Domain Name: What Is It & Why You Need to Claim Yours Now

Whether you are at the very beginning stages of starting your business or have been at it a while, if you don't have your website up and running yet, the first thing you need to do is claim your Domain Name.

If you are not quite sure what that means, let me break it down. A Domain Name is simply the web address for your business. For example, if your business name is Judy's Cleaning Service, you may want to use www.judyscleaning.com or www.judyscleaningservice.com.

The domain name is your website's address. Simple, right? Well, turns out it can be a bit more complicated. It is possible that someone else has already claimed that domain name.

To find out if your domain name is unclaimed, you can go to a site such as NameCheap.com or GoDaddy.com to find out. If it is available, then you should have no trouble claiming it for yourself.

You simply have to purchase your domain. This will run you anywhere from $15-$40 per year directly from a domain seller.

If your domain has already been claimed and is being used by someone else, you will have to come up with an alternative. We will use our example of Judy. Maybe we can try CleanJudy.com for our web address instead.

If, however, your domain is claimed but not being used, you may be able to buy it from the owner. But often times that comes at a hefty price tag.

The bottom line is, if you want a specific website address, decide on what you want and purchase the domain right away. This way you will have it available when you are ready to set up your website.

Are you ready to claim your domain today?