-Rich
Including keywords in a domain name is often helpful in ranking well for those specific keywords or phrases. If you find one available, definitely consider purchasing a keyword-rich domain. Keyword domains are particularly useful for content-based web sites.

4. Domain Name Spacing
There is a lot of talk about whether a hyphenated domain (i.e. this-domain.com) is better than one that runs the words together (i.e. thisdomain.com). While hyphenated domains allow search engines to distinguish the keywords, they also make it more difficult for customers to remember. Do not struggle with the decision of which domain to register, as both have their benefits -- just register both if possible. Domains are relatively inexpensive and worth the money.

5. Number Of Characters
Obviously, shorter domain names are better. Eight to ten characters in a domain name is considered ideal, but not always realistic. Choose a domain that is easy to remember and not excessively long.

More Info on Choosing a Domain - http://www.small-business-software.net/ ... part-1.htm

About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com audio recording and editing software.

How To Choose a Domain Name (part 1)

So, you have an idea or a product.... now you need a domain name for a website. How do you choose a great domain name? Here are a few ideas...

Brainstorm
Create a list of words or phrases that relate to the product, service, information, or brand that will be promoted on the website.

Experiment
Experiment with variations of the words in the above list. Change the order of words in phrases to create unique combinations for possible domain names.

Check Availability
Check the availability of the potential domains, using Network Solutions or a similar domain registrar. If the desired name is already taken, most domain registrars will provide a list of alternative similar domains that are available.

Check Trademarks
Search to see if a trademark exists for a specific word combination. The USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) has one of the largest searchable databases of trademarked words or phrases.
http://www.uspto.gov/

Check Search Engines
Enter the potential domains in the various online search engines and examine the results. Do the desired domains already have existing websites? Will the selected domain result in any marketplace confusion?

Test It Out
Pose the potential domain to friends and acquaintances. Ask how the name makes them feel, and ask for their initial reaction to the names. Ask people from other countries, too! Remember: words do not always translate well into other languages, or not as you might expect. If you sell in a global marketplace, you do not want to unintentionally alienate or insult your audience with an offensive or confusing domain name.

Purchase It (And Variations)
Once you have settled on a domain name, purchase it... before someone else does! Domain names are relatively inexpensive, so we recommend that you also purchase variations of the domain name, in order to lock them up as well. You can then redirect the any traffic from the variations to you primary domain.

How to Choose a Domain: Part 2

Tools For Selecting Domains
Domainr - http://domai.nr/
Dot-o-mator - http://www.dotomator.com/
Bustaname - http://www.bustaname.com/
Domize - https://domize.com/
DomainsBot - http://www.domainsbot.com/
dnScoop - http://www.dnscoop.com/
StuckDomains - http://www.stuckdomains.com/
Nameboy - http://www.nameboy.com/
dyyo - http://dyyo.com/search_form.php
DomainTools - http://www.domaintools.com/
Ajax Whois -http://ajaxwhois.com/
DomainTyper - http://domaintyper.com/
Instant Domain Search - http://instantdomainsearch.com/
Make Words - http://www.makewords.com/
PCNames - http://www.pcnames.com/
Domain Pigeon - http://www.domainpigeon.com/
ChoiceBits - http://www.choicebits.com/
Wordoid - http://www.wordoid.com/
Squurl - http://squurl.com/
Unwanted Domain Names - http://unwanted-domain-names.co.uk/

About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com audio recording and editing software.

How To Twitter

Twitter, the latest social networking craze, is a micro-blogging platform where participants post "tweets" which are short comments limited to 140 characters or less.


Getting setup on Twitter is not terribly difficult. There is a slight learning curve in regard to Twitter's culture and tweeting practices, so it is a good idea to monitor the posts for a few days before you jump in and begin tweeting, just to get a feel for the community. Many Twitter participants monitor the posts (tweets) of other people they find interesting, which is called "following". Twitter is interactive, and allows others on Twitter to reply to tweets and engage in a conversation with the original poster or others who add comments to the original posts/tweets.

Here are the setup steps for both Business and Personal usage...

For Business Use:

1. Choose A Name
Select a name for your Twitter account. If the Twitter account is going to be for company use, you should use your brand name as your account name.

2. Create A Profile
Write a business profile that includes a description of your company, products, and services.

3. Add An Icon/Avatar
Upload a customized avatar that will reinforce your company brand, such as a version of your company logo. Twitter icons that are eye-catching will draw more attention to your posts.

4. Customize A Landing Page
Customize a landing page for your profile, and reinforce your brand and company message there. Use the profile space to provide additional information.

5. Follow
Follow friends or others with similar interests, products, or company focus. You can also follow industry leaders.

For Personal Use:

1. Choose A Name
Select a name for your Twitter account. This can be a nickname or your real name.

2. Create A Profile
Write a profile that reflects your personal interests. This will help people with common interests to locate you.

3. Add An Icon/Avatar
Upload a Twitter icon/avatar. Eye-catching Twitter icons will draw more attention to your posts. You can use a photo of yourself, or another image that reflects your personality.

4. Customize A Landing Page
Customize a landing page that reflects your personal interests or passions.

5. Follow Friends
Follow friends or others with similar interests, media personalities, or just about anyone you are interested in.

Engage
Keep in mind that Twitter is not about shouting your message -- it is about engaging in a two-way (or more) dialogue. Begin tweeting by interacting with those that you are following.

About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com audio recording and editing software.

Chalene Johnson's How to Deal with Negative People

This Video is a MUST WATCH! No matter if you follow my blog to help you in business or just day to day finances... This video will really be a benefit to you!

Thanks Chalene!! You're an angle!!

How To Start A Residential Cleaning Company

If you want your own business and you don't have much money to get started, a residential house cleaning service may be just what you need - especially if you have a neat streak running through your veins.

Once established in this kind of business, you can easily make the transition to office cleaning, or even start a janitorial business serving larger commercial operations.

But for now, let's examine the business of cleaning residential homes. Is there a market for this business.

Indeed, life is more hurried and full of distractions than ever before. Many people feel they just don't have enough time in a day for housekeeping.


Oddly enough, many of us rank a clean home as very important, yet it's one of the last things on our "to do" list. Numerous surveys verify that people give cleaning a low priority in the use of their free time.

On top of that, cleaning seems to be one of those tasks that gets half done. You know...

"I'll do the dishes and vacuum, oh but that dusting and those cobwebs in the corner will just have to wait till the weekend."

Ah, but then the weekend comes, and who wants to ruin a perfectly good weekend cleaning house?

So the household dilemma is:

We want a clean home, but we don't have time to clean and we don't like to clean.

That's where you come in. Cleaning takes on a whole new meaning when you're getting paid for it.


RESIDENTIAL CLEANING IS IN DEMAND

American Demographics magazine reports that of all homes with two adults, over half of them are 2-wage-earner households. For couples with an education above the high school level the numbers run as high as 76%.

In recent years, a rising divorce rate has produced an unprecedented number of working single parent homes, and roughly 15% of the American workforce holds two or more jobs.

 These facts along with our general dislike for keeping house has made the cleaning industry one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. economy. Residential and commercial office cleaning is a multi-million dollar business with no signs of slowing down.


YOU CAN START ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET

A residential home cleaning business is one of those rare businesses you can start with very little start-up costs. With just a bucket of cleaning supplies and some rags you have an instant business.

As for equipment, you don't need much more than vacuum, a broom, and a long handled duster. You'll find that many people prefer you use their vacuum (If you've ever seen the carpet at my Uncle Jim's house, then you know why). If your house cleaning service includes carpet or blind cleaning, this equipment can be rented to save on costs.


HOW MUCH CAN YOU MAKE?

Depending on the going rates in your area, you can expect to average anywhere from $10 to $25 per hour. You can clean small retail and office operations and charge an additional $5 to $15 per hour.
For bigger profits you may want to specialize. For instance, you could clean rental homes and apartments after tenants move out. Working as a husband-wife team will also make your operation more profitable.

HOW TO GET BUSINESS

• Classified ads work exceptionally well. Advertise in your local newspaper or weekly shopper. Run test ads in various newspapers in your area and advertise frequently in the one that gives you the best results. Look at the ads currently running and make your ad stand out from the crowd. Offer an additional benefit such as a 20% discount on the first cleaning to entice potential customers.

• Distribute half-page or full-page flyers to homes and businesses. In one afternoon you can canvas a neighborhood with several hundred flyers. This method will capture the customer that is not actively seeking cleaning services, but is nevertheless frustrated with cleaning chores. You can produce an attractive flyer right from home with your computer and color printer.

• Print some business cards. This can also be done on your computer. Leave a card with everyone you meet and everywhere you go. Hand it to grocery store clerk, give it to the mail carrier, leave one at the restaurant...

• Get listed in the yellow pages.

• Advertise on the radio. You may be surprised how affordable this can be. Granted, the best rates are likely later time slots, but guess who's listening? That's right... the workaholic that doesn't have time to keep house.

TIPS TO GET YOUR HOUSE CLEANING BUSINESS STARTED

• Visit your local janitorial supply store. You'll find lots of free advice from experts who are more than happy to win you over as a new customer.

• Establish relationships with other cleaning services. Offer to help them out on your slow days. You may need their help on a busy day if you get sick or have an emergency.

• While not absolutely necessary for residential cleaning, you'll need to have a bond for commercial office cleaning. Insurance is also a good protective measure. Some customers will insist on this. Call a few insurance companies for the best rate.

• A cell phone or pager can keep you from missing calls.

• Put together a professional looking quote sheet to give potential customers (along with your business card) when bidding on a cleaning job.

In conclusion, starting your own cleaning business is a great way to earn a solid income and still have control over your schedule. You decide for yourself how much you want to work and how much you want to make. The demand for your services is very high, and you can grow your business as large as you want and still be home based.

And most importantly, you'll have the satisfaction that comes from creating a lifestyle of your choosing.

Website Set Up How Too...

If you have your own business of any kind, be it Avon or Massage Therapy, your business should have a website at this point. Many people, myself included, want to come home and check out a companies site before actually calling for an appointment. If I like what I see on the site, it ups my chances of calling because I am already comfortable with the business...

For many people the thought of building a website is terrifying. They hear words like Java Script and HTML and want to run screaming. At one point you needed a college degree to build a fully functional website. Today, that's just not the case! I have personally build a number of websites, none of which required a lot of headaches. In today's world the idea of creating a website shouldn't be scary at all.

Websites like FreeWebs and Yola all by walk you through the process. My personal favorite is Yola, but I have used others as well. It really is very simple to do. Once you sign up for an account you will pick a style. There are a number of free options and some more complicated ones that you have the option to pay for. Go through them and find one that fits your needs. If your website is more about jewelry than it is trees, don't pick one that is covered in forests... It's really that simple.

The next "challenge" is actually creating content, or the stuff on the page. Again, this part will vary a bit depending on what your business is... But generally you will need the following pages in a good website:

1. Welcome/Home Page - This page will be the first thing that visitors see when they type in your web address. It should be colorful and eye catching as well as have a simple and informative message that welcomes new and old visitors. 
2. Business Overview - This can be combined with the Home Page, but that can get to be a bit overwhelming. So I generally recommend a second page for this. You'll want to write a few informative paragraphs to introduce your business or company. Make sure to include your mission statement (if you have one) as well as a little about how you got started. The more people know the better and safer they will feel using your business over another.
   
3. Product or Service Overview - This page is exactly what it sounds like. You will want to review your products or services in detail. If you make jewelry, talk about how it's made and what you use, if you clean houses make sure to cover how you got started, what area you cover and what you can do for a person's home. Of course these are examples, so, make sure that you tailor your page to your business.
4. Business/Employment Opportunity - If you are someone that has started a business from scratch and isn't looking for employees, skip this one. But if you have a franchise style business, will be needing employees or are looking to expand through others this is a must have page. Explain what you are looking for in potential employees or business partners and how they may contact you if interested. What are the benefits of working with you? And why should they choose you over a competitor?? These are very important things to include!
5. Contact Us - No matter if you have a multi million dollar corporation or a small home based business visitors to your site are going to want some way to contact someone be they have questions. On this page you'll want to thank them for visiting and invite them to contact you with questions or comments. List whatever contact information you are comfortable giving out. This should include at least a business email and or business phone number. You could also list the business address if you have a store front.

Of course these are simply the "should haves" for a website. You can include as much or as little as YOU want. Remember to keep it colorful with lots of pictures. You'll also want to do your best to keep it informative without being to bulky... A new potential customer wants to be able to visit your website and get comfortable with you and your business, they don't want to read a novel.

Generally I also advise against listing any prices on your site, unless they will be ordering directly from it. The reason for this is simple. If your cost goes up and your prices change you don't want to be loosing money because you listed a price six months ago...  You'll want to show some examples of your work if you are selling things or describe the services you provide. But I generally suggest a "call for pricing" notice. Offer a "free consult" or "free estimate" which will leave them the option of calling, listening to your prices and still saying no without feeling like they are cheating you. If people feel like they are roped in to buying something just by calling with questions, they won't call.

Once your website is set up and ready to go you will have just a few things to do before you are ready to list it on your business card. FreeWebs, Yola and most other website creator sites will give you the option of a free web address. This will look like www.YOURSITENAME.yola.com, it's long and hard to both remember and refer to... They will also give you the option of buying a "domain name" through them. However, I do not generally suggest doing this. Instead you'll want to go through a site like GoDaddy to purchase your domain name. Again, it's a very simple process.

You'll want to visit www.GoDaddy.com and sign up for an account. There will be a box where you can search for a domain. This is where you will type in what you want your site name to be. However, there is a chance that someone else has already taken it, and you will have to try again. You will also have the option of having a .com, .org, .biz, .info and more. Choose the one that best fits your business. Although .info tends to be the cheapest, .com tend to be the easiest to remember.

Your cost for a domain name will vary from as little as must $1-$2 to as high as a few hundred depending on what you want. Obviously I suggest finding one that's not already owned this way you can get a .com for about $10. This will give you the highest amount of views.

So, once you have built your site and purchased a domain name you will need to connect the two. If you are using Yola this is very simple. You will simply click on the Publish My Site button in the top right hand corner of the site builder.  It will give you 3 options, the last of which is I already own my domain name - choose that. Then it will ask you to "Please make sure your domain name is pointing at Yola" and you can click "How do I do this" that will walk you through it. It's very simple to do.

Once you have built your site, chosen and bought a domain name, linked the two and published the site it will take about an hour for everything to show up...  You will have the power to update and add to your site at any point, so don't worry that it may not be perfect. Just remember that after you add content or change anything in the future that you remember to click the update button (which is where the publish button was) so that visitors see the changes.

And you're done. Feel free to use your new business website on business cards, signs, ads and more... You will be surprised to see the growth!