Domain Name Registration is the first step to create your web site.
In order to allow Internet users to access your website, you will need to find an Internet name, also known as a "domain name", for your business.
Domain names allow surfers to type in a URL, such as www.mybusiness.com, and access your web site.
Most Internet names begin with www, which stands for World Wide Web. The second part (eg mybusiness) is the one you have to come up with. You can use letters, numbers or dash ("-") in your name. The name must be at least 2 characters long, not start or end with a dash.
The last part is called the top-level domain. The most popular top-level registrations are .com, .net and .org:
- .com - is used for commercial and personal sites
- .net - typically used by Internet infrastructure companies
- .org - used by non-profit organizations
- .biz - another business designation
- .info - for information related websites
- There are also country codes such as:sa,eg,eu
The country codes are used if you are setting up an eCommerce web site specific to a country.
Tips
People who do not know your domain name may try to guess what it is based on your company name (e.g. www.yourcompanyname.com), so it is in your interest to choose a domain that is as close to your company name as possible. If your web site is based around a specific brand or subset of your products, you may prefer to choose a domain name based on that brand or product.
Try to register the .com version of your name first. When people look for your site on the web, they are likely to first try your company name with the .com suffix. If .com is taken then consider using .net, .org (for noncommercial), .us, info, or .biz.
Choose a domain that is easy to say, understand, remember, and spell. Also, be careful with the use of hyphens and numbers, as they can make domain names harder to type and recall. You don't want to lose potential customers because your domain name is difficult to use. Test out potential names with friends before making your final selection
As soon as you have registered your domain you are ready to find a home for your Web site.