One method to start earning extra retirement income is with a Internet home business. As more people begin to explore this viable option the first decision they face is whether to purchase a domain name or to use the free web hosting option many programs offer. With a free domain name you do not actually own the domain name. Instead of having a website with the domain name of "yourname.com" the free hosting company gives you a URL of their choosing.



By choosing a free domain company your domain name will always be integrated somehow with their name. Instead of having the website of "your name.com" it would be "your name.freehosting.com," or something similar.

The above example of a free domain name offers many disadvantages versus owning your own name. While the lure of free is hard to pass the advantages of owning your own unique name are numerous here are just a few.

1. Search engines prefer unique content. In order to make money with a Internet home business you need traffic to your website. While that may seem simplistic its much harder to achieve than many realize. With a free domain extension many of the top search engines will dismiss the site or place it lower on the search results making it harder to get traffic. With little or no traffic the dream of extra retirement income becomes nearly impossible.

2. Most free web hosting company's require that you place advertisements on your site. You may not have any control over which adds are placed on your site or even were they are placed. Some of these adds my not be appropriate for your site and may actually hurt your business because visitors feel they are being bombarded with advertisements. The free service is now making money off of your customers and you will see nothing. If you own your domain name you control everything that is placed on your site and you receive the profits from the advertising.

3. A free domain name as limitations. Just as they require that you place advertisements for them on your site the actual design is usually predetermined and the the amount of changes you can make to the appearance is usually limited. Remember that the most visitors are not going to purchase from the first site they visit. They will surf and visit several sites before they decide. If your site is the same as all the other sites it gives the impression that you are only trying to make a fast buck and chances are you will not get a sale.

These are just a few examples of the disadvantages of using a free domain name provider. A Internet home business offers a excellent opportunity to start earning extra retirement income. However, if you are truly serious about this type of business venture than the minimal expense of purchasing a domain name is essential.