Website Domain Names

[Jill]

What are your thoughts about domain names for your farm sites?

I think it's important to have one, vs. a "generic" and hard to remember free site address. But beyond that, I am torn between do I prefer the farm name or a "catchy" (and maybe easier to remember?) kind of catch name. Domains are so inexpensively registered -- and I mean less than a sack of feed -- and routed to the desired page, so I have a combination of both... www.whinny4me.com (the original one), www.whinnyforme.com, www.showminis.com, and www.miniwhinny.com all go to our site

This weekend, I plan to finally get around to UPDATING our site with some new pictures and some changes I've been needing to make on our links page. I've been too busy lately, but used to love to tweak it.

What about you folks? What are your thoughts on domain names, and what have you come up with to use for your horses?

 

[Reble]

Sorry Jill, still have the free web site:

but do have part of our name and part of where we live.

Kavelman is our Name

Belmore is where we live

so web site is Kavelbel

but agree some free webs are not fun, seeing all the ads popping up.. etc....

 

[Jill]

I understand... On the other hand, I just bought a catchy "dot com" last night for less than $10

I'm a junky...

 

[user 488]

Domain names are VERY important IMHO! Jill you have put a lot of thought into your names.

The one thing I see that people have to be careful of are domain names gone bad. Such as:

EXAMPLES

Mole Station Native Nursery in New South Wales,

www.molestationnursery.com/

Speed of Art Web site,

www.speedofart.com/

You catch my drift?

Even though this is off topic, people have to be careful of their Forum names and such too. Some just don't read well. The originator might not see it but people not knowing will sometimes read things much differently.

Carol

 

[little lady]

I still have a free website, it works for me, easy for me to maintain etc. I have visited both and can honestly say I don't prefer one over the other. Call me simple.

 

[ohmt]

Oh Vertical Limit, you just got me to lol for real. I should really get a few more domain names like you Jill. I do have one, www.ohenrysminiatures.com

I think at some point i'll try to come up with some shorter ones to make it easier for people. Just need to get to it!

I do think a personalized domain name is needed. It's not too bad if I can click on a link to a long free one, but I would prefer to not have to type those in. I will do a google search just to bypass the typing.

 

[ohmt]

Little lady, I have a free website too and LOVE it, but I do buy my own domain name. It is fairly cheap and easier for people to remember and type in.

 

[little lady]

Little lady, I have a free website too and LOVE it, but I do buy my own domain name. It is fairly cheap and easier for people to remember and type in.

Well you made a good point. Suggestions on very reasonable places to get a domain name?

 

[HGFarm]

Well for the first time in my life, I have a domain name.. and boy is it easier than the old looonnnnnggggg address I had to have with the old website. Love having it, and will continue with it. It's pretty simple- www.heatherglenfarm.com lol

 

[Jill]

Carol, you crack me up

I've heard it knocked here before, but I use GoDaddy to buy the domain names I have and to route them to the right sites. I have a business website as well as our horse one. I've been using GoDaddy a long time (years!) for the domain registration and it's cheap and easy

I think you can actually keep the free site, register a domain name, and just fill in a box on the GoDaddy site to forward that domain to your free site. People type in an easy to remember address and arrive at your regular site. That's what I do to have it forward to my pay site, which is separate from GoDaddy. Once you purchase the domain, you just cut and paste the URL it should forward to into a box on your GoDaddy management screen (free to forward)

For less than $10, kinda hard not to indulge if you've got a name you would like to make your own

 

[Sterling]

I like having my own domain name. Many years I did the free web thing and just recently went out and purchased my own domain name. It's the way to go. Now a days there are so many good deals out there.

 

[Leeana]

I purchased one about three years ago, it expired a year following my purchasing it and I have not gotten around to buying a new one, but I did make my "domain" something more so easily to link to and remember www.GreenCreekStable.Webs.Com which is more simple then www.greencreekstable.freewebs.asdfwae.3e2efs3.////enter.com LOL

There is a domain I want to purchase, I actually wanted it years ago when I purchased my first domain however it didn't fit my farm back then - now it does. I always make a mental note to check into it - god knows I can find the time, but it just never comes into thought.

 

[Jill]

L, just go to www.godaddy.com and on the first page near the top is a box. You can type into that and it will tell you if your idea for a domain is available. If it is, you can claim it as yours right there and it's only about $10/year

I hope you can get the one you want

 

[Leeana]

Do you need to make a membership for godaddy.com? That was part of the issue when mine expired in the first place - I had changed emails and forgot the password/login so could not exactly renew it.

 

[Jill]

No, you can just start a new "account" to buy the domain you want. Not really a membership. All it costs is the fee to buy the domain (about $10/year... you can buy a year at a time or longer). Good luck! I'm excited to hear what you've picked out

AND, I was a good girl... I just updated my own site after a month or more of procrastination

 

[Jill]

L, was the one you wanted available? I hope so!

 

[Leeana]

Yes it was

. Now, I just need to purchase it

 

[Jill]

YAY!!!!!!! You need to lay it on me when you have it going. I noticed when I was updating my links page this morning, I don't have a working link for your horses anymore.

 

[Genie]

I have the free web site but pay an annual fee to eliminate the ads. If I buy the domain name does it go with my existing site or do I need a new web site? I am not a "techie".

I guess I can just call the godaddy people and get help.

 

[Jill]

Genie, if you buy a domain name, you just have it reroute to your current site. People type in the easy to remember domain, and your site will come up. On GoDaddy, this is free. After you buy the domain, you just go into a management page on GoDaddy and cut & paste (or type out) your current site address into the forwarding screen. That's what I've done will all of mine, and they all just seemlessly go to my original site. There's not any extra charge for it, either. I love it!