Your Own Domain Name

Consider having your own domain name. This is a memorable name for your Internet presence. In business, it's much better to have an e-mail address based on your business name - me@mybusiness.com - than a complicated rigmarole that incorporates your name and your ISP. As with customized telephone numbers, the aim of the domain name is to make it simple for your customers to memorize.

Once you have registered your business domain name, it remains yours wherever you take your Internet account. So if you aren't happy with the service you're receiving from your ISP, you can move to another one but still keep your own e-mail and Web site addresses.

A few years ago registering your domain name was an expensive and complex process, but nowadays it is a lot easier and need cost only a few pounds. You can start by discovering if your chosen name is available - surf to Nominet UK for UK domain names and for global ones (such as .com and .net) to InterNIC. You'll find useful information on these sites about choosing and registering your domain name.

There are plenty of companies with whom you can register. Some even offer 'free' domain name registrations, but look carefully into what's on offer as there may be restrictions on transferring your name to another server. Once again, the advice is to be cautious of free services. Companies that specialize in Internet services for business, on the other hand, often offer good-value package deals.