Originally Posted by CityGarden:
Do you specialize in a certain age? A certain approach?
You could do something like
aaaainfantcare.com
aaaaholisticchildcare.com
I don't really specialize in anything, not yet anyway. In a couple of years once my own children are older I am leaning toward infant care only.
I didn't realize that you could have one domain name and redirect to another. That is definitely something to consider!
Originally Posted by Mike:
Domain names are paid on a yearly basis. You can pay for 1 year at a time, or pay for up to 10 years ahead. Godaddy is one of the big companies that does that.
Many people don't realise it, but getting a domain name, and getting hosting for your website, are 2 different things. Most people get both at the same place, but it's not a necessity. You can get a domain name at Godaddy, and get website hosting at a different place if you want.
Which domain name? It's better if your domain name is, or includes, your business name. The words in a domain name do go towards what's called search engine optimization (SEO), but they aren't the only thing that affects it. You obviously con't include daycare and childcare in the domain name (unless you get aaaadaycareandchildcare.com), but you can include both of those terms in your web page content and your page headers.
If your current domain name has been around for any time at all, and does come up in searches, you might be better off to just improve the SEO of your site, rather than going to a whole new domain name. If you do go with a new domain name, make sure to keep your current one going to the website as well, at least for a little while until your new one is known.
I have only had my website for a couple of years and it doesn't get much traffic. I put the link in my advertising so potential families can see the setup etc. however, I only advertise when I have openings which is once or twice per year.
I use Webs for the hosting and have the premium package which shows you SEO optimization and offers tips on how to better your score. However, when you search for childcare with my city name, sometimes my site comes up (on like page 6) or sometimes it doesn't. That is one of the reasons I was thinking of changing the domain name.