First of all, I would like to clarify that I have nothing against subdomain name, it is free and low maintenance. What I mean with low maintenance is because you do not spend money for a subdomain name, only your time, effort, and energy in writing content and promoting your blog.

In most of my websites and blogs, my readers and friends especially blogger friends have been probably wondering why I rarely link and promote other blogs, especially those with free subdomain names, on my personal blogs. I have a lot of sites before I started blogging and I know the experience of having a lot of links.

My experience in linking sites and blogs was eating so much of my time then as I had to regularly check the links if they were still active or not. I was avoiding the scenario that once a site was discontinued by the owner, which by the way goes for both the domain name and the free subdomain name, you ended up being linked to a dead link. In some instances, your website might even be linked to a pornography site without you knowing it. Have you been redirected to a pornography site?

In the case of a free subdomain name, most often when the bloggers realize that it is time to move on to having their own domain names, they normally abandon their old blogs with the free subdomain name and just update the new blogs. If the abandoned blogs are still going to exist, there is no problem. But once they abandoned and eventually deleted the old blogs, then your site will be linked to dead links. This also applies to domain names but often it is happening to blogs having free subdomain names.

Another problem is when the old blog was abandoned and someone registered for that subdomain name when it became available again, then your blog is linked to the blog of someone you do not even know. What if the content of the blog is in conflict with your beliefs and principles?

What is the problem now? The problem is, when you have been linking a lot of blogs from the blog entries of your own blog, it would be taxing on your part to go back to all your posts and delete or update all those links from each post. What if you have more than 1,000 blog entries already and you actually have linked several blogs which are no longer existing?

It should not actually be a problem on your part but it is going to be definitely frustrating on the part of your readers when they clicked on the links and they were redirected to dead links, abandoned blogs or worse to porno sites. With that, if you have a blog with a free subdomain name, please do not delete it, just put a link on your blog that you have moved to a new domain name.

What I have mentioned were actually the reasons that are keeping me to link to free subdomain names from a blog entry. But I have done linking blogs from my blog several times too anyway. With regard to linking blogs from the links page, I have no problem with it.

Linking to other blogs is definitely a good way of exchanging links as it will help your blog in terms of ranking at the search engines. I know the importance of having links especially the incoming links. In that sense, you get incoming links because you were also linking those blogs who are linking to your blog.

But let me emphasize here though, that what I wrote should not hinder you if you would like to do this linking practice. I will also definitely be practicing it as well. We just have to take the risk if ever what I have written happens.

Disclosure:
If you register your domain name at GoDaddy using my referral link, I will earn from it.

• Disclosure
  Disclosure This site contains ads and web links generated by a third party which in effect the site receives compensation.
• Disclaimer
  Disclaimer ProBlogit.com contains links to other websites. This site has no control over the other websites and so ProBlogit.com is not
• Links
  
• Make Money Online with inLinks
  If you joined Text Link Ads, you probably noticed that you can also refer the inLinks advertising program. Another
• Setting Up a Blog
  I finished writing about registering a domain name and choosing a web host. It is time to set up

Importance of Domain Name, Links, Incoming Links, Dead Links

Post from Pro Blog it | ProBlogging Venture Tips and Ideas, Reviews and Opinions
Copyright © ProBlogit.com All Rights Reserved.

The downside of registering your own domain name is if you have no credit cards, no PayPal account, and no checking account. It normally happens to students who would like to start a blog with their own domain name only to be confronted with this problem. The only option for them is to have a free subdomain name available in the net like at Blogger’s Blogspot.com, WordPress.com among others. Another option is to ask friends or parents if they can use their credit cards.

How do I register?

In my case, I use a credit card and I always register at GoDaddy.com as I find it very professional. Then, the platform is good, the price is reasonable and affordable, and in my opinion, the features inside are superb.

If I would like to register a domain name, I just go the website of GoDaddy.com, and look for the domain name if it is available by supplying the word at the “Start a Domain Name Search” form. I always choose the “com” top-level domain name. Once I click it, the page will show me if it is available or not including the “net”, “org”, “me”, “info”, “mobi”, and “us” top-level domain names. That way, I know immediately which ones are available if ever the “com” is no longer available. I just follow the instructions and after a few minutes I already own a domain name.

I also normally register the domain name for 5 or 10 years so I do not have to renew it every year. I normally look if the domain registrar has a promo too. That way I can save money even if it is minimal. If the domain name is good in my opinion, I register all the “com”, “net”, and “org” top-level domain names. In a way I protect my brand and online image even if my blogs or websites are not that popular yet. I also keep the others from owning a name that draws readers to them rather than me.

What about Domains By Proxy?

Another thing that I also normally would like to avail are the services of Domains By Proxy. Domains By Proxy offers domain privacy services, in effect hides our personal information from being posted in every domain registrars every time someone views the “WHOIS” search page. The additional cost could be like registering one domain name already. Domains By Proxy prevents others especially the spammers and scammers from getting my personal information like telephone number and home address. Domains by Proxy does not offer true anonymity but suffice to say in a way it prevents my personal information from being vulnerable from the prying eyes.

If you have no problem with your personal information like telephone number and home address being posted on the net, then it is fine to register the domain name without availing the services of Domains By Proxy. Actually having the domain names in our names is not bad as it shows that we are the legal owners of the domain name. Domains By Proxy says of course that we are still the legal owners of the domain name.

What about other domain registrars?

Other domain registrars that I can access at the moment are NetworkSolutions.com, Yahoo.com, Namezero.com, and Dreamhost.com aside from the domain registrars in the Philippines and Switzerland. These companies are also offering web hosting. The features of the first three companies are not as good as GoDaddy’s features, in my opinion. Dreamhost so far is fine. Features wise, not bad at all, not probably at the level of GoDaddy yet but as I see it, better than the first three companies. Maybe because Dreamhost is one of my web hosts and I know how its control panel works. I can also access Yahoo as a web host but control panel wise, Dreamhost has better control panel.

Why I encourage you to have your own domain name separate from availing it free via web hosting? You see, there are some web hosts out there which will gladly host your domain name for free. I suggest that you get that feeling first being hosted for free and if you are ready for the challenge, you can avail of their own paid web hosting or begin searching for another web host. If you are satisfied using the free web hosting being provided, then good for you.

So, are you ready to register your own domain name now? If you are, hop on to a website, have your credit card ready, and start registering your own domain name!

If you would like to register at Dreamhost.com? Can I refer you to Dreamhost.com by using my referral link, http://www.dreamhost.com/r.cgi?342709?

If you are not using my referral link at Dreamhost.com, no problem. I just thought of asking you.

Disclosure:
For the reason that if you are opening an account with Dreamhost as your web host, I will be earning from it. But if you are just registering a domain name with Dreamhost, I will not be earning from it. But if you register your domain name at GoDaddy using my referral link, I will earn from it.

• Choosing a good Domain Name
  When I registered my first domain name for my town, I did not have any option but to register the
• How to Register a Domain Name
  Registering a domain name is very simple but I still wrote about it in case someone would like to know
• How to Get a Web Host
  Getting a web host is simply choosing a web host and signing up for a web hosting account with a
• Domain Name or Free Subdomain Name
  One of the requirements to be able to start a blog is to have a domain name or a subdomain
• Problogging Summary Guide to Starting and Implementing a Blog
  It has been almost three weeks when I started problogging and wrote some tips and ideas on how to start

Registering a Domain Name

Post from Pro Blog it | ProBlogging Venture Tips and Ideas, Reviews and Opinions
Copyright © ProBlogit.com All Rights Reserved.

When I decided to register more domain names, I thought of registering short and one-syllable domain names and with the top-level domain name “com”. The problem was, a lot of people registered one-syllable domain names with “com” and up to now, they are not even being used. I thought of registering the “net” and “org” but they were also taken. So the best option was to register two-syllable or three-syllable domain names with top-level domain name “com”. But there were instances that the one with top-level domain name “com” was taken too so I decided to register the one with “net” top level domain name. I only registered an “org” top-level domain name without really minding the “com” if the website was for a non-profit organization.

Then I also registered a domain name which is an acronym of my name plus two more words but every time I tell other people about it, I still have to spell it out so they will get the right spelling. It is very short indeed, with five letters and two syllables but it is not easy to tell as I always have to explain to the others that there is an H after E.

So, what top-level domain name is better?

In my opinion, the “com” is still the best. If I have a choice, I would always register a domain name with top-level domain name “com”. The first thing that I search for is a domain name with a “com” top-level domain name. The “net” is always a second choice.

What about choosing a second-level domain name?

If I have the opportunity, I will always register a one-syllable domain name, familiar to people where I do not have to spell it out. If I have no other choice, a two-syllable domain name is fine. A domain name which people will remember right away. For me, the best would be the colors like green.com, blue.com, black.com, white.com, those with one syllable and almost everybody knows what they are. But of course, they are all taken. The domain name must also be short which consists of 4 to 5 letter only, if not 6 to 7 letters are fine.

Regarding domain names with three syllables or more, they are not bad at all but if I will have to ask you, isn’t it nice to just type a five-letter one-syllable domain name?

What about hyphenated domain names?

I try to avoid registering a domain name with hyphen or dash. I feel like I need to make an extra effort for a hyphenated domain name with regard to promoting and marketing it. I would rather say “blue green dot com” instead of “blue dash green dot com”. If I would like to tell my domain name to someone for the first time, I need to explain a little bit. For someone who is not familiar with websites, they will ask about the dash, and I will have to tell them that there is indeed a dash or hyphen between blue and green. In a way it is not bad at all as it will give me an opportunity or a reason to converse with the person.

What about domain names with numbers?

I never registered a domain name with numbers. It is confusing as people might think that I am telling them one instead of 1. I feel like I need to explain again and tell them that what I mean is the number 1 and not the letters o n e. Is that not complicated enough?

But what choice do we have now? Almost all the good domain names are taken. The fact is, almost all of them are just being parked. The domain name owners are probably hoping that one of these days someone will buy these domain names at a certain amount they would like to dictate. Some call it domaining, which is another topic where net professionals also earn money from.

Well then, I have written about making a choice between a domain name and a subdomain name, and about making a choice what domain name is good to register. The next question is, is the process of registering a domain name long and complicated? No, it’s not.

But for the meantime, think about what I just wrote. Are you ready to make a choice now?

Disclosure:
If you register your domain name at GoDaddy using my referral link, I will earn from it.

• Problogging Summary Guide to Starting and Implementing a Blog
  It has been almost three weeks when I started problogging and wrote some tips and ideas on how to start
• Domain Name or Free Subdomain Name
  One of the requirements to be able to start a blog is to have a domain name or a subdomain
• How to Get a Web Host
  Getting a web host is simply choosing a web host and signing up for a web hosting account with a
• Setting Up a Blog
  I finished writing about registering a domain name and choosing a web host. It is time to set up
• Registering a Domain Name
  Registering a domain name is not all complicated. If you are registering a domain name, clarify what kind of

Choosing a good Domain Name

Post from Pro Blog it | ProBlogging Venture Tips and Ideas, Reviews and Opinions
Copyright © ProBlogit.com All Rights Reserved.

The disadvantage of having my own domain name is I have to invest a small amount of money for it. I have to pay for it every year unlike a subdomain name, for example, at WordPress.com, Multiply.com, Livejournal.com, Tripod.com or Blogger’s Blogspot.com. Subdomain names at these sites are for free.

The problem with having subdomain names at these sites except at Blogger’s Blogspot.com is, advertisements like Google AdSense are not allowed. When I started my blogs, I was not blogging for money but it occurred to me that it was not really a bad idea to earn from my blogs and other websites. I made a little investment of registering several domain names and to offset what I spend for these domain names, I might as well try earning from my blogs and websites.

Why I chose to have my own domain name than just a subdomain name?

One of the reasons among others that triggered me to register my own domain name aside from it became reasonable and affordable was the ranking at Alexa.com of my GeoCities homepages. They were not subdomain names though but it really made me think. I am not really into ranking and statistics but one thing that I observed at Alexa.com was, my Geocities homepages were ranked at Alexa but not really high, instead the site which was really benefiting from it was Yahoo’s GeoCities. It was the same with other sites. I have other homepages with other sites offering free hosting.

I just thought that I worked so hard for my GeoCities homepages that they ranked high at the search engines but it was quite frustrating to see the rank at Alexa.com. It was just because I was availing of the free web hosting of these sites with all the advertisements appearing on my homepages. If I would like to have a higher rank, then I might as well do it with the right domain name, my own domain name.

Where did I register my domain names?

My first choice at that time was Network Solutions but when Namezero.com had a promo, I registered my first domain name with Namezero. Along the way as I was reading about all the issues concerning the high prices of the domain names, GoDaddy.com became like a champion to me when it offered the top level domain names like .com, .net, and .org at a reasonable and affordable price. With GoDaddy.com, I have all the control on my domain name. I do not need to contact any person at the company if I need to change the nameservers and other things related to it.

What is a top-level domain (TLD) or top-level domain name?

According to Wikipedia.org, “A top-level domain (TLD), sometimes referred to as a top-level domain name, is the last part of an Internet domain name, that is, the group of letters that follow the final dot of any domain name.”

In this case, the domain name is ProBlogit.com. The top-level domain name is the “com”. The second-level domain name is “ProBlogit”. If I have mail.problogit.com, then “mail” is the subdomain name. A subdomain is a domain that is part of a larger domain. “ProBlogit” can be referred then as a subdomain of the top-level domain name “com”. But in actual practice, we do not call “ProBlogit” as a subdomain. To add, the www preceding the domain name is a host name of the World Wide Web server.

How much is it to register a domain name?

A domain name would cost at least 10 US dollars or more at GoDaddy.com, sometimes less if there is a promo, depending on what top-level domain name to register.

Why not avail of the free domain name registration offered by web hosting companies?

I thought about that, but as I have said I would like to have all the control on my domain name. If I will not be satisfied with the web host I can just inform the web host that I will not renew the web hosting service with them. I do not have to worry that the web host might not give me the details about my domain name after promoting my domain name to get popular. I can change the nameservers on my own at any time without worry.

Let me tell you though that I have not written about web hosting yet. I will be sharing with you my ideas about it later on. Just to let you know too that there are web hosting companies out there which are willing to host a domain name for free without advertisements but with limited bandwidth and limited disk storage. But I have seen reasonable web hosts where you can even have advertisements like Google AdSense.

What top-level domain name is better? What about choosing a second-level domain name? Should I register two-syllable or three-syllable domain name? What about hyphenated domain names? What about domain name with numbers?

It seems like the questions above are another interesting topics. Allow me to share with you my thoughts about the topics above later on as well. For the meantime, think about choosing between a domain name or a subdomain name. Are you willing to invest in a domain name? Where will you benefit in the next couple of years?

Disclosure:
If you register your domain name at GoDaddy using my referral link, I will earn from it.

• Importance of Domain Name, Links, Incoming Links, Dead Links
  If you have been following me here, you probably have read what I wrote about making a choice between a
• Problogging Summary Guide to Starting and Implementing a Blog
  It has been almost three weeks when I started problogging and wrote some tips and ideas on how to start
• Registering a Domain Name
  Registering a domain name is not all complicated. If you are registering a domain name, clarify what kind of
• Choosing a good Domain Name
  When I registered my first domain name for my town, I did not have any option but to register the
• How to Get a Web Host
  Getting a web host is simply choosing a web host and signing up for a web hosting account with a

Domain Name or Free Subdomain Name

Post from Pro Blog it | ProBlogging Venture Tips and Ideas, Reviews and Opinions
Copyright © ProBlogit.com All Rights Reserved.