All about Domain Name Registration for Your Business

A Web Hosting Article Contributed by Brandie King

Introduction to Domain Name Registration

Purchasing a domain names means that you have to acquire it from a company called called a "registrar" through a registration process. You will pay for your domain name and have exclusive rights to use it for a period of one year, (unless you pay in advance for several years). Subsequently, you will have to pay the fee annually to renew the domain name or lose it. You should do the registration for your domain name yourself and not allow other people, or companies such as web hosts, to do it for you.

Doing it yourself will insure that you will be the registered owner of the domain name and will help to prevent anybody else from being able to take it from you. You should also register the domain name that you want as soon as possible to make sure that it does not get taken by somebody else before you get the chance to register it.

Why Should You Worry about Domain Name Registration?

Many good reasons exist for having your very own domain name. Should you decide to change web hosts at some point in the future, having your own domain name will make the process much easier because you can just take your domain name with you. Owning your own domain name will also lend more credibility to your online business. This is because people are far less likely to do business with a company that does not even care enough about their business to purchase their own domain name.

You can also increase your name and brand recognition when your purchase your own domain name, especially if you purchase a domain name that matches your business name. This will make it easier for people to remember your web site URL.

Domain Name Registration Process

The first thing that you need to do is to come up with a list of domain names that you want and that are relevant to your business. Always make a list of more than one domain name that you are interested in so that if one is taken you will have others from which to choose. Next you will need to contact your web hosting company and get their DNS addresses, as well as both their primary name server and their secondary name server.

This information will be required when you are registering your domain name. Have the form of payment ready that you intend to use to pay for your domain name registration. Credit cards are what is usually required so have one ready. Then you will need to search for domain name registration companies and choose one with which you will register your domain name. Here is a list of some of the more popular and well know domain name registration companies.

- Register, http://www.register.com

- Dotster, http://www.dotster.com

- dotFM, http://www.dot.fm

- dotTV, http://www.tv

- Mega Clutch, http://www.megaclutch.com