Domain Name Registration

Registering your domain name is the first step to an existence on the web. If you already have a domain, please make sure you have access to the account information so that your domain name can be easily redirected to your new web host.

If you do not already have a domain name (i.e. yourdomain.com) think of at least 5 names because you're #1 choice may already be taken.

There are many reasonably priced, secure and dependable domain registrars that allow you to perform a real-time search to see if your domain is available. You can visit these domain registrars to do a limitless search for a domain name that best fits your organization. .com's are generally more popular however you may want to consider registering a .net or.org domain extension depending on your needs and availability. Keep in mind that some of the other domain extensions may come with restrictions.

Your domain name should be easily identifiable, easy to explain over the phone and can be printed on a business card. Most short names are usually taken; long names can be good if they click in someone's mind. Swing your ideas by several people. Then ask them in a few days if they remember how to spell it. Choosing lengthy explanations or misspelled words can cause headaches in the long run.

Domain Name (FYI)

A domain name is also known as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or web site address. A domain name is to the internet what a home address is to a city, state, or county. It is the address by which you find someone.

From a resale perspective, the number of characters in a domain affects the value of that domain name. The shorter domain names are more valuable unless your name is very catchy. The fewer characters a name contains, the easier it is to type and remember. A reasonable length is ten to fifteen characters long.

Domain names with dashes are distracting to the majority of people and very hard to remember.

You should always be in control of owning your own domain name. Yes, your webmaster or hosting provider may need to gain temporary access to your account in order to point DNS records (domain name servers) over to their server, but ultimately you or someone you absolutely trust should be the only one that owns the domain. In the long run if you ever change webmasters or hosting companies; you can feel at ease knowing the domain name belongs to you.

Lastly, don't forget to renew your domain! Once it's gone and released into the public you may have a hard time getting it back.