Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Cheap is as cheap does

The way that the economy is today and how it is driving the price of everything up, its no wonder that people are looking for cheaper and cheaper ways to do things. 

One area that people are always looking for a free way to get what they want is with regards to creating a website.  To have a website, you typically need a domain name and a place in which to have that domain hosted.  Domain names are typically about $8 to $10 per year to register (depending on where you go) and if you are a teenager or don't have a credit card at the present time, then you need some way to get one. 

*Note:  If you are starting a small business then it is highly advised that you buy your own domain and get a good hosting provider.  A free host and free domain are not really the way to go as it may effect your reputation depending on your business and its model.  This is especially true for those in any geek related profession. 

For this example, I will use Geocities by Yahoo.  They provide you with free web space, all you have to do is have an account with them.  Granted, you won't have available all of the services of a real hosting provider, but believe me, when you are just needing to have a web presence and don't have a lot of $$$, you cannot just look free in the mouth. 

Once you have setup your free site at Geocities, you will now have a domain name that looks like "http://www.geocities.com/username", where username is your account name on Yahoo's system(s).  Again, this does not really that descriptive of you, I know.  So, how can we get a domain name that we would like, while maintaining the free nature of this article?  Why not turn to dot.tk.  The provide you with URL re-direction.  You simply create the domain name that you would like and tell them where it should point to.  That way, you can give out your easier to remember .tk address and it will re-direct the incoming traffic to your Geocities site. 

Note:  Please know that I am not associated in any way with Geocities or dot.tk.  After browsing around and seeing mention of the dot.tk website, I figured I would write this so others would know about it.  Please don't read anything into this article as its for informational purposes only.

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