How Can a Domain Name Help My Online Business?

Domain name registration is the first step in getting your business online. Once your domain name puts your business "on the map," you can build a Web site to start attracting the customers you need. For many businesses, domain name registration involves registering multiple domain names (e.g., various product names, misspellings, or different extensions) to protect their brand, and then forwarding all their domain names to one Web site. This is known as "Web forwarding."

The majority of domain name registration customers are individuals or organizations who will build a Web site to associate with their address. However, you can get an e-mail address matched to your domain name, with or without a Web site. This approach to domain name registration is helpful for businesses trying to establish credibility as well as for individuals looking for a memorable e-mail address (i.e., john@smith.com).