When a user got his web hosting account with PHP and mySQL support, then he/she can easily do free programming and scripts so as to enjoy the benefit of their powerful combined capabilities.

Generally all the web hosting providers either paid or free always add some free pre-installed scripts to their customers in the way of guest books, counters and calendars. The users who are searching around can find out the toys and bells and whistles that they can install on their web pages including hundreds of scripts and applications. The user can set up one of dozens of forums, which they can choose from many image galleries and photo albums, and also can serve classified ads, offering auction listings and dating services – in brief just about everything the user can do on the Internet, and also about what he/she can do with a free PHP script from his/her web hosting provider.

There are many free services but one of the best free services to look for is Fantastico, which is a web-based script installer that allows user to add any of dozens of free goodies to his/her web site and that is just by a click of a mouse. If the web hosting provider offers Fantastico with its hosting accounts, user can get access to over a dozen different content management systems, half a dozen user forums, several different blog packages, shopping carts, including Zen Cart and OS Commerce, an easy FAQ maker and six different customer support options so as to enable user to offer help and support on his/her web site.

Two of the handiest types of free tools that many web hosting companies offer for free are:

Portals and Content Management Systems

They make easy for the user to add and remove pages and information to and from their web site. Most of them include modules that allows user to add discussion boards, shopping carts, polls and instant messaging, as well as user authentication and security to his/her web site easily. Mambo, Post-Nuke, Xoops and Drupal are among the content management systems that webhosting company are offering for free. All are open source software with a lot of user support beyond the support offered by user?s web hosting company. Thus there are always new modules and new tricks being offered for all of them.

Blogs

Blogs are online publishing tools by which the user can easily update their website whenever he/she wants. They automatically put the latest entries up and move older entries down in the reading queue. WordPress is one of the most commonly used, which many web hosting providers include as a free setup script with users web hosting account. Thus one should always try to avail all the perks being offered by the web host providers.

I disagree with the comment made by some web developers that all the good domain names are taken. Search engine optimization, or seo, does not depend heavily on the www name you select. For my clients just starting out the decision choosing small business website names has never been an issue. It is a fact that all the 3 character and 4 character domain names with the key extensions are taken. Furthermore, I agree that a vast number of choice domain names are no longer available; however, the selection of a suitable www domain for your small business is possible if you remain flexible.

The real value in the name you choose from a search perspective is how easy it is to spell and remember. Of the two types of visitors to your site, the human visitors and search engines, the ability of a person to remember your domain name and spell it correctly to pass it on to others outweighs any SEO value. Search engines are robots and don’t care.

Using words like “greatest”, “best”, or other exaggerated terms in your domain name is thought by some to be a disadvantage and penalized by search engines. Search algorithms change often and likewise that theory, and although you may not be penalized for using such words, consider the reaction of your human visitors. They may not stick around if they feel you boast without the content to back it up. For a serious small business commercial enterprise, my advice is avoiding adjectives in the domain name entirely.

In some cases new clients approach me to redesign an existing website, and it surprises me that some of the basics are overlooked. For example, a commercial enterprise in business for profit should not select a dot ORG domain simply because the dot COM was taken. This was the case from a conversation with a client interested in a site makeover. Their ORG version was online for two years with little or no backlinks or serious indexing from search engines. The mindset of getting one particular name should be reconsidered especially if it’s your first online venture.

Here’s a breakdown of the most desirable domain extensions and the usual purpose of each:

COM – Commercial for profit enterprise
INFO – Information only related website
NET – Companies providing internet services
ORG – Non-profit organizations

Certainly there are many more like BIZ, US, WS, and others which are all reasonable choices, but for your commercial small business my recommendation is always acquire a dot COM www domain name. The client mentioned earlier did not realize a dot ORG was intended for a non-commercial enterprise, and they decided the poor website SEO performance was something that justified getting a new dot COM. We easily found an available www domain using their company initials and one key word about their target market which is medical. Despite my advice that they keep the existing site and simply change the theme, they decided to just let it go when it expired.

My commercial site choice was my first and last name, and very unique at that. Using your name is okay, and expected if you’re famous. There is, however, little or no value as far as keywords in my www domain to attract visitors, so is that a mistake for search engine optimization? Certainly not. The fact that I have collected more than 100 screenshots of generic phrases relative to my business that made Google page one is evidence the content, not the domain, is key.

Here’s some advice to help you when choosing a new dot COM small business website domain name.

Start out with a list of about 10 domain names that you would like to have. Next, make a list of market related single word terms about what you do and the customer base you service. If your market is localized, consider geographical terms that relate to where you sell or provide services. Spend 30 minutes brainstorming to come up with the initial names and additional lists of single word terms. You may want another list of significant initials.

Next, search for “WhoIs” in Google to find free online services that keep a database of available domain names, and follow the link in the search results. Each database has a search box which allows you to input the domain name and extension. Begin with your first choice and work down the list and keep track of available names for review later. It may not be easy, so try combinations of the key terms as you continue to search, and keep in mind you want a domain name that is easy to spell and remember. By the time you’re done you should have a half dozen or more available names, so take your time and select the best one, and then register the name immediately.

Tip: The domain name may not be significant for search engine optimization, but the length of your registration can be. My advice is registering domains for 2 years minimum, and 5 to 10 years if that’s in your budget. Search engines consider that the length of your registration reflects your commitment to be online long term, so at today’s prices 5 years is practical and should cost less than $50 USD.

There’s nothing wrong with getting the dot COM domain name you want, and then registering the other major extensions that are available for the same name. If you are highly successful in your online venture, having the other extensions registered in your name prevents others from attempting to take advantage of your reputation by association. In conclusion, the concept that all the good domain names are taken is a myth. You may not get exactly what you want, but practical options are available with a little research and due diligence.