Millions of Domain names are being registered every day. Your domain name may be registered by someone else if you wait!

What is a domain name? Practically speaking, your web address is the name that represents your Internet identity, your online brand. Your customers will remember this name and use it to find out about your products and services. And since no two parties can ever hold the same web address simultaneously, your Internet identity, is totally unique.

Technically speaking, a domain name represents your Internet address, just like a real address of where you live, but this time it is where your website lives. In a manner of speaking of course.  Computers use technology called an Internet Protocol (IP) number to locate each other on the Internet, people find them hard to remember. Therefore, web addresses were developed to permit the use of easily remembered words and phrases to identify Internet addresses.

For example, the web address “cpanelhosting.com” represents IP address 66.116.153.106. When you type “cpanelhosting.com” in a web browser or send email to me at cpanelhosting.com, the Domain Name System (DNS) translates “cpanelhosting.com” into the IP numbers used by the network and connects you to cpanelhosting.com!.

Why do I need to register a web address? A web address is more than your Internet address, it’s your Internet identity, your presence and brand name. It puts your business on the map of today’s business world, opening your business to over 100 million Internet users worldwide.

If you’re serious about your business, then it is vital that you have your own easy to remember domain name. The main reasons are stated below:

The name will make you or break you if you want to establish yourself online. Also, it does say a lot for a company that can’t even afford to pay for their own Web space You will have a domain name that is relevant to your company and is much easier to remember for future reference. My domain name is “google.com”. Now imagine that it is “something.com/uk/business/yahoo”. Which one is easier to remember? What makes a good domain name? The same name as your company is always a good choice. If your company name is rather long and hard to remember, then choose something easy to remember and associates with your product or service.

What characters can I use in my domain name and how long can it be? The max character setting has been extended from 26 to 64 in total, but RARELY do you see a domain that long unless it is used for spamming or some illegal purpose as to them, it doesn’t matter what the domain is, they just want a way to take your money.  This includes the four characters in .com, .net or .org). You may use any combination of letters and numbers, as well as a “hyphen” (-), as long as you do not begin or end your name with a dash. Special characters (@&(*^$#) are NOT allowed. Please note that there is no need to begin your domain name with “www.”.

The different types of domains

.com is the most popular and is used for commercial organizations. Net is for entities and computers that represent part of the Internet’s infrastructure. .org is for miscellaneous entities that do not fit under any of the other top level domains; typically used for nonprofit organizations.  These aren’t followed and practiced as much anymore and many people use either .com/net and org for normal usage.  However, .edu is used for four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities. .gov is for agencies and branches of the United States Federal Government.

What’s the difference between “.com” and “.com.au”? Usually if there is an additional extension after the main ending, it is an international domain.  Most businesses in the U.S. as well as thousands around the world choose a domain name ending in “.com”. Some businesses outside the US also choose to end the name in a country code, such as “.com.au” (Australia). Unless your customers are mainly based within your country and you want to make a point of being a local business, then it is best to just use “.com”. Many businesses outside of the US use a country code preceded by “.co” for commercial, such as “yourdomain.co.uk”.

Is “http://” necessary? No. Most web sites just advertise “www.yourdomain.com”. The “www.” is a good enough clue to people that it’s a web address, so you don’t need to say it. All popular browsers let you simply type “www.yourdomain.com” into the URL window. Now most servers even recognize requests for “yourdomain.com”, without the need to type in the “www”.  The WWW is what used to be common to make people understand that it is a web (internet) thing.

How cdo I know if a web address I want is available? There are multiple search databases which can be searched via a domain registrar. For example, for “.com, Net and .org” domains, you would search the “Whois” database. Try going to netsol.com and using their or godaddy.com.  You will be able to search for domain names that would best suit your needs.

What does “hosting” my web address mean? Every web address must reside on a host computer, a domain name host. Domain name hosts are connected to the Internet and use special software to translate web addresses into the numerical addresses used by the network. When users enter your web address, the domain name host directs them to your e-mail or Web site Without it, your web address is invisible on the Internet

Do I need to have an Internet service provider or a domain name host before I can register a web address? Contrary to popular belief, you don’t. You can reserve a web address today to assure you that your name will be there for you when you are ready to use it.

When my web address expires in two years will I be able to renew it? Yes. When you are ready to renew your web address, simply go back to the registrar of the domain name and renew it.

Where can I go to register my domain name You can either register your domain name via your web host or directly with the registrar of the domain extension you want. cpanelhosting.net register domains with “.com, Net, or .org” extensions. We recommend cpanelhosting.net, if you wish to register one of the 675 recognized domain extensions including .com, Net, .org, as well as all country code domains and their sub-domains. If you are also concerned that your name might infringe on possible trademarks, namestake.com can also provide reports on US Federal, US State, Canadian and European trademarks of a name you choose.

What if the domain name I want is already taken? An incredible number of names are being registered everyday. Some are just registered by entrepreneurial opportunists hoping to make a fast buck by selling it on. If the name you want is registered, you might be able to purchase it from one of these domain name brokering companies. But be warned! It is likely to cost a few thousand dollars or more for a name. Your best bet would be to try another name.