What are the three most important aspects of real estate?  Location, Location and Location.  

        We can all think of businesses that are suffering because they are in a poor location.  I've known a few that were certain that it was something other than the place they chose to set-up shop.  In fact, it was either a poor choice of location for that particular store or they did not have a presentable store and store front.

        Location is in the eye of the user, not the developer. When you pick a location, you must select a place that people will find easily.  So how do you know what a good location is on the internet?  

        Good Question!!  The Internet is growing and changing so fast today that it is hard to say who and what will be there next year.  There are many service providers out there today saying that they can provide you with a place for your webstore that will bring in the hits and business.  Don't believe them, make them prove it or  ask for references.  Check out their site and see if it is easy to navigate.  Most of all don't expect something for nothing, you get what you pay for.  

        Since the Internet is still in its' young days, there are many bargains to be had.  You can shop around and find some really good deals on just about any web service that you are looking for, but anything that says it is free has strings attached somewhere.  Read the fine print.  However, sometimes the strings that are attached are acceptable depending on what they are.  Some businesses will provide you with some free services knowing that eventually you will grow and need the services that they charge for, but be careful.....there aren't many like that out there.  Some people that I have met up with have said that they want nothing to do with the Internet right now because they have been stung for a few bucks.  I have been, too, but it is all in the learning process.

        Sorry to ramble on, we will cover more of that later.  

        What is a good location?  

        Today there are many and few that will still be good in the years to come.  The best way is to build your own premium location.  As I have mentioned in the earlier sections, the best domains of the future are going to be keyword domains because as the Internet grows, people will learn to look at your domain name for relevance to what they are looking for.  Many will learn to plug in certain keywords into the URL just to see if it gets what they are looking for.  Several years ago, I tried it and found that there were very few sites on those locations.  

        Today, I find that about 20-25% of the keyword domains that I try have sites.  I expect that in 5 years most will be occupied.  Most of us who are building a business are in it for the long haul and want to do what it best for our future.  Therefore, try today to get keyword domains for your business while they are affordable.  Many are still not taken yet, but they are going fast.

        If you are looking for a location that is good today, then you need to do a little research to find out how people are finding your competition.  One way of doing this could be to ask a couple of experienced Internet users to find the products or services that would relate to the commerce you are targeting and watch to see how they find what they are looking for.

        Next you would want to put a few people that are new to the Internet up to a computer terminal and ask them to find the same products or services. New users are more likely to be your future customers than experienced users.

        If you have been in business for many years, you are apparently successful and you know what sort of advertising has paid off for you. Consider whether you have to advertise or if you are just in the right location for people to find you. The Internet is not much different than the real world, but you do have to understand how it compares.

        Some business requires massive advertising no matter where it is located and some requires no advertising if it is located properly.  

        In the months and years to come, there will be many malls and other shopping places on the Internet that will pop up and many that will fall also for lack of proper advertising. You can always buy links, banners and even webspace with some of these.

        Having a domain that people will remember and identify with your business is one of the cheaper ways of having a good location.  But no matter what domain you have, you must have a good website and a good reputation.

        The internet is all about convenience. The easier you are to find and get to, the more business you will get.