8 Tips to Find Your Perfect .Com Domain Name

• By • • Getting Online

So you’ve decided that you want a domain name, congrats!

Your first instinct is probably to register your domain name with a .com domain name extension. With nearly 30 years of top-tier news, entertainment and businesses associated with .com, it has become one of the most versatile, trusted and recognizable domain name extensions around the world. Every Fortune 500 company and many of the top startups have .com domain names. And domain and branding experts agree that a .com domain name is preferred over other domain names.

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Your Personal Brand Starts Online

• By • Getting Online

They say first impressions are the most lasting. Today, that first encounter – whether you’re looking for your dream job or starting your dream company – often happens online. If someone searched for you on the web, what would they find?

Take control of your presence online and build a personal brand. Shape your professional story based on your expertise, skills and passions, and tell the world what you can offer.

Need some inspiration? Take a look at how others have used the power of the internet to build their personal brands.

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Five Reasons Every Small Business Needs a Website

• By • Getting Online

The 2015 holiday shopping season was a good one for businesses online. Thanks to strong sales from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, online retailers reported an increase in sales of 15 percent from the previous year with Cyber Monday proving to be the largest online sales day ever, netting $3.07 billion.

However, only 51 percent of small businesses have websites, despite the fact that 97 percent of consumers search for products and services online, according to figures released earlier from The SCORE Association (SCORE).

The disconnect between small companies and the growing number of consumers who vet brick-and-mortar businesses based on their online presence could be keeping entrepreneurs from millions of customers – and dollars. SCORE Vice President of Marketing Bridget Weston Pollack said, “If a company or a small business doesn’t have an online presence, they are missing a huge percentage of the population that could be shopping at their store.”

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4 Steps to Build Your Personal Brand Online

• By • Getting Online

If you are a recent grad or someone looking to make a career move, make sure to think about your presence on the internet. Last year, 92 percent of recruiters used social media in the recruiting process. If a hiring manager looked you up online, what would he or she find? You can give yourself that extra edge and stand out from the crowd by taking control of your digital footprint. And, the easiest way to do that? Register a domain name and secure your professional space online to show who you are and what you can offer. In fact, 56 percent of all hiring managers are more impressed by a candidate’s personal website than any other personal branding tool.

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Verisign 2015 Online Survey: 97 Percent of SMBs Would Recommend Having a Website to Other SMBs

• By • • Getting Online

Almost three-quarters of Americans go online at least once a day. If you are a small business looking to grow, you need to go where your customers are. That means getting your business online with a domain name – whether it’s with branded email, a web address for your social media page, or a business website.

In September 2015, Verisign conducted a survey of 787 U.S. internet consumers aged 18 to 59 and 456 U.S. small businesses to learn more about their online behaviors and preferences – focusing on how consumers use the internet and the benefits of an online presence for a business.

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Inspiration from the Best in the World

• By • Getting Online

Guest post from Fernando Espejel, VP Director, Digital Platforms at FCB Chicago

In advertising and marketing, regardless of company size, category or demographic, we all have one goal: great campaigns. Campaigns that resonate with our target audience, spark conversation and ultimately lead to conversion.

At a high level, the formula for this is relatively simple: integrate across all channels and focus on relevant and engaging content. It is the execution of this formula that often proves to be extremely difficult. The goal of this post is to provide a bit of guidance along the way, in the form of inspiration from those who’ve done it well.

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Verisign Announces Grand Prize Winner of #InternetOfficial Contest

• By • Getting Online

Drum roll, please! We’re very excited to announce the Grand Prize Winner of our #InternetOfficial contest. It’s KidsCookDinner.com, registered through Network Solutions!

New York-based Kate K. submitted the most descriptive, memorable and original new .com domain name that resonated with our five judges and received the most votes from the public during the Grand Prize Entry Period Voting Phase, earning Kate K. the #InternetOfficial Contest Grand Prize of $30,000! According to KidsCookDinner.com, its goal is to get children thinking about the importance of sharing food with family and friends, appreciating the process and getting children to cook more in the kitchen.

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“Mobilegeddon”: Good For Small Business?

• By • Getting Online

Google updated its algorithms in April to favor websites that look and perform better on mobile devices, making them appear higher on search results. This news has many non-mobile-friendly website owners fearing that their search rankings will plummet. While the change is understandably concerning, Google may actually be doing many small businesses a favor by finally forcing them to implement a mobile website.

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Time to Cast Your Vote in the #InternetOfficial Contest’s Grand Prize Round!

• By • Getting Online
Our #InternetOfficial First Prize Winners have submitted their most descriptive, memorable and original new .com domain names, earning each of them a shot at winning the Grand Prize of $30,000!
Each of our 15 First Prize Winners had an opportunity to create a video explaining why their entry is worthy of the #InternetOfficial contest Grand Prize, and now it’s your time to vote and possibly help your favorite take home $30,000! It’s easy. Check out the videos submitted by our First Prize Winners, and then vote for your favorite by clicking the “VOTE FOR THIS ENTRY” button at the top of the page. Keep in mind the voting period ends Saturday, June 27, at 11:59 p.m. EDT, and you’re able to vote for one video per day. Each video is unique, so we hope you find one that resonates with you.

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Verisign Announces Third Round of #InternetOfficial Contest First Prize Winners

• By • Getting Online

We’re excited to announce the third – and final – round of our monthly #InternetOfficial contest First Prize Winners!

This round of winners brings the total number of First Prize Winners to 15. Each will receive $5,000, and is eligible to compete to win the #InternetOfficial contest grand prize of $30,000 (the First Prize Winners who submit a video will proceed to the final round for an opportunity to win the grand prize).

Our distinguished panel of top industry experts and celebrity judges has determined the five best .com domain names entered into the #InternetOfficial contest during the third monthly entry period.

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