Who else wants unusual last-minute gift ideas for the holidays?

It is an idea that is a little on the techie side, but is a lot more personal than a camera or cellphone – start with a web domain name. You can can explore endless possibilities based on an initial idea of a personalised domain name, from a pretty website, awesome photo blog, eye-catching online photo album to a custom photography portfolio and online store. It can be a great gift by itself or can be combined with a ready-made photo gallery to become the best surprise gift.

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

10. No instructions in Chinese to fumble through. No assembly required.
9. It is easier to find a good domain name than an iPhone 5.
8. It’s surely hypoallergenic.
7. Less obvious last-minute gift, unlike a lottery ticket.
6. Save a tree — you don’t have to wrap it!
5. Give someone the secret identity they’ve always wanted.
4. Domains are cheap; you can register one for a year for as little as $6.95
3. You won’t shoot your eye out with it!
2. It can be passed down from generation to generation like a great framed portrait.
1. You can buy it at 11:59pm on the day before the birthday, wedding, anniversary or any 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 it a Better Gift

But when you essentially would like to use the domain name for a web site, e-mail, etc., you have to have the domain hosted. Owning 1 without having hosting it really 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.

Now once you have a domain hosted, you can create a beautiful website based on the templates given at the hosting company. You can also get an online photo album for the domain. You can even help that special photographer friend to start an online business. But you need to get the right hosting service. See the next section about how to choose a good host.

A domain is so “virtual” that you may want something solid to go along with it. And also the obvious option may be a set of spanking business cards with the new domain particulars on them. VistaPrint will print 250 business cards in color for 20 dollars (or no cost for new clients, with a small $10 shipping-handling charge).

Best Companies to Use

You will find about 92 gazillion web sites that let you register domain names, and another 92 gazillion which will host that name for you. And there is a lot of overlap. There is a huge number of of sites that will help you find a hosting company; check out Hosting Comparison and Multi 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. You can easily install the photo gallery application such as 4images, Coppermine, and Piwigo or choose a more popular platform such as WordPress, Joomla or Drupal to create an online photo gallery. 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.

The longer you wait, the higher the chances you will lose the name you want.
Go to Godaddy, Netfirms or Namecheap to purchase a domain name now.

Domain Name Suggestions

What do you do if the name you want is taken? Be creative. Change the word order. Use .net, .org, .name, & others. Try synonyms. Here are more ideas:

• Use names: www.PetersPlace.com or www.CarltonCreek.com
• Small business owner name: www.PaulPhotoshop.com or www.StevenStudio.com
• Use nicknames: www.RockRuppert.com or www.ChefCornwall.com
• Incorporate job: www.LilyaLawyer.com or www.DrDrewCarey.com
• Incorporate a persons interests: www.GolferGwyneth.com
• Incorporate a quirks: www.ScreaminSuzy.com
• Make a statement: www.ILoveLouise.com or www.BewareOfHillary.com
• Name of pet: www.TiggersDad.com