Domain Name Registration Process & Information

Domain name registration is a necessary, easy, and strategically important first step in establishing an online presence, whether for business or otherwise. On the World Wide Web your domain name is your own unique identity. No two parties can ever hold the same domain name simultaneously; therefore your Internet identity is totally unique. Domain Names always have 2 or more parts, separated by dots. The part on the left is the most specific, and the part on the right is the most general.

A domain name is an addressing construct, used for finding and identifying computers on the Internet. Computers use Internet Protocol (IP) Addresses, which are a series of numbers used to identify each other on the Internet; however, many people find it hard to remember IP Addresses. Because of this, domain names were developed so that easily remembered names and phrases could be used to identify entities in the Internet instead of using an IP Address.

For example, the domain name qualispace.com identifies the company qualispace.com. When a user types the domain name qualispace.com in their browser, the Domain Name System (DNS) will translate the domain name into IP numbers. These are then used by the Internet to connect the user to qualispace.com.

There are different levels of domains. Examples of the various levels are as follows:
Top-level (TLD) - .com, .net, .org, .edu, .gov
2nd-level - business, shopping, search
(2nd-level may contain letters, numbers, and hyphens)
3rd-level - www1, www2, keyword (optional)
(NOTE - make sure your site resolves with or without www)

Selection of domain names is a major consideration when doing business online and it is often one of the first task to be addressed. While a good domain name won't guarantee success, it can have a positive (or negative) impact on almost every aspect of online business. A "good" domain is one that is easy to remember and minimizes confusion.

There are two main ways you can get a domain name. You can either register your domain name yourself or you can go for get web hosting company or ISP (Internet Service Provider) to register it for you. To register a domain name yourself you will need to choose a Registrar. A Registrar is an ICANN accredited domain registration company. There are hundreds of Registrars on the internet nowadays. The market is becoming increasingly competitive; which means that you can purchase domains names for a low yearly fee. Most web hosting companies will offer domain registration services to their clients. When you register a domain name through a web host they will register your domain name for you through their own approved registrar. An advantage to having your web host register your domain name for you is that, they have probably done this process many times before; they have all the necessary information ready at hand.

If you loose your domain name you can loose your whole online identity. Because you can only register a domain name for a year or so, you will need to make sure that you renew it before the expiry date. If you should have the need to change Registrars at some point after your domain name has been registered, you’ll need to do so within 60 days, or some other specific timeframe that’s been required by the Registrar, as noted on the contract. Once your domain name expires you will no longer own that domain name. Your Registrar will then own it and be able to sell your domain name to the highest bidder. To make sure you don’t loose your domain name you will need to make sure you renew your domain name at least two weeks before it expires.

Keep in mind three things while registering domain names:-
1- Domain name is your online identity
2- All domain registration companies are not the same
3- Choosing the wrong registrar can cost you both time and money