Domain Names, Anyone?

Just when I was getting the feel of writing posts for my blog, or simply getting the feel of finally having my own blogsite after being left out for years now, my former colleagues are one by one having their own domains. Huhuhu.

My ever supportive blogging mentor and editor, Peachy, just recently bought www.atomicgirl.net and my former supervisor, Bhem, bought www.phoebeonline.com a couple of weeks back. Months ago, our beloved bossing Dex acquired www.psychosanctum.com, while my dear friend and co-worker, Ate Razh, purchased www.raziella.com last January.

Is there anyone else who was not mentioned?

Sigh. I think I need to catch up with them as soon as possible, or by the time I decide to join them, they might already be going somewhere else again. Eheh.

So what are the advantages of having your own domain name, you may ask?

• First and foremost, it gives you a personality or unique identity in the World Wide Web.
• With it, you can easily and conveniently direct your existing followers and potential followers to your virtual real estate, just like a building address where people can visit you anytime. (This is very much advantageous to those who are doing business in the Web as prospective customers will uncomplicatedly find your business niche in the Internet, should you be able to establish a good one.)
• You can advertise your own website instead of someone else's when sending emails as your domain name will appear already in the email address that you are going to use. This is because once you got your own domain name, you will also have your own domain name email address i.e. emailadd@domainname instead of emailadd@yahoo.com or emailadd@gmail.com and others.
  
• Domain names are easier to remember as compared to free web hosts, and they allow you to change web hosts without losing your web address.
• It further allows you to use custom error pages to prevent people from leaving your site because of broken links and other errors.

HOWEVER, having your own domain name means shelling out some bucks from your pocket. You need to spend for its initial purchase and annual renewal as well as the annual renewal of your web hosting. Although cheap, expenses are still expenses. But if you have a kind friend who's willing to take care of your domain's hosting for free, so much the better. As for me, I don't have money nor that kind of friend, and there's no compelling reason yet to get one so I guess I will just have to settle with Blogger for the meantime. Eheh.

Sources: this and this.

Maktub!