Getting a Domain Name

Another option to get a domain name is to buy one already in use. One major advantage to buying a used name is it may already be listed in the search engines which can help promote your blog quickly. By paying for a name in use, you may be able to avoid the dreaded Google Sandbox. This is a program that some rumors say Google employs to avoid giving new, unproven websites any ranking until they become viable. Using a domain name that has already been around and probably listed, will allow you sidestep this challenge.

You can look for a used domain name by visiting GoDaddy. Just click on the button that says: Domain Auctions. When you go to the next page, click on View Domain Auctions. See image.

When you get to the Domain Auctions, look for the search box. Put your desired domain name into the box and click search. Any related names will pop up. These are domains that have expired already or will expire in the near future.

See the image above to get familiar with the Advance search option. In this image, I choose a cost range of between $0 and $100. Price range data goes into the box with the red arrow. Once you input the price range, click on the Buy Now Option, the blue arrow, and results will come back.

This is a good way to quickly search for your desired domain names. Make sure the name is appropriate for your blog! If you wish, you can enter the domain name into your browser and see if anything comes back via the search engines. Make a note of its page ranking, if it comes back.

Keep in mind that normally if you buy a used name, you have to wait a certain amount of time after buying it before you can actually use it. This is normally only a few days, but it can vary.

Finding a Host For Your Niche Blog

Since I have yet used all of the hosting services out there, even the top ten, I cannot suggest one over the other to you. Personally, I have used GoDaddy for my own hosting needs and I am very happy with their service. Others have mixed feelings about GoDaddy, but I am happy with them. I switched over to Hostgator in order to save money as I have several blogs and websites to maintain. With my Hostgator account, I get unlimited domain hosting for less than $10 a month.

Because of their incredible pricing and excellent service I can recommend Hostgator to anyone. Many online marketing companies use this same service. You will find their basic package of unlimited domains priced at $7.95 per month. For anyone planning to run more than one site or blog, this is the company to deal with. Hostgator offers c-panel which makes it very easy to maintain all of your websites. It also has Wordpress which is one of the best blogging systems on the planet today.

Wordpress offers hundreds of free, easy to use themes that you can employ in your Wordpress blogs. You can find these themes and download them from http://www.wpthemesfree.com