Domain Name Registration Explained

Registering a domain name is a pretty straight forward process. In fact the hardest part of registering a domain name is coming up with a name that has not already been registered. There are some people who have never registered a domain name, they have left it up to a third party or have always used free hosting. Here is simple explanation of how to register a domain.

The first thing you need to come up with is the name itself, this believe it or not is the hardest part. As there have been so many domain names registered there are not many choices left for keywords to use in your domain name. There are two routes you can go down for choosing your name, using keywords or thinking up your very own word.

Which ever route you choose you are going to need several ideas for a name so jot lots of ideas on a piece of paper first. Write down a list of keywords that you can use in any combination or come up with a list of your own made up words. I chose NameSearchDomain for my site but only because most other combinations of the words that I wanted to use had already been taken. You could of course try making up your own word such as Google, it's both catchy and memorable.

Once you have a list of possible names you will need to find out if they are available. To do this you will need to visit a domain name registrar. I use Godaddy but I would not recommend them to a first time user as they offer too many extras which could easily catch out a newbie during registration. I would suggest you check out a few forums such as DN forum for recommendations, visit a few sites and see which you feel comfortable with. For dot com names look to pay around ten dollars.

Having found a domain name registrar then you need to go through your list of names to see if they are available. To do this just type the name into the search box and select an extension, it is usually best to use .com because of it's popularity. If a domain name you have chosen is available for registration then you will be given the option to register it. All you need to do now is follow the on screen instructions and the brand new domain is yours.

Once you have registered a new name you will need to point it towards your web space, this is presuming you are purchasing the name to create your own site. To do this you will have to provide some DNS information, you can get this from your web host. You should have two addresses, probably both starting with NS, probably NS1 and NS2, you need to add this information into your domain name registration account under Domain name servers. You will usually need two, a primary server and a secondary server. This will take a while to propagate through the internet servers, usually anywhere up to 72 hours. Once the DNS information has propagated then you will be able to type in your domain name in a web browser and arrive at your web site.

This is pretty much an overview on what you need for domain name registration. It should provide you with a grounding for being able to register your own domain. An important word of advice before you register your domain, all sales are final, that means once you have purchased a domain name there is no refund. A final tip, the longer you register as domain for the more discount you usually get. I would advise only registering for a minimum of 1 year initially in case you get cold feet later, you don't want to be stuck with a useless domain name for 10 years.

Allan is the webmaster at NameSearchDomain.com where you can find out all about Domain names.

---

The Growth of ru-Domains

The registry of ru-domains reports, that the number of domain names registered in Russia's national domain, the ru-domains, has increased 19.82% in the first half of 2004 to 256.356 ru-domains.Ru-Center compares this to... Read More

Virtual Airport

Aero Registrar Secura GmbH proposes to the IT departments of airports to sell aero-domains to companies at the airport. Airports can build a portal of the airport and forming by this a kind... Read More

Is Your Domain Costing You Traffic?

You visited a great website some time ago that had some fantastic information on it. It is not easily found in search engines results so you decide to type the domain name into... Read More

How to Choose the Right Domain Name

What's in a name? Everything! A domain name is the first thing that pops up when people are exploring through a search engine or directory, so it's important to come up with something... Read More

A Winning Domain Name

The domain name is one of the most important decisions you will make when trying to win over the search engine dilemma. Try using at least one of your best keywords within your... Read More

Choosing Your Domain Name ? Internet Marketing

This is actually an important key to your business and sometimes its success. I will explain why through-out this article.Firstly when choosing a domain name you can use letters, numbers or hyphens however... Read More

Internet Domain Registration ? Top 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions on Domain Name Registration

Here are the top ten most frequently asked questions regarding on Internet domain name registration:Q1. Which characters are allowed in Internet domain names?A: For normal ASCII domain names, the letters a-z, the numbers... Read More

How To Really Profit from Domain Names

Have you heard about domain names that sold for over a million dollars? Inspired by this, you imagine registering a great domain name, hanging onto it for a while, and then selling it... Read More

Your Domain Name, Your Business Address

Would you purchase anything from someone with a "@yahoo.com" or "@hotmail.com" e-mail address? I certainly wouldn't! For starters, people using these e-mail addresses give others the impression that they're not taking their business... Read More

Warning: Your Domain Name Could Infringe On Trademark Rights!

If you have or are about to purchase a domain name, YOU could be in trouble and you don't even know it yet...See, what the domain sellers won't tell you is that the... Read More

What is a Domain Name and Why Would I Want One?

In this article we will cover the basics of what a domain name is, how they work and why you need to have at least one. I am going to try and avoid... Read More

ICANN Registrar: za-Domains for Anybody

Cologne, 12.10. 2004. ICANN accredited registrar Secura announces today,that the company is accepting the registration of za-domains.The co.za-domains are the domains of South Africa. The co.za-domains belong to the popular domains in Africa.You... Read More

ICANN Registrar: jp-Domains for Anybody

Cologne, October 10 2004. ICANN Registrar Secura announces today, that the company is now accepting the registration of jp-domains from companies and individuals outside of Japan.The jp-domains are the domains of Japan. The... Read More

Customer Excellence Returns to Web Site Hosting!

For those of you with Web sites, you probably know what a "host" is. It's a company that provides a location, or address, on the Internet where your Web site resides.In other words,... Read More

How To Buy And Sell Domain Names Part Time For Profit Part 2

Let's just take a quick glimpse at what we've done so far:We've used www.wehavethem.com, www.DeletedDomains.com or www.namewinner.com to locate names that are about to expire or have expired. We've located consumer site names... Read More

How to Choose the Right Domain Name for Your Company

As the editor of DomainNameWire.com, I'm frequently e-mailed by people asking for domain name advice. Specifically, what should they look for when registering a domain name for their company? This may be basic... Read More

Understanding The Value of Expired Domains

I would like to explain a few things related to expired domains in a definition format, which should make it easy to understand.What are expired domains? Expired domains are domain names that have... Read More

Domain Name Trademarks

As your Internet business grows, the value of your domain name increases. The issue of a domain name trademark should move to the top of your list. You need to guard against unscrupulous... Read More

A Guide to Sell Your Domain Name Quickly

Everyday I read this question on different forums "how I sell my domain quickly?" To me earning huge income from domain and selling it quickly are two different things, and you have to... Read More

Domain Names and Longevity

It begins as an idea -- a company name, a business venture, a personal project. You research available domain name options, choose the one you want, and finally register it. Or perhaps the... Read More

Deleted Domains Can Kickstart a New Website

Are you getting ready to launch a new website online with a brand new domain name? You may want to consider registering a deleted domain name instead. Here are some of the benefits... Read More

Domain Name - How To Pick One

Picking a domain name should be easy, right? Why, I'll just use my business name. Not so fast, Sparky. A good bit of thought should be given to selecting a domain name.A Cautionary... Read More

Tips and Tricks To Getting Top Money for your Domain Names

Would you like to be that lucky person who sells their domain for thousands or even a million dollars? It IS possible to find quality domains and resell them for huge amounts of... Read More

Domain Names Explained

If you are totally new to the internet then you may not realize that the web address you type into your browser is known as a domain name. A domain name is an... Read More

Signing up for a Domain Name? Consider Private Registration

A plethora of websites exists to register a domain name. Google 'register domain names' and have a fun-filled time comparing prices. Though price is definitely a consideration when choosing a domain name registrar,... Read More

Know How DNS Works

Domain name Servers (DNS) are an important but invisible part of the internet, and form one of the largest databases on it. Each machine on an internet is assigned a unique address, called... Read More

Before You Register a Domain Name for Your New Online Business...

Recently I made a mistake that may cost a great deal of traffic to my new web site.Let me explain...I studied so many books about Internet marketing over the last couple of years... Read More

8 Million de-Domains

DENIC, the registry of the German Top Level Domain (TLD) has announced, that it has received the eight millionth application for the registration of a de-domain. The de-domain has the position as the... Read More

Public Domain - Internet Gold Mine

With the advent of the internet and the ease of which information can readily be downloaded and compiled you would think that more people would realize that the public domain is a source... Read More