What's Involved in a Domain Name Registration
A Web Hosting Article Contributed by Frances Rhea
What is Domain Name Registration?
Domain name registration is obtaining an 'Internet address' in the form of a unique text name. A Domain name makes it easy for people to find and contact you via the Internet. A typical example of a domain name is www.yourcompany.com.
The Www. Prefix
All domain name registrations have the www. prefix which simply identifies that it is an Internet address (www refers to the World Wide Web).
Domain Name Registration Descriptor
This is the part that gives your domain name its unique identity or meaning. It may describe your business, product, or service; or be your business name oor organization. The descriptor is an important part of domain name registration.
Domain Name Registration Extension
The domain extension specifies the country designation and in many cases the status or type of name. The domain extension is an important part of the domain name.
Domain name registration must be unique. No two organizations on the Internet can have the same domain name.
Each domain name corresponds to a numeric IP address which is used by the Internet to transmit data. The Domain Name system matches domain names to IP addresses so users only have to remember a name, not a number.
Why Do You Need Domain Name Registration?
Domain name registration with your own unique e-mail address makes you easily accessible to your customers and gives you a professional appearance.
You can also register a domain name in order to secure it for future use. Secure a good domain name now even if you are not ready to use it. Any delay may result in losing out on your ideal name and having to settle for something less appropriate in the future.
The only valid characters for domain name registration are letters, numbers and a hyphen (-). Other special characters like the underline ( ) or an exclamation mark (! ) are not allowed. You cannot end or begin your domain name with a hyphen and it must contain between 3 and 64 characters.
Choosing Your Domain Name for Registration
A short name is usually better. It is easy to remember and quicker to type. Choose a name that is instantly recognizable and relates to your business name, brand, product or service.
When searching the Internet for a particular product or service, users are more likely to search by product or service rather than a business name. To increase the chances of your site appearing in the list of URLs, register extra domain names that relate to your business, products or services (i.e. website designers Best Designs may register www.custom-websites.com and www.website-design.com as well as their company name www.bestdesigns.com.
If your domain name registration infringes on another company name or trademark they have the right to take action to recover it. So before you register, do a little research and don't infringe on others rights. You may end up paying for it in the long run.
