If you want to run your own website you will need a domain name, and this is the URL address of your website so should be relevant to the content of your site. For example if you are offering any free software download services then this should be indicated by your domain name, so something like ‘freesoftwareforyou.com’ or ‘freedownloads.com’ would be ideal.

There are literally millions of websites on the Internet these days so finding a domain name that has not already been used can be tricky and you may have to add hyphens and additional words such as ‘free-software-downloads.com’. You can also try buying a domain name if it already exists, and you can do this through domain name reselling websites, or by contacting a website owner directly and asking if they would be willing to sell to you.

Most web hosts offer domain name searching facilities, and you can use these to check and see if your choice of name has already been taken or not. Once you have decided on a name you just need to register it with one of the official online domain name registration websites such as godaddy or dotster.

How much are Domain Names Worth?
There is no set guide to working out the cost of an existing domain name, but as a general rule those that end ‘.com’ or ‘.co.uk’ are worth more than those will less common prefixes such as ‘.org’ or ‘.biz’. Also the shorter and snappier the domain name the more sought after it is and therefore the more expensive, so those with just a couple of words and no hyphens will fetch the best prices. For example ‘searchme.com’ recently exchange hands for $15,000, but ‘search-me.org’ would probably only be worth a fraction of this cost.