Real estate has made many people large amounts of money in the offline world, no doubt. But is there a way we can utilize the same concepts from the offline world and bring them online?

Good question. And the answer is absolutely! However, you'll need a couple things before you can get some good ol' internet real estate...

First, you'll need a domain name...

Well, ok.. What exactly is a "domain name"?

In technical terms, a domain name is the unique name that identifies an Internet site. But to put it into terms that I personally use, it's the website address. For example, my main home business websites domain name is:

http://www.homebasedbusinessindex.com

It's very important that you create some kind of online presence for yourself and your business. So a website is an absolute must have. I definitely recommend starting out grabbing your own domain name, right away.

The best place for this, is in my opinion is Go Daddy. At the time of this writing, you can get domain names for an extremely low price of only $8.95 per year. The url for this website is: http://www.godaddy.com

Let's talk a little bit about what your domain name should represent.

If you're interested in promoting baby stuff, like cribs, clothes, toys, blankets, diapers, etc.. Then you would want the domain name to reflect what it is you're trying to sell.

So, a couple examples of good domains might be:

thebabystore.com
infantclothes.com
babycribsandmore.com

Now, another thing I'd like to mention here, is that while it's not entirely a "bad" idea to brand yourself with your domain name like pepsi.com or levis.com, I recommend when you first start out, begin small. You can always get more domain names and websites later on down the road!

When choosing your domain name, it's very important to choose a .com domain name. Now, I'm sure you've seen others out there that end with .net, .biz, .org, .info, etc... But I don't recommend these, and I'll tell you why.

In my opinion, it's all about credibility.

I don't know what kind of magic a .com extension has, but 99% of the time when I go to a .com site, I'll almost instantly give more credibility to them than someone trying to sell me something on a .biz extension!

And also, for everyone who wants to come back and visit your site, people will type in .com 75% of the time anyways. Meaning that if you don't own the .com, you're missing out of website traffic, and potentially sales because they'll end up going to a different website. So this is yet another reason why I choose to use .com endings on all my domain names.

Now, before I get into something else just as important as the domain name itself, I'd like to go over a quick recap of what we learned about domain names.

1) Establish your online presense by getting a domain name

2) Make the domain name reflect what your site will be selling

3) Always choose a .com ending for more credibility, and for those who choose to come back to your website!

After you choose a domain name, you need a place to "keep" it. After all, the domain name itself won't do a thing for ya, unless you host it.

After you have chosen several good domain names, you should narrow it down to just one. After you have registered it (like GoDaddy.com), you should begin the next step with your online business.

Getting A *Web-Host* to host your website!

What exactly is a "web-host"?

By definition, a web host is a service that allows you to upload and store a site's HTML documents and related files on a Web server. But in MY OWN terms, it's the way anyone in the world can access your website.

If you don't have a web host to 'host' your domain/website, you won't be able to proceed. Yes, it's that important!

Here are some good tips when looking for a web-host:

1) Speed
Customers that are seriously worried about speeds that a viewer can see their site, need to consider how fast the servers are. Although bandwidth and connections are major factors, server speeds are equally important.

2) Customer Service
Service is another important aspect to consider when shopping for a host. Hosts offer a variety of customer service options. Services offered can be 24-hour toll free number, 24-hour email help, Frequently Asked Questions pages and help forums. The amount of help you might need depends mainly on your experience and problems you encounter from the server.

3) Reliability
Checking out the reliability of a service is also very important. Hosts usually have several backup systems in case something goes wrong with the main servers. They also can promise less "down time" by backup power systems such as a diesel generator.

A general rule of thumb is to make sure your web host has at least a 97% uptime guarantee. So if you find that your site is being "offline" the 3%, many times they offer money back to keep you a satisfied customer!

Luckily for you, you won't need to go in search for a web host though! I've already done the majority of the work and found the two very best (especially for online business owners)! Here they are:

Thrid Sphere Hosting:
http://www.thirdspherehosting.com

Host 4 Profit:
http://www.hostforprofit.com

My #1 choice of the two is Thirdsphere Hosting because of all the extra marketing goodies you have access to. Plus they also give you a way to accept credit cards on your site with their "automation station". I have used both, but at the moment, they are the ones that are getting my business.

Every single one of my sites are now hosted by ThirdSphere!

Alrighty.. Let's take a quick recap for your website hosting...

1) You must have a dependable web-host to have an online presence and to have a website.

2) Speed is very important when choosing a host

3) Customer Service should always be top notch

4) A guaranteed 97% "uptime" is highly recommended

So, after you get a domain name and website hosting, your online presense is coming closer and closer!

Stick with it, because you're in for the ride of your life...

Article written by Jason Gazaway, webmaster and owner of http://www.homebasedbusinessindex.com and publisher of the "HBBI Newsletter".