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Registering a Domain Name
What is a domain name?
Rather than have a complex numerical address for a website, the Domain Naming System (DNS) was developed. So people could use an easy to remember name that would take them to a particular web page.
Why should I have one?
In the simplest terms a domain name is an easy address to remember for people to contact you by sending emails or looking at your web pages. Moving on from this, you should register a domain name to make sure nobody else registers it, preventing you from using what may be your company name!
If your company has branded product names, you should also consider registering these. In the early days, any person could register any name and use it for whatever they liked. There have been several cases of companies who have stopped other companies using a name, but only after very expensive court proceedings. In practice, domain names are registered on a first come first served basis and the best advice is to register any names that are valuable to your company straight away!
How do I get a domain name?
Go directly to the Registry that handles the domain name you want to purchase, or use an agent such as UKI. NET to register the name on your behalf.
How can I check is a name is available?
There are lots of sites online that you can check domain availability on. Try - http://www.geektools.com
Do I own the domain name?
Strictly speaking, you never actually own the domain name. But by registering the domain name, you automatically have the right to renew the registration (normally every 2 years). Provided the renewals are paid the domain name will always be registered to you.
A good analogy is your telephone number, you never actually own the telephone number (that is just an address on the communications network), but provided you pay the bills, the number is always yours (in actual fact a domain name is even more permanent than a telephone number in the sense that it can be moved around the entire globe for hosting with different ISPs).
Can I register any domain name that I want?
There are certain restrictions in the types of names that you can register. For example, you cannot register a net.uk unless you are an ISP or an .org.uk name unless you are a registered charity. There are certain overseas names that require you to be resident in that country or have a major business presence in that country ( Ireland for example). And of course, you can only register any domain name if it is available.
How much do domain names cost?
This varies a lot depending upon whom you buy the name from. Beware of any companies who will register the names very cheaply, they may be overcharging for other services and/or have large transfer out fees hidden in the small print if you try to move the domain name to another ISP for hosting (If they are offering genuine very low prices without any extra charges, then they may well be out of business by next year).
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