Choosing the Right Domain Name

How in the world does a little “mom and pop hardware store” or a startup mortgage guy working from his den in Greenwich, CT even get started on the internet?  Some of my favorite customers to work with are just that “virgins to the internet world” (as far as running a business online).  Generally, most of us know our way around Google, MSN, Yahoo or our daily newspaper websites, but have we ever really thought about how the internet works?

First and foremost I would like to talk about Domain Names.  Domain names started being registered in the mid 1980’s with the very first being www.symolics.com.  Soon to follow were;

1. www.symbolics.com (March 1985)
2. www.bnn.com (April 1985)
3. www.think.com (May 1985)
4. www.mcc.com (July 1985)
5. www.dec.com (September)
6. www.northrop.com (November 1985)
7. www.xerox.com (January 1986)
8. www.sri.com (January 1986)
9. www.hp.com (March 1986)
10. www.bellcore.com (March 1986)

The domain marketplace has taken a gigantic turn from when it originally opened to the public.  Back in the 1980’s when businesses started registering domain names, buisnesses registered to be "on" the internet rather than to be "in" the internet.  Most people didn’t quite grasp what the internet could do for their business. They just knew that they “probably should have a domain name with a website”. 

If you asked anyone who understands the internet how important domain names are they would say  I wish I had bought www.sex.com or www.ice.com, which have both sold between the rages of 10-15 million dollars (original investment $19.95).  That’s not a bad investment if you ask me.  Just try to do that with real estate or the stock market!

Domain names can be lucrative investments or increase your business exposure.  There is a lot of money to be made out there, however you have to know what you are doing.