The Gift of a Domain

There’s one on every gift list. The one person for whom buying the right gift is an annual challenge. Mom. Dad. Uncle Fred. We’ve all got them. And another blue tie, or worse, the six-pack of tube socks, is just another way of saying, “I don’t have a clue what to get you.”

Well, how about a little piece of the world wide web? A domain name. It’s one gift that’s low-cost, practical, fun and won’t fall apart even if the kids play with it. And, it truly is the gift that keeps on giving. Get started today – we’ll be with you every step of the way.

The Cost
For a domain name to “exist,” it has to be registered. There are hundreds of on-line businesses that are domain registrars. Most often, registrars are web hosting companies (we’ll get to that in a minute) and can charge anywhere from $3 to $18 to register a domain name with the W3 domain name authorities. Go with the lowest-priced (yet reliable) registrar you can find. A domain registration is a domain registration whether it costs $3.95 or $17.95 so don’t waste the money. In fact, do a Google on “website hosting” and do some comparison shopping before registering.

Picking a Domain Name
There are millions of web sites, which means there are millions of registered domain names because that’s what a domain name is all about – a web site. Amazon.com is a domain name you may have heard of. Youtube, Myspace and WebMD are other examples of domain names.

So, if you’re giving your brother a domain name for his birthday, choose a name that he’ll enjoy and appreciate. Be creative in developing a name that’s (1) available and (2) a reflection of the gift recipient.

Now, we’re all familiar with dot-coms, as in IBM.com and Google.com. The c-o-m stands for “company,” telling potential visitors that this is a commercial site. But today, there are many more options for domain name extensions including .net, .us, .name and plenty of others. This gives you many more domain options because if IBM.com is taken (it is) you might try IBM.net or IBM.us until you find a name that will please the individual who receives the gift.

Presentation is Everything
Create a card with the domain name displayed front and center. Or, wrap it up in its own box, or stick it in the box along with the new laptop. If your gift recipient isn’t computer savvy, s/he won’t have a clue what the gift is so, as needed, provide a little bit of explanation in your presentation package so the receiver is as excited as you are.

Now What?
You and/or the domain name owner are now poised to construct a web site. Since this is just for yucks (in most cases) go with a low-cost web host – a company that provides access to the world wide web for cheap. Also, look for a web host that provides a toolbox of web building tools free. The last thing you want is to go out and buy a $799 piece of site builder software, so go with a web host that provides all the tools you’ll need to design and launch a website.

Low-cost web hosting, with a pile of goodies, shouldn’t cost more than $7 a month – less than $100 a year. BTW, this might be a cost you add to your “gift” – a one-year subscription of web hosting. You get the best rates when you sign on for 12 months or longer.

Once you’ve selected a web host, it’s time to build a web site and, really, it’s something anybody can do. You don’t have to be a computer genius. You don’t even have to be a computer dummy.

Building the Website
Help or let the gift recipient handle things on his or her own. A child might need a little help but part of the fun of designing a web site (especially one given as a gift) is to personalize it and make it your own.

Actual site construction is done using templates – basic forms into which you add whatever information you want – your name, the family name, whatever – that’s what makes it your site.

Using pick-and-click templates, even the techno-impaired can build a web site in a few hours with a completely customized look. Hey, now you’ve taken your place in cyberspace. You have a digital identity.

Who Would Want a Domain Name?
Who wouldn’t? There are so many things you can do with a domain and a simple web site.

Grandparents would love a web site that allowed them to see their grandchildren living far away.

College students, for the most part computer savvy, can share their campus experiences with family and old friends.

Military families can stay in constant touch even half a world away. The site owner can post pictures of the new baby and post his or her own blog of daily events. Imagine how that would pick up the spirits of military personnel away from home – and very home sick. A personal or family website is almost like being there.

Kids can get very creative (probably more than adults) using today’s site building software. Just keep an eye on the child’s web site and never let the child post any family or identifying information. Pix for friends are fine but giving out the home phone number is definitely out of the question.

Who else would enjoy having their own websites? Any family with distant relatives. Small business owners. Artists, writers and poets looking to expose their works to the world. A not-for-profit organization, community organizations, town sports teams, service organizations – just about anyone could and would have fun as a web site owner.

So, forget the flying elbows at the mall and stop scratching your head about what to get Dad this year. The answer is simple – a little piece of cyberspace and just a spark of creativity.

Then watch what happens as a whole new world opens up for the lucky recipient of such a thoughtful and original gift.