A domain name is a unique name that identifies your Internet site, for example, northwindtraders.com. When setting up your Web site in Microsoft Office Live Small Business, you can search for a new domain name or transfer an existing domain name.

 Note: Before you begin to register or transfer a domain name, see the Microsoft Office Live Small Business Worldwide page to check the countries/regions where Office Live Small Business is available. To learn which Office Live Small Business features are available in a specific country, click the link for that country/region.

Register a domain name 

1. On the Office Live Small Business Home page, click More and then click Domain Manager.

2. On the left navigation bar, click Domain Manager.

3. Click Purchase additional domains.

4. In the Domain name box, type the domain name that you want to use, select the domain suffix (for example, .com, .org, or .net) from the list, and then click Check availability.

    Note:   The annual cost of registering a new domain name is listed on this page, next to the Domain name box.

5. If the domain name is not available, you are asked to choose a different domain name. Type a different domain name or choose a different suffix, and then click Check availability.

6. If the domain name is available, make sure it is spelled the way you want to appear, and then click Confirm.

Important:

• If you want your new domain name to be the main domain that customers use, you must set it to be your primary domain You can register additional domain names to send traffic to your primary domain.

• Each Office Live Small Business account is associated with one Web site. If you want to create a second Web site that is not related to the first, you must create a second Office Live Small Business account.

Transfer a current domain name

For more information, see Redirect your domain name to Microsoft Office Live Small Business.

Learn how to choose a domain name

Technology wizards have made it easier than ever for small businesses to get on the Web. With services like Office Live Small Business, for example, you can have a full-featured Web site up and running in a couple of hours. What remains a challenge, however, is coming up with a good domain name —the Internet identifier that not only serves as your Web site address, but also says a lot about your business.

For example, if you owned and operated an adventure travel company called Adventure Works, you might settle for using adventure-works.com as your domain name. But if Adventure Works actually specializes in sailing trips off the coast of Tanzania, then a more specific name incorporating these terms might drive more relevant search engine traffic your way.

So think carefully when choosing your domain name. It not only points people to your Web site, but it becomes powerful part of your business identity and brand. And also be prepared to have more than one idea for a name. There's a good chance that your first name choice is not available because another person has already claimed it.

Tips for choosing your domain

• Choose a short, memorable domain name. It is easier for your customers to recall, and is easier to display on your logos, business cards, and billboards.

• When selecting your domain name, choose one or two words that are easy to spell. Also, before registering your domain name, make sure that the spelling is correct and that the domain name you specified is what you want.

• Try to avoid using numbers and hyphens in your domain name. If you register the name "my-company23.com," you will have to tell people that your domain name is "my hyphen company twenty-three dot com." It is easier for people to remember your domain name if it is short and simple.

• Choose a domain name that relates to your business or organization. Choosing a name that is related to your business makes it easier for your Web site visitors to remember the URL.

• The domain name can contain only letters, numbers, and hyphens; it must consist of 3 to 40 characters, and begin and end with a number or letter. Spaces are not allowed.

• When you are securing or buying domain names, you may want to buy more than one. Consider buying a name with the keywords that capture type-in traffic. Type-in traffic refers to users who reach sites by typing keywords into the address bar of their Web browser instead of using a keyword search on a search engine. Also consider buying the domain names that are variations of your Web site domain name or are a misspelled version of it. You can redirect users to your site with these additional names.

restored to revision #62 - written by Jennifer Winters (MSFT)