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Domain Names-What You Should Know
Practically speaking, your domain name (web address) is the core
of your Internet identity, your online brand. Your customers and
friends will remember this name and use it to find your website,
your products or your services. And since no two parties can
ever hold the same domain name (web address) simultaneously,
your Internet identity is totally unique.
Technically, a domain name is an addressing construct used for
identifying and locating computers on the Internet. While
computers use Internet Protocol (IP) numbers to locate each
other on the Internet, people find them hard to remember.
Therefore, domain names were developed to permit the use of
easily remembered words and phrases to identify Internet
addresses.
For example, the domain name rocketface.com represents the
Rocketface website. When you type rocketface.com into a web
browser or send e-mail to someone at rocketface.com, the Domain
Name System (DNS) translates rocketface.com into the IP numbers
used by the Internet and connects you to Rocketface®.
Selecting a domain name
Here are a few things to consider when picking a domain name.
1) Pick a name that reflects the nature of your website or a
name that stands out and captures the eye. (i.e. This second
method is called branding)
2) Keep it as short as possible. That helps to make it easy to
remember.
3) Be sure that you have full ownership of your domain name.
Some hosting services will offer cheap domain name registration
but keep the rights to the name themselves.
Domain name registration
For a fee, which usually costs about $9.95 - $35.00 US (i.e.
depends upon if you buy it in a hosting plan or not), you can
register a domain name. This will give you an address on the
internet that can be hosted on a web server and accessed by
anyone. The registration of domain names is administrated by
several companies who are licensed to handle the task.
Registering your domain name
These links will provide you with access to services which can
show you how to register your domain name, the mechanics of
domain names and their construction. Also, most of them can
provide hosting for your website as well.
Icann
(The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
oversees the domain registration business. If you ever have
trouble with your registrar or if you are looking for an
approved domain name registrar this is the place to go.
InterNIC
This website has been established to provide the public
information regarding Internet domain name registration services
and is updated frequently.
Free Website Hosting and Domain Names
If you are hosted by a free service you have little control over
your domain name. Free webhosting services have their own domain
names. If you want a unique domain name then you must register
it yourself. Be sure to do a search first to see if the name you
want is available.
About the author:
GeneDeFazzio is the author and webmaster of the Rocketface(R)
Workshop. http://www.rocketface.com/