Domain Name Basics

In the last few years, business cards, brochures, letterhead, brochures, TV commercials, and just about any kind of business communication and advertising - all have one thing in common - they list a web address, called a domain name, so people can find more information.  If nothing else, that indicates the maturation of the Web, but it also shows that your company's web site is a real opportunity to educate potential customers and sell your products.  But how do you choose a domain name and then go about registering it?

Basics

Web addresses are often referred to as domain names or URLs.  They are really common language words or initials (plus an ending of .com, .net, .biz and so on, called a TLD) that are entered into a browser window to reach an address on the World Wide Web.  Behind those common language letters and numbers that you enter are a series of numbers called an IP (Internet Protocol) address. Domain names are easy-to-remember text aliases that correspond to the IP addresses. The domain name system, or DNS, includes all the registered domain names and their corresponding computers.

Starting The Domain Name Process

A good domain name relates to your business either by name or by describing what you do or the products your company sells.  In the early days of the Web, companies were able to register their corporate names or trademarks with relative ease.  It is very difficult to do so today…there are literally millions of registered domain names, so the one you want may not be available.  The easy ones are gone, so you will have to do a little work to find a suitable name.

How do you start the process of searching for and then registering a domain name?  Why, you go to a registrar, of course!

Selecting A Domain Registrar

Registering a domain name has become a fairly simple process compared to a few years ago when there was only one and then two or three registrars.  All of the registrars have search / availability software and other basic services such as email, hosting and site-building tools of a do-it-yourself nature.  Some have "storefront" software and other basic applications to offer their customers.

There are some well-known registrars which provide full-service registry, domain management services, email and "static" web page design and basic hosting capabilities (usually with a proven third party).  Among these are Network Solutions (Verisign) and Register.com.  Of the two, we can comfortably recommend Register.com - our parent company has had a relationship with them for three or more years.  They also have a great "natural language synonym" search capability which provides alternate names when the one you are looking for is not available (some of the alternates can be hilarious!)  There are other registrars who are not as well-known, but still provide full-service capabilities - generally at a lower price.  Of these, we recommend Moniker.com (Domain Systems) where, again, we have had a long-standing relationship.  We have gotten excellent customer service from them over the years and they have made the process of managing our domain name portfolio a fairly simple one.  For those companies looking to build a website with email in a matter of hours, Domain Systems also owns CoolHandle.com, but most registrars have some kind of capability in this area.

If you are looking to register a single domain name and think you might need some hand-holding during the process, we recommend Moniker.com and the other Domain Systems companies.  Likewise, if, like our companies, you have many domain names and can manage them yourself with basic renewal alerts and reporting and are looking for value (lower pricing), we again recommend Moniker.com and also eNom.  If, however, you are looking for one of the "Old Masters", we recommend Register.com over Network Solutions for both their customer service and value packages.

TIP 1:  Take the time to check out the registrar's online domain management system.  Find out how the renewal alert process works and, if possible, how easily the transfer process works if you should decide to change registrars down the road.  Most registrars correspond with email, so make sure you note which email address you have used to register the account.

Choosing A Name

You've gone to the registrar's home page and started your search.  No surprise, you find that the first three variations of your company's name have been taken in the .com space and don't want the .net or .biz name(s).  If you are unhappy with those that are available, consider your top product lines or even what your business processes are (ex. wormfarm.com or carwashers.com).  If you can, avoid names with hyphens, repeated letters or a list of letters (five or more) that is an abbreviation for something else like your company's name.  The whole idea of the name is to make it memorable and relative to your business - it is your company's online brand.

TIP 2:  If you are still stumped and can't find a name you like, try Register.com's alternate name search function or other standalone name generators like Nameboy.com.  These services are free, but the registrars are hoping that you register a found name with them, which will be up to you.

Buying Or Leasing An Already-Registered Name

Another way to get the name you want is to purchase (or rent) it from another party who has already registered that name.  Take a quick look at the WHOIS directory, which will be prominently displayed on any registrar's site.  Enter the registered name and it will tell you who is the registrant - and often it will tell you if it is for sale.  And whether there is a broker involved in the sale.

There are a number of bona fide name brokers in the business:  GreatDomains, AfterNIC and Domain Systems are three that come immediately to mind.  Check their web sites to see what has been buying or selling recently and at what cost.  Remember that they make their money as a percentage of the eventual sale, so don't be bashful about calling them and speaking with someone.  Another source for domain names is the top e-commerce platform in the business: eBay.  You can get a good idea of what domain names are worth by logging onto eBay and checking out the live auctions.

TIP 3:  Before you register or especially if you are considering the purchase of a domain name, it is a good idea to check to see if the name is protected by a trademark.  In many domain name cases, the owner of a valid trademark usually has the rights to the domain name, so protect yourself and any investment you are considering.  The $15 or $20 annual domain registration is relatively small, but the cost of designing and developing a web site and all the collateral expenditures can be very expensive.  Even further, when you have finally found and registered a name, you may want to consider trademarking your domain name.  Go to the USPTO and file for a trademark online.  It is not a terribly difficult process and costs only a few hundred dollars.

Registering Your Domain Name

You've found the name you want, you've gone through the online registration process, took a screen shot of the registration process before hitting submit, named your company as both the billing and administrative contact, decided to register the name for five years to avoid missing a renewal notice, and paid with your credit card.  You've even printed out a hard copy of the receipt and registration confirmation.  So now you are ready to go, right?  Not necessarily.  Because there are any number of registrars, there is a possibility, however remote, that someone is registering that name at the same time.  It may take a couple of days before you know that the name is actually registered to you.  The registrar will be able to tell you (and will) either by email or through its account management system whether you have registered the name.  TIP 4:  For this and other reasons, experts agree that you should immediately register a domain that you want.  If you wait, it could be gone.

When it comes time to manage your domain name, you will use the online system provided by the registrar.  One of the first things you may want to do after setting up email for your new domain is to change the email address of the billing and administrative contacts (your hosting company may want to be the technical contact, which is fine).  We recommend that you change the email to a universal name such as "webmaster @ yourdomain.com" in case one of your employees leaves your firm.  And also set up a regular review of the domain name account so important notices and any unusual activity will not be missed.

Finding and registering a domain name is no longer a difficult process, but it is one that can be very important to your business.  For that reason we recommend that you do your homework now and it will make the future process a lot easier.