Translators: To Look Professional You Need Your Own Domain Name - Part 2

Prior to logging on to a registrar make a list of domain names that you would like for your translation business.

Follow the advice in this article and don’t take any chances: prior to logging on to a registrar make a list of domain names that you would like for your translation business; before you search for your domain name choose the registrar you want; don’t discuss your potential domain name with anyone; and once you find that your chosen domain name is available for purchase – buy it immediately!

• Purchase Your Domain Name

Purchase the domain name from a domain name registrar. There are several very good articles on how to go about registering your own domain name, so we strongly suggest you read up on this topic before you go any further. We’re certainly not endorsing any particular domain registrars over others. We should also mention here that your Internet service provider may also provide domain name registration services.

Registration of your domain name is not expensive, and this is not an area where you should try to save a couple of dollars.

• Purchase an Email Hosting Package

You may prefer to purchase an email hosting package so that your domain name can be used for email. Email access will probably come with your web hosting package if you want to put a website at your domain. You need an email hosting package if you’re just wanting to use your domain name for email. These packages are not expensive at all, and even the most expensive packages give you unlimited storage with up to 10 email addresses.

• Don’t Forget to Renew Your Domain Name

The most important thing to remember about having your own domain is that you must remember to renew your domain name. This is especially important if you decide to purchase your domain for only one year at a time. Make sure you understand how the domain name registrar will be contacting you regarding renewal – the last thing you need is to try to check your email and find that you’ve been locked out because you didn’t receive a renewal reminder. Of course, there is a way around this problem: simply purchase a multi-year domain name subscription, but you’ll still have to remember to renew the subscription when the due date arrives.

• Follow Instructions from the Domain Name Registrar

You’ll receive instructions from the domain name registrar on how to use your email, so follow these instructions carefully. If you choose to, you could probably use your registrar’s webmail if you purchase a hosting package with unlimited storage; or you may choose to use an email program on your computer. We believe you should be able to get instructions on how to do this from your domain name registrar.

So there you have it! If you want your freelance translation business to look professional, our advice is that you really should have your own domain name.

Translators: To Look Professional You Need Your Own Domain Name - Part 1

Translators: 

To Look Professional You Need Your Own Domain Name - Part 1

Domain names are very important, particularly for freelance translators who are running their own businesses and are dependent on email.

Domain names are very important, particularly for freelance translators who are running their own businesses and are dependent on email. Basically, there are three options when it comes to email, and these are –

• You can use your own domain name, like yourname@yourdomain.com;
• You can use a domain name provided by your ISP (Internet Service Provider, like yourname@EarthLink.net; at comcast.net, and so on; or
• You can use a domain name provided by a fee-based or free email service, like yourname@yahoo.com; at Gmail.com, and so on.

There are certain disadvantages to having your professional email attached to a domain that you don’t own –

• To start with, the domain owner can do whatever they please and you have no say in the matter. And if the domain owner decides to merge with another company or change its name, it could well affect your translation business.
• It makes you look professional when you have your own domain name. Somehow, receiving business emails from a Hotmail address invokes the same reaction as when someone hands you a business card with the printers advertising on the back. Remember that being successful in business has a lot to do with creating a professional image, and having cheap business cards and a Hotmail email address just doesn’t look professional.
• You don’t want to risk having to change your email address whilst you’re running your freelance translation business. When you work in a business like we do, probably 90% of our contact with clients is done by email, so it’s really important that we avoid having to change our email address - even more so if the old address were to become inactive. This could be devastating to our business.

Regardless of how professional we may be with our translation knowledge and skills, there are still many of us out there who are not very tech-savvy. Today we still see freelance translators who don’t understand just how easy it is to purchase and run their own domain, so below we’ll give you a very brief lesson. Perhaps after this, you’ll be able to get rid of your Hotmail account!

• Do Your Homework First!

The first thing you need to know is that you must do your homework prior to determining whether the domain name you really want is available. Don’t assume that a domain name is available just because there’s no website at a given URL (web address). There are several very good articles on precautions you should take before buying a domain name, so we strongly suggest you read up on this topic before you do anything.