Know all about domain names, pros and cons of having a domain. Also a list of questions specially designed to help you decide when, and if a domain would be right for you!

Individual web sites are ideal for businesses that offer a single product or service, or for businesses with a small line of related products and/or services. But if a business becomes diversified and needs to continually add more web pages and/or sites to enlarge its Internet presence, it’s time to consider the pros and cons of a domain.

Whats a domain:

A domain is like a town or city waiting to be built. You can start with one or two web sites and add new sites as often as you wish. Your domain can be as diversified as your business, with as many pages as you could possibly want or need.

With a domain, you can also get into the very lucrative Internet services business and sell web sites and related Internet products and services from your domain.

Benefits of having own domain:

You can do almost anything you want to with your own domain, and the potential for making money increases as you add new sites and create new streams of income. Everyone who has a business or who is a distributor for a network marketing company is a potential customer for a web site (and possibly other related Internet services) on your domain.

When you consider the number of people you know personally who own businesses or are distributors for MLM companies, you can begin to see the potential for making money with your own domain!

A domain can come in any size, and you can get additional space if and when you need it. With a domain, the sky is literally the limit as far as the potential for making money is concerned — with time, commitment, hard work, and the right information, you could become a cyberspace millionaire!

Pros and Cons of having domain name:

Now that I’ve told you about all of the goodies associated with having your own domain, I want to share some of the drawbacks with you as well. You need to know about both the pros and the cons of having your own domain before you can make an informed decision as to whether a domain is right for you.

Frankly, a domain isn’t for everyone. A web site is like having a single piece of developed real estate which must be promoted to have value. But a domain is like having acres and acres of undeveloped real estate which must be developed and promoted, otherwise it is worthless.

Domain has to be developed:

Having a domain gives you a measure of freedom and flexibility that you can’t have with a web site, but you have to work a lot harder to make money with a domain. For instance, when I say that a domain has to be developed, I mean that YOU have to develop it! YOU have to master a web page editor like FrontPage or Dreamweaver that will enable you to create your own web pages.

YOU have to learn how to create hyperlinks connecting pages to other pages, e-mail addresses to pages, order forms to secure servers, autoresponders to pages, etc. You should know how to use the advanced active elements to bring animation to your pages.

You should learn how to use Image Composer to create unique graphics. You should learn the basics of HTML — sooner or later you will need it. I’m speaking from experience here — it’s more than a notion!

Your investment of time and money will be much greater with a domain than with a web site. If money is no object, you can always hire someone to develop and manage your domain for you, but you will still have to spend a great deal of time promoting it.

You can have a full-time job and promote a web site, but don’t even think about getting a domain if you have a full-time job — a domain IS a full-time job, and then some!

Perhaps you think that I regret having purchased a domain. Nothing could be further from the truth! I am very proud of what we have accomplished with our domain, and I look forward to the challenges ahead with joy! In truth, I have enjoyed every moment that I’ve spent creating, defining, designing, redesigning, and promoting this wonderful property we call Candidinfo. But I am very ambitious and I am no stranger to hard work — how ambitious are you?

If you are ambitious enough and determined enough to take on the challenges of developing your own domain…and if your business is diversified enough to warrant having a domain (or if you want to sell web sites and related Internet services)…and if you have the money and the time to commit to a domain, a domain could be the best investment you ever make.

But before you take on this huge challenge, evaluate the needs of your business with care, and consider both the pros and cons of having your own domain.

The following list of questions is designed to help you decide when, and if, a domain would be right for you:

1. Does your business offer a single product or service, or a small group of related products and/or services?

If your answer is “yes,” you really don’t need a domain. A web site is sufficient to promote your offer on the Internet.

2. Is your business very diversified, or is it constantly growing or changing?

If you answer is “yes,” your business interests might best be served by a domain. Keep in mind that when you purchase a domain, you will be pretty much on your own. You will either have to learn how to develop and manage your own domain, or you will have to pay someone to do it for you.

3. Are you new to the Internet?

If you’re new to the Internet, it would probably be wisest to start with a web site unless you want to sell web sites and related Internet services. You can use an inexpensive web site to learn about Internet marketing first hand, and then later, if the needs of your business warrant it, you can graduate to a more expensive domain.

4. How soon do you want to start doing business on the Internet?

If you are ready to do business on the Internet NOW, your new web site could be up and online in a few days, depending on how long it takes you to approve the web site’s design. But developing your domain could take weeks or months, depending on how many pages need to go up, and depending on how quickly you learn to use the software needed to create your own web pages.

5. How much money do you want to make with your Internet presence?

You can make a lot of money with a web site if you have a good offer, your web site is well located, and you are willing to promote it…
But you can make a fortune with a domain if you have the right information, a huge amount of ambition, a lot of time, more money, and the wherewithal to develop, promote, and maintain it.
Your business should be diversified enough to warrant the space you will pay for, and/or you should be selling web sites and related Internet services.

6. How much time do you have to spend on your Internet presence?

Developing and promoting a domain takes much more time than just promoting a web site. If you have a full-time job, don’t even think about getting a domain unless you are a seasoned “netpreneur.”

7. How much money do you want to spend on your Internet presence?

A web site is considerably less expensive than a domain. You can purchase a one-page web site for a whole year for less than $200.00 from many web hosting services.

Initial Cost

A domain can cost anywhere from about Rs.5,000 ($100.00) a year (not including the Rs.390/$7.50 fee required by InterNIC to register your domain name) on up, depending on how much space you need.

In addition, you will have to purchase the software needed to create web pages, unique graphics, and so forth. (Some of the software can be downloaded for free, but expect to pay between Rs.5,000/$100.00 and Rs.80,000/$400.00 for software.)

You will also need an e-mail software package such as Outlook. If you want your order forms on a secure server, you might have to pay more for this.

Let me do everything myself:

Even if you are willing to learn the skills needed to develop and manage your own domain, you will probably need to hire a consultant from time to time to help you over the rough spots. (Expect to pay anywhere from $30.00 to $100.00 an hour for a good consultant.)

You may need a faster processor and other computer hardware, such as a scanner (Rs.4,500/$100.00 and up). If you want professional design assistance with some or all of your web pages, you could pay as much as Rs.1,000/$25.00 per page or more for this service.

In a nutshell:

In other words, if you decide to purchase a domain, your initial outlay will probably be around Rs.20,000/$500.00, regardless of the size of your domain. (WARNING: Stay away from the so-called “model home” sites with the fancy bells and whistles — you could end up paying thousands of Rupees/dollars for things you can get on the Internet for free!)

Now that you know about some of the pros and cons associated with having a domain, you are in a better position to make an informed decision as to whether or not a domain is right for you at this time. You can check out the availability of domain names and register new domains at here.