Registering a Domain Name

Registries: The registries for the various TLD's (Top Level Domains such as ".com") are responsible for creating the "zone files" (master lists of active names) which are sent to the name servers.

Registrars: The registrars interface with the public to maintain the detailed registration information and are responsible to communicate add/edit/delete information to the registries.

You will want to register www.mycompanyname.com. (Or www.myproductname.com) People expect companies to have a dot com address. Sometimes dot net will work, but dot com is preferable.

Register variations of your domain name

You will also want to register variations of www.mycompanyname.com.

• www.my-company-name.com
• www.mycompanyname.net
• common misspellings
• any variation that a potential customer might mistakenly go to
• any variation that you don't want your competition to have

Dashed and Dash-less

For example, a domain name without dashes is much easier to explain over the phone. But a domain name with dashes is much easier to read in print. www.smiles-for-kids.net and www.smilesforkids.net both point to the very same place. One domain name is for print and the other for the phone.

You may want to register variations of your domain name. You may not need or even use these variations. The main thing is that you don't want your competition to own them. Registering variations of your main domain name is a defensive action.

Domain Names with Keywords

You may also want to register domain names that include important keywords. For example, if your company name is Acme Corporation and you make widgets, your main domain name might be www.acme.com. You will want to register www.widgets.com. Potential customers will type "widgets" when they use a search engine. Having this keyword in a domain name helps search engine positioning. You can have many domain names all pointing to the same website.

eNom

eNom gives you much more than other registrars. In addition to your name, you get name server services, URL redirection, email forwarding, and parking pages.

www.enom.com

$30/year

http://www.internic.net/alpha.html is a list of accredited registrars.

Class Exercise:

Go to www.enom.com and search for the availability of a domain name you might use for your site. Try to include keywords that someone might use to search for you. Or register additional domain names that point to the same location that are loaded with keywords.

You should also consider registering common variations and/or misspellings of your site. They may not be useful to you, but you really don't want someone else grabbing them.

Domain Name Registration for E-Commerce Class

http://www.hammock-registration.com/

$19.00/year

Beware Scams

When you register a domain name, you will undoubtedly receive emails from companies that want you to "renew" your registration with them. Sometimes these solicitations look more like renewals than solicitations, so be sure not to fall for their tricks. Here's one example. And here's another example.

Be sure to...

1. Know who your registrar is
2. Know when your domain names are up for renewal
3. Keep your contact info current with your registrar
4. Keep your credit card info current with your registrar.