Article about domain names

Domain name.
What is it? How to get and register a domain name?

THE FIRST STEP TO STARTING AN ONLINE BUSINESS

A domain name gives your website an Internet address.

Under the Domain Name System (DNS), domain names are composed of four elements; a server prefix, a domain name, a domain suffix (or extension), and a country code (the only optional element). For instance, www. mybusiness.com is an example of a domain name where “www” is the server prefix, “mybusiness” is the domain name and “com” is the domain suffix.

“Dot-com” is an example of a Top Level Domain. There are both generic top level domains (gTLDs) and country code top level domains (ccTLDs). Currently there are 239 country code top level domains. USA’s ccTLD is dot-us.

IMPORTANT POINTS ABOUT DOMAIN NAMES FOR BUSINESS

1. Be careful if you choose to register a domain name of your own.

Many ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and Web Hosts offer free or cut-rate domain services that essentially make your domain name an extension of theirs. For instance, if your ISP is the fictitious “youneedweserve”, your resulting domain name could be www. youneedweserve/mybusiness/index.html.
As a business, you need to register your own domain name. An extension name such as the one in our example makes you look like an amateur and will lose you business. Also, with an extension domain name, every time you change your ISP or Web Host, you will have to redo all your business cards and promotion materials.

2. Domain names matter.

Just as when you originally named your business, names on the ‘Net matter. You need a domain name that not only identifies your business but is easy to remember, as so many people type names or partial names into search engines to find the site they’re looking for.

The problem, of course, is that so many of the best or most obvious names are taken. You may need to think deeply and explore many different possibilities to come up with a good domain name, unless you are already running an established company off-line and are just giving your established business an online home. (In that case, the name of your established company is your best choice of domain name for your online business – if it’s not already taken.)

Continue on to the next page to read more about the factors you need to consider when you’re choosing a domain name for your online business and how to register a domain name.

FACTORS YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU'RE CHOOSING A DOMAIN NAME FOR YOUR ONLINE BUSIENSS

3. Dot-com or dot-“yourcountrycode”?

Should you register a generic top level domain (gTLD) or a country code top level domain (ccTLD) for your online business? In our opinion, that depends on the market for your product or service. If you are selling strictly to, for example, Americans, or if being known as American is an important feature of your product or service, then you are better off with a dot-us domain.

However, if you are marketing a product or service internationally, you may wish to register your online business as a dot-com (or a dot-biz or whatever other generic Top Level Domain is appropriate).

Many people who remember a business’s name try to access the business’s site on the Web by typing a name directly into their browser, and dot.com is most people’s first “guess” as to what a domain name might be.

4. Protecting your domain name.

You might want to register the dot-com and dot-us versions of your domain name, as well as any other alternatives (such as dot-biz) to protect your domain name. Otherwise, someone could register and use one of them, negatively affecting your online business. For example, if we register www. ourbusiness.com and someone else is using www. ourbusiness.us, traffic to (and sales from) our website could suffer. Registering alternative versions of your domain name doesn’t mean that you have to have two or more websites; registering a domain name just prevents anyone else from using it.

5. How to register a domain name.

Once you have decided what domain name you want (and several other possibilities, in case the domain name is taken), you need to register your domain name with an accredited registrar. There are thousands of accredited registrars to choose from and costs for registering a domain name vary. We advise you to take service into account and ask others for their recommendations rather than choosing a registrar based solely on price.

For example, you need a dot.ca domain name. CIRA, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, maintains a List of Accredited Registrars. If you wish to register a dot.ca domain name, you must do it through one of these accredited registrars. You may also register generic top level domain names through many of these Canada-based registrars. You can also use the Accredited Registrar Directory on the InterNIC site to find a registrar for either type of top level domain.

Once you’ve chosen one and gone to the registrar’s website, look for the “search domain availability” feature. Sometimes it’s called something else, but it’s usually prominently displayed on the site’s home page. Entering the domain name you would like to register will tell you whether or not that domain name is available.
Once you’ve found a domain name that’s available, it’s just a matter of following the procedure outlined on the registrar’s website to register the domain name. Note that you have the choice of registering the domain name for one year or for periods up to five years. Registering the domain name for a longer period is often a better deal.

Now that you’ve registered a domain name, you have a home for your online business on the Web. To actually turn it into a functioning website, though, you need to have a Web Host, the next step in starting an online business.

Source: http://www.site4re.com/view/domain_name

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