So back to our example, you have a sub domain name for your business you will want to reserve a standard domain name, for example let’s say you want to call your business Polka Dot Kidz.  You would then try to reserve a domain name from a company.  I HIGHLY recommend GoDaddy.  You can purchase a domain name for $8.95 or less per year (varies on .com type).  I also highly recommend that you choose a domain name with a .com or .net extension.  You may have to be creative with the spelling, etc. if the domain name you have selected is not available GoDaddy will provide you with alternative suggestions.

Pick the one that you like best.  For our example www.polkadotkidz.com was available!

Now there are two things that you can do with your domain name:

If the free company website that you have allows you to make modifications to the pages of your website then you could transfer the domain name to the new website replacing the sub domain.  This is an easy task to do and the company that you signed up with should be able to assist you with this.

If the free company website does not allow you to modify the website, then I recommend that you create a splash webpage or a website.  If you choose this option then you will need to obtain web hosting.  Web hosting can range from $7.99 or less per month and provide you with a wide variety of features to help you run your business.  I HIGHLY recommend Sovratec Consulting for any web hosting services. I find now-a-days that someone always knows someone else that knows how to create a website.  If you have such a friend or family member ask them to help you with the creation of your website.  If you don’t, don’t worry there are other things that we can do.  Feel free to contact me if you need additional help with creating a web page or site.

If you are a novice to web design but would like to try and learn you can visit Boogie Jack this is an excellent web resource, I use it all of the time.

If you can not afford to buy a domain name, create a website or hosting, another alternative would be to use a Blog or even MySpace.  Blogs & MySpace are free and you don’t need a domain name to use them.  The use of Blogs and MySpace will be discussed later on in this training.  However; if your marketing campaign will consist of business cards, flyers, mailings, etc.  I would highly encourage reserving a .com because it’s easier for the viewer to remember and looks much more professional on marketing materials.