Who else wants some unusual gift ideas for the new year or any special event?

It is an idea that is a little on the techie side, but is a lot more personal than a camera or cellphone – try a web domain name.

Here are the top ten reasons to give a domain name as a present:

10. It is easier to find a good domain name than an iPhone 5.
9. It’s hypoallergenic.
8. No assembly required. No instructions in foreign languages to fumble through.
7. Do not look like a last minute gift..
6. Save a tree — you don’t have to wrap it!
5. Unlike a magazine subscription, nobody else can give the same gift/name.
4. No matter how hard he tries, the Grinch can’t steal a domain name.
3. It can make money for the owner.
2. It can be passed down from generation to generation like a fruitcake.
1. You can buy it at 11:59 p.m. before that special day and still have it in time.

Owning a domain only gives you the rights to the name, e.g., johnandmary.com. It is like a declaration that the name is yours. You can go to any of the web domain registration companies such as Godaddy or Namecheap to purchase a domain name.

Making the Domain More Personal and Useful

But if you truly need to use the domain name for a website, email, etc., you should have the domain hosted. Owning one with out hosting it is called “parking” the domain. Less than $10 a month gets you hosting for that domain. We have been using Hostgator for more than 8 years and it has been the best one out of 30+ hosting companies that we have tried. So bottom line, $120 (or less) buys a hosted domain for a year.

A domain is so intangible that you may want something solid to go together with it. Plus the obvious selection could possibly be a set of spanking business cards using the new domain details on them. VistaPrint will print 250 business cards in color for 20 bucks (or no cost for new clients, with a nominal $10 shipping-handling charge).

Best Places to Buy

You will find about 30 gazillion sites that let you register domain names, and another 70 gazillion that may host that name for you. And there is certainly plenty of overlap. There is a huge number of of sites that will help you find a hosting company; check out Hosting Comparison and Multiple Domain Hosting.

If you do not have the time to research for the best domain registration company or web hosting, then here is our recommendations:

Best Domain Registrar:

• Netfirms for the cheapest .COM domain registration
• Godaddy for cheap $1.99 .INFO domains

Best Domain Hosting:

• Hostgator for most comprehensive DIY hosting including Sitebuilders with 4000+ unique templates, one-click-installer for lots of web applications, shopping cart, forum, and much more. Click here to try for a penny.
• Weebly for simple website builder with beautiful templates. Nothing fancy but straightforward easy-to-use website creation tool. Click here to try for free.

Coupon: Click on the image below to get this discount price. You will not get this special exclusive price if you go direct to netfirms.com website.

Save up to 70% on Web Hosting plus get a FREE Domain
Coupon Code: BCXXX03422
Expires: Dec 11, 2009

Get 3 Domains for only $39.99, including popular extensions such as .com, .net, .org, .biz. See terms for additional extensions included in this offer.
Coupon Code: PCXXX03423
Expires: Dec 11, 2009

Save up to 40% on Websites
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Expires: Dec 11, 2009

Extra Hosting Tips: Get FREE Domain Name for Life

So do you know where you are going to host you domain? You know how many people registered a domain a left it wasted and expired without having a proper domain hosting? Did you know that you may be able to get free domain names? Web hosting companies such as Fatcow includes a life-time free domain with their hosting plan. You can check out the fatcow review before you embark on this path to register your domain name.

Web Host	Best Price	Diskspace	Bandwidth	Discounts / Promotions
InMotionHosting Best Business WebHost	$3.00	Unlimited	Unlimited	Cheapest plan at only $3 +Inmotion hosting review
ICDsoft Best Customer Support	$6.00	1000MB	20GB	up to 70% less for multi-account +ICDsoft review
Hostgator Best WebHost Reseller	$24.95	24GB	250GB	20% Seasonal discount +Hostgator review
Webfaction Best Application Hosting	$5.50	10GB	600GB	60-day money back guarantee

If you just want a basic hosting, InMotion hosting is your best bet. They start from as low as $3 or you can opt for one of the Business class plans if you are ready to go big with your online presence. If you are new and thinks that you will need lots of support, ICDsoft is definitely for you. If you are more advanced or the techie type of person, Webfaction allows you to install your own software on their shared server so you save more money instead of getting the more expensive dedicated server options. If you are thinking of reselling hosting for money, Hostgator is the best in the industry.