In today’s world of e-business, one of the biggestrnadvantages you have as a domain name buyer is control. The industry isrnchock full of companies offering domain name registration services,rnempowering you to seek out precisely what you are looking for. rnBut although you are ultimately in control, buying arndomain name still requires careful consideration. After all, you wantrnto buy a useful domain that is backed by a reliable registrar. rnObviously, the first step in purchasing a domain is tornthink of a name. When searching for a name, forget about purchasing arnsingle-world .com, .net or .org domain name; virtually all of thesernhave already been snapped up. Instead, try to think of word variationsrnor word combinations that are easy to remember and spell. rnIf you can’t think of a suitable name on your own, there are several tools available that can help you. (Nameboyrnis one of the most powerful and popular tools; simply enter twornkeywords in to the site’s interface, and it will return several dozenrndomain name ideas.) rnOnce you’ve settled on a domain name, be sure to shoprnaround for a reasonable price before committing to a registrar. Therndays of the $100 domain name are over; many reputable companies nowrnoffer domains as low as nine or ten dollars. When shopping, keep yourrneyes peeled for any value added services you may find useful,rnincluding: rn

• Domain name parking/temporary one-page sitesrn
• URL forwardingrn
• Free e-mail forwardingrn
• Technical supportrn
• Online control panelrn

rn rnRemember, the industry is so saturated that you are inrncontrol. Therefore, shop around for a deal you feel best suits yournprior to registering. You’ll want to make the right choice the firstrntime, as transferring your domain to a new registrar is rarely arnpleasant experience. rnWhen shopping for a domain, it is also important to keeprnan eye open for domain name scams. The surging popularity of domainrnname affiliate programs has created countless “fly by night”rnoperations; dozens of domain name resellers worldwide cease operationsrnevery month, often leaving the administrative status of the domainsrnthey leave behind up in the air. Making a purchase from a reseller isrnnot a bad decision, but make sure to research the company’s history andrncredentials. There are less than 170 ICANN-accredited registrars (thatrnis, non-resellers) for .com, .net and .org domains worldwide; a fullrnlist is available here.rn rnOnce you’ve picked a domain and a registrar, you willrnneed to decide how long to purchase it for. While shorter lengths ofrntime can initially appear cheaper, they also require more frequentrnrenewals, and can therefore be more expensive over the long haul – sornconsider the future of your domain before you buy it. Will you stillrnlike the domain name in six months? How about a year? Do you ever planrnto use it? Is it worth buying at all? These are all important questionsrnto consider before committing funds. rnAnd finally, keep a record of everything. Make sure yournknow when your domain will expire, who you registered it with, and evenrnthe name(s) you registered (you would be amazed at how easy they are tornforget). The last thing you want to do is scramble to renew a domainrnyou forgot about.