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                       Frequently Asked Domain Questions

What is a domain name?

Do I need a domain name?

What are the characteristics of a “Good Domain Name”?

What if the domain name I want is already owned/registered?

What Domain extension should I buy?

Should I buy all of the major extensions for my chosen domain name?

How do I purchase my chosen domain name?

Do I need private registration?

Now that I have purchased my domain, what's next?

What is domain hosting and do I need it?

Who has access to my domain?

What is a domain?   >> Back to top <<

A domain name, or domain, is basically a web site address on the Internet. Each domain is mapped to a specific IP address on the Internet so that people can easily find and visit websites.  Some popular domains are “Msn.com” and “Google.com”.  All domains are managed and recorded by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) so that there aren’t multiple websites with the same domain name.

Do I need a domain name?   >> Back to top <<

If you have a website that you would like to publish on the internet for others to view, then you will need a domain of some sort.  Some websites such as, MySpace.com, FaceBook.com, GoDaddy.com or GeoCities.com, will let you create a website that others can view.  However, there are limitations on the size and type of content that you can put on it.  These sites are typically very informal and therefore aren’t well suited for hosting websites that are for special occasions (such as a wedding website) or informational purposes (such as a business website).  

If your website falls into one of those categories, you should seriously consider buying and registering your own domain name.  Having your own domain name (like "expiringlookup.com" or "MapFuse.com") will allow you create a website that will meet your needs and that you can easily refer others to (especially if you choose a domain name that is aligned with the website’s purpose).  Note that you do not have to be a company or organization to register a domain name: any individual can buy a domain name.

There are a number of good reasons for having a domain name:

What are the characteristics of a “Good Domain Name”?   >> Back to top <<

A good domain name is usually a short name (one or two words) that is related to the website’s content and that, if appropriate, is a .com.  If a short domain name that is the same as the website’s name isn’t available, there are other options to consider such as: using a generic or non-generic name, using hyphens, or using plurals.  You can also try adding “the” or “my” at the beginning of the domain name.  See below for more specific advise.

Short vs. Long Domain Names:

Domain names can be up to 67 characters long so, there are usually many options to consider when finding the right domain name for your website. You don't have to settle for an obscure domain name like avab.com when what you mean is AcmeVideosAndBooks.com.  Having said that, there appears to be some disagreement about whether a long or short domain name is better.

Some argue that shorter domain names are easier to remember, easier to type, and far less susceptible to mistakes: for example, "mapfuse.com" is easier to remember and less prone to typos than "connecttomywebsiteandobtainit.com".

Others argue that a longer domain name is usually easier on the human memory - for example, "gaepw.com" is a sequence of unrelated letters that is difficult to remember and type correctly, whereas if we expand it to its long form, "GetAnEconomicallyPricedWebsite.com", we are more likely to remember the domain name.

Some of these arguments are actually academic because it's increasingly difficult to get short, meaningful domain names.  So, when choosing a domain name, the key is to make sure it's a meaningful combination of characters and not the obscure "gaepw.com" from the example above.

Website vs. Domain Name:

Naming a website after its domain name is important, for the simple reason that when people think of your website, they'll think of it by name. If your name is also your URL, they'll automatically know where to go. For example, when people think of MapFuse they don't have to wonder what URL to type into their browser. The name of the site is also the URL (www.mapfuse.com).

Imagine if your business (or website) is called "Acme", but somebody else holds that domain name. Instead, you have some obscure domain name called, say, "mybusiness.com". What happens when your customers, recalling that your business name is Acme, type "www.acme.com"? They'll wind up at your competitor's website.

What if you cannot get the domain name of your choice? It really depends on how committed you are to that particular name. If you have an existing brand name that you're known for, you probably don’t want to change your business’ name just because you couldn't get it as a domain name. After all, it took you a lot of time and money to establish that name. If so, you might simply want to try to buy the domain name from the current owner.  You can look up the "WhoIs" information for the domain, and contact that person listed to see if they're willing to sell it. You probably should be aware that they are likely to want to charge a higher fee than you would normally be charged when buying new domains (assuming they want to sell it in the first place).

On the other hand, if you're just starting out, you might prefer the cheaper alternative of trying to obtain a domain name first, and then naming your website (or business) after the domain that you've acquired. So if you've acquired, say, the domain name "acme.com", then your website and business might be named "Acme" or "acme.com". I know this seems a bit like putting the cart before the horse, but that's the reality if you don't want to lose out on potential internet business.

Generic or Non-Generic Domain Names:

I know that a number of people seem to think that your domain name really must be some generic name like "cars.com" if you are selling cars. However, these generic names are being sold for a lot of money. For that reason, I personally feel that a domain name that matches your brand name is very important. The very name that you use to advertise your product is the name that you will want for your domain because that is the first thing that people will try in their browser.

Sometimes the domain name you want isn’t available but a version of that name with hyphens is available.  Should you get a hyphenated name? There are a few things to consider here:

Disadvantages:

·        It's easy to forget the hyphens when typing a name. Many users are used to typing things like freecpluspluscompilers.com but not free-c-plus-plus-compilers.com. They'll probably leave out the hyphens and wind up at your competitor's site.

·        When people recommend your site to their friends verbally, having hyphens in your domain name leads to more potential errors than when the name does not contain hyphens. For example, how do you think your visitors will refer to your site if it is named "acme-books-and-videos.com"? They might say, "I visited Acme Book and Videos dot COM yesterday. It was fabulous." Their friends, remembering that comment later, might type into their browsers "acmebooksandvideos.com". Oops.

·        It's a pain in the neck to type. Enough said.

Advantages:

·        Search engines can distinguish your keywords better and thus return your site more prominently in search results for those keywords occurring in your domain name.

The non-hyphenated form may no longer be available. At least this way, you still get the domain name you want.

Domain Names That Are Plural or Include "The" or "My":

Very often, if you can't get the domain name you want, the domain name registrar will suggest alternate forms of the name you typed.  For example, if you wanted website.com, and it was taken (of course it is), it might suggest forms like:

thewebsite.com
mywebsite.com
websites.com

Are these alternative names just as good?  The answer is it depends on how you promote the site.  If you take the "the..." and "my..." forms of the domain name, you must always remember to promote your site with the full form of the name. Otherwise, people are likely to forget to add "the" or "my" when typing in your web address.

What if the domain name I want is already owned/registered?   >> Back to top <<

If the domain you want is already owned, there are several options available.  You can look up the "WhoIs" information for the domain, and contact that person listed to see if they're willing to sell it. You probably should be aware that they are likely to want to charge a higher fee than you would normally be charged when buying new domains (assuming they want to sell it in the first place). If they don’t want to sell you the domain name, you can submit a backorder request for that domain and wait for the domain listing to expire (i.e. the current owner doesn’t renew the name).  This is done by going to a registrar’s website and paying for the backorder.  However, there is no guarantee that you are the only one that’s waiting for the domain listing to expire.  You may not be the only one that’s submitted a backorder and you may not even be the first person to submit a backorder.  The second option is to try to buy the domain during the “drop period” after it has expired.

Seventy-five days after the domain’s official expiration date, there is a 3 hour window in which you and anyone else can try to grab the domain.  Once the 3 hour window begins, it is theoretically possible to manually register the domain yourself.  However, there are three major companies, whose primary goal is to snatch domains as soon as they become available.  Snapnames, Enom, and Pool basically use similar tactics to bombard Verisign’s databases to acquire domains.  Fortunately, or unfortunately (depending on your point of view), these companies can be hired to go after a specific domain.  These companies are essentially hired guns with vast resources that can be dedicated to acquiring your domain if the price is right.  For more information visit the FAQ page of expiringlookup.com.

What Domain extension should I buy?   >> Back to top <<

Should I buy all of the major extensions for my chosen domain name?   >> Back to top <<

If your website or business serves a specific area or local community, such as a pizza delivery business or recruitment agency or the like, then it makes sense to get a country-specific domain. You actually benefit from having a local domain because visitors will know that they're dealing with a local entity.  If someone located in the United Kingdom is searching for a pizza place, they're not likely to want to try to order pizza from you if your domain name is pizzaparlour.com, because the name suggests a US or an international site. You'd have better luck calling it pizzaparlour.co.uk (which is used to designate a UK domain).

How do I purchase my chosen domain name?   >> Back to top <<

Domains can be purchased online from domain registrars.  A complete list of accredited registrars can be found on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s InterNIC website at http://www.internic.net/index.html.  The fees, charges, and services offered can vary greatly so, some research is needed to determine which registrar will give you the best rate while still meeting your needs.   The registration fee typically ranges from $15 to $35 per domain name. This will give you the right to the name for one year; you will have to renew it annually for approximately the same amount.  The registrars frequently offer specials and discounts that can help offset the costs involved in establishing a domain.

Once you’ve chosen a registrar, you can use their search engine to determine if the domain you want is available.  Simply type in the name and then choose the extension (such as .com, .biz, .net, .info, or .org) that you want.  The search results will list the domain if it’s available, any other available extensions, and other available domains with similar names.

When you purchase a domain, make sure that you are listed as the owner and the administrative and technical contacts.   If your registrar or web hosting service is listed as the owner, they will have the able to charge you for the use of the domain name later and there is little you can do about it.  Similarly, the administrative contact's approval is required before a domain name can be transferred from one web hosting service to another.  So, if someone other than you is listed as the administrative contact, then you’ll have to wait for your old hosting service to approve the transfer.  This has been known to take some time to do this and some have even refused to approve the transfer.

Step By Step Instructions

If you want to register a domain name, here's what you need to do. Please read it all before acting.

·         Think of some good domain names that will suite your website’s content.

·         If you have already chosen a website hosting service, get the DNS IP addresses and names of their primary and secondary nameservers. The information can usually be found in their FAQs (usually listed under a category like "domain name" or "DNS" or "domain name transfer"” or by e-mailing the webmaster.   Once this is done, you can go to a registrar’s website, search for your domain name, and apply for it.

·         If you do not have a web hosting service, you can always use one of the registrars listed below.  They will allow you to park your domain name at a temporary website until you find a suitable hosting service. This allows you to purchase your domain name right away before someone else does while you’re shopping for a hosting service. Some of those registrars also provide you with a free email address at your own domain name, like sales@yourdomain.com.

Short list of major Domain Name Registrars:

Yahoo.com , GoDaddy.com , Dotster.com , and Register.com

Do I need private registration?   >> Back to top <<

All domains are managed and recorded by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).  ICANN requires registrars to maintain a directory of registered domains that contains the domain owners’ name, phone numbers, addresses, etc.  This directory, called the WHOIS directory, is publicly accessible by anyone, including telemarketers and spammers that will bombard you with junk mail and more.

Now that I have purchased my domain, whats next?   >> Back to top <<

What is domain hosting and do I need it?   >> Back to top <<

The World Wide Web is a massive collection of web sites, all hosted on computers (called web servers) all over the world.  Website hosting is a service that provides Internet users with online systems for storing information, images, video, or any content accessible via the web.  Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity.  If you have a server, but lack the appropriate connection or technical skills to maintain it, web hosts can also provide data center space and connectivity to the Internet for your server by placing it in their data center. 

There are two general types of hosting services: free or commercial.  While each has its own concerns (see below for more detail), you have to watch out for server reliability and bandwidth allotment.  If the server is constantly down, so will your website.  This could be particularly damaging for businesses whose customers can’t browse their websites because of excessive downtime.  Bandwidth allotment will also limit your website traffic.  Bandwidth allotment refers to the number of hits that is allowed in a given time period.  If your website gets too much traffic, the hosting service can shut down your website.  So, you need to determine what bandwidth is allowed.  In general, 100MB traffic per month is too little for anything other than your personal home page.  1-3GB traffic per month is usually adequate for a simple site just starting out.

Fee Web Hosting Services

With free web hosting, the web host will place ads along the borders of your web pages or in pop up windows that display automatically when someone visits your website.  The ads may be unrelated to your website content or the ads could even be your competitors’.  With free hosting, you are powerless to choose the ads.  You are also limited on the amount of space your website can take up on their servers.  Most websites will need 5 MB of space or less but this may be over the server limit.  Some hosting services will limit you even further by only allowing you to use their website templates and will specify what file formats and sizes are acceptable (GIF instead of JPG files). 

Commercial Web Hosting Services

With commercial web hosting services, you choose to not allow any ads on your website unless you want them.  In many cases, this will cost extra, but depending on your needs, it may very well be worth it.  So when shopping for a commercial web hosting service you’ll need to see if this is an option.  You’ll also need to make sure that the server space limit will accommodate your website. Another consideration is the technical support availability.  You will want to know beforehand if you will have tech support around the clock or is it only going to be available during a standard work week.

If you are planning on doing any sort of business through your website, you might want to see if the host provides SSL (secure server), MySQL, and Shopping cart. These facilities normally involve a higher priced package or additional charges. The main thing is to check to see if they are available at all before you commit to the host. You will definitely need SSL if you plan to collect credit card information on your site.   If you want your visitors to be able to contact you, you may want e-mail addresses with your domain name (webmaster@yourdomainname.com).

You will also need to be able to maintain a certain amount of control over your website.  At the very minimum, you should be able to do things like add, delete, and manage your email addresses, and change passwords for your account.  If you are thinking of selling web space or having multiple domains or sub-domains hosted in your account, you should look to see if they provide this, and the amount extra that they charge for this (whether it is a one-time or monthly charge, etc).

For more technical websites with special features you will also need to know what kind of operating system and server the website hosting service uses.  If you’re website isn’t compatible then don’t consider it.  For example, if you use ASP, you have no choice but to look for a Windows NT/2000/XP machine for your server.

Price and payment plans are definitely key when deciding on hosting services.  You don’t want to break your budget or get tied into long plans only to discover that the hosting service doesn’t meet your needs.  To avoid this, you may want to pay monthly until you are assured of the service’s reliability etc.  This could be particularly important if you’re dealing with a reseller.

Not all hosting companies own or lease their own web servers.  Some of them actually sell hosting services for other hosting companies and are known as “resellers.”  Resellers may not know as much about the services that they are selling and can take longer to help you resolve problems if they have to contact the actual hosting company to resolve issues.  However, this depends on both the reseller and the underlying hosting company. So, don’t rule out resellers since many of them can be pretty good and cheap; just be aware of the risks.

Who has access to my domain?   >> Back to top <<