What is a Domain Name

A domain name is a fancy word for the web address (name.com) used to access your website. Domain names are sometimes called URLs. Which is short for Uniform Resource Locator.

Domain Names are Registered to You

You do not own a domain name, you register it and it's yours as long as you make your yearly payments to register that name. The minimum registration period is one year. You must renew your domain name registration every year or else you could lose it to someone else.

Registration Cost

The fee for registering a name for 1 year ranges from $10-$35, depending on whom you register with. Read the fine print to be sure you'll have total control of your name.

Where Can I Register a Domain Name

The most well known site to register with is Register.com. Their domain names are $35 per year for a .com .net .org. A alternative for cheaper domain names is Namecheap.com. Other sources include: GoDaddy.com and StarGateInc.com.

Suffixes Explained

The suffixes (.com, .net, .org) are best explained on this page of the Register.com site. Pick a appropriate suffix for your business.

User Names and Passwords

To point your domain name to the location where your site is hosted, you'll need the user name and password for your domain name. When you register your domain name you will get a user name and password. Print this information and keep it in your records.

Picking a domain name

Choose your business name and then ".com". If that is taken, try other variations. Be sure to pick something that is easy for customers to remember.

To Check Domain Name Availability

Go to register.com and type in your desired name to see if it is available. If it is not, alternatives will be suggested.

Check the Current Registrant of the Name

Go to register.com and then go to the "WHOIS Lookup" button. Type in the domain name in question to see who has registered the name.

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