Here’s how you register a domain name.
Registering a domain name
It’s best to choose a hosting company first before registering your domain name. Have the hosting company register or transfer your domain name.
You can check the availability of a domain name at http://www.networksolutions.com or http://rs.internic.net/cgi-bin/whois or any of the registrars listed by http://www.internic.com.
You can register your domain name yourself through domain name registration services. Internic provides a list of ICANN-accredited registrars (the organization governing domain names) at http://www.internic.com/regist.html. When submitting a registration or transfer, the registrar will ask for the name of two domain name servers that contain your IP address. Your host will give you that information. Once your domain name has been registered or transferred, it takes approximately 72 hours before it becomes active.
Fees for domain name registration
Each domain name registration service or registrar, sets its own price for registering domain names. Fees range from $10 to $35 to register a domain name for one year. You can register a domain name for one or two years. Some registrars offer free or discounted registration services in connection with other offers, such as Web hosting. Make sure they are reliable. Receiving a $10 discount is not worth the delays and hassles you may encounter. Ask your professional Web designer for a referral. To keep your domain name, you need to renew the registration and pay a renewal fee each year.
Parking a domain name
If you want to reserve a domain name but don’t have a hosting company yet, you may have to pay a fee to a hosting company or registration service to hold or park your name. Some registrars charge $40 and others offer parking for free. Make sure they are reliable.
IMPORTANT TIP: When registering your domain name, make sure you are both the billing contact and administrative contact. If your hosting company lists itself as the billing contact, you won’t have much leverage to keep your domain name if you decide to switch hosts.
Changing hosting
When changing hosting companies, you can keep the same domain name and email address (connected to that domain name e.g. www.Webmaster@fivestarWebdesign.com). You simply transfer your domain name to a different hosting company.
It is important to protect your business and product names by registering them as a domain name before someone else does.
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