What is the difference between your domain name and the name of your Facebook page?

I recently talked with a small business owner who told me he owned his domain name. When I double-checked at www.whois.com, I saw where the domain name was available. He didn't know it. He thought that just because he was on Facebook and the name of his page was what his domain name would have been, he thought he owned it.

Wrong-o.

You can name your business or organizational Facebook page just about anything you want. That is not your domain name.

A domain name is the name you would use for your website. It would have a www. in front of the name you choose.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for every business to own it's own domain name - and to make sure the ownership is listed as the company's name - not a technical person who bought it for you. That's another discussion based upon the school of hard knocks.

MARKETING TIP: The name of your Facebook page is not your domain name. Make life simple for yourself. Go to www.GoDaddy.com and purchase your domain name. You don't have to have a website to do it.