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How to Register Domain Names
How to Register Domain Names - PCSTATS
So you plan to be the next www.filthyrichwebmogul.com? Plan to ride a nifty push-bike to work, wearing flip-flops and capri pants and a sun hat?
Filed under: Beginners Guides Published:  Author: 
External Mfg. Website: none Dec 14 2000   J. Prikryl  
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How to Register a Domain Name

So you plan to be the next www.filthyrichwebmogul.com? Plan to ride a nifty push-bike to work, wearing flip-flops and capri pants and a sun hat? Or, better yet, plan to spend your days at home, tele-delegating work amongst your web-developer minions?

Like all start-ups in life, you'll first need a name. This might seem a mere technicality, but beware. So far, over 97% of the words in Webster's Dictionary are already registered on the world wide web. You'll need to use your thinking cap and invent some sort of moniker that's both not taken and will draw visitors to your site.

Recent adjustments in domain-registration rules make it easier to invent your virtual title. Previously, the length-limit for domain names was quite restrictive -- only up to 22 letters. Now, however, you can register a name that's up to 67 characters in length. And while concise names are certainly desirable, the lengthy ones are gaining acceptance. Check out www.verylongdomains.com for more info on this particular trend.

So just how many domain names are already registered worldwide? Answer: over 10 million. A whopping 6 million of those are dot com's; by contrast, only 1 million of registered names end in the dot net suffix. With dot com names in such high demand, national suffixes (such as .uk for the United Kingdom, .ca for Canada) are gaining popularity. Some gimmicky national suffixes are even being used by companies that have no connection with the countries in question. Italy's suffix, .it, is handy for companies looking to sell.it, buy.it, steal.it, resell.it. The Kingdom of Tonga will allow you to ship.to, fly.to, or climb.to anyplace you want. Even such unlikely lands as Turmenistan (.tm) win with this lucrative quirk of the English language.

The Nitty-Gritty on Registration

As you'd expect, there are oodles of websites devoted entirely to telling you about the oodles of domain names that are already taken. You'll want to select a reputable registration site, though, because there have been mix-ups in the past (involving people who thought they'd scooped cool names after shelling out good money for them, only to learn someone else had gotten to the name first -- and then the unlucky bidder received zero compensation).

Speaking of money -- sites also differ in terms of the fees they charge for registration. One of the biggest registration sites belongs to Network Solutions, at www.nsi.com. In the earliest days of the web, Network Solutions had a monopoly on the domain-name-registration market. As a throwback to that era, www.nsi.com still charges the standard, relatively high US$70 for a 2-year reservation of a domain name. At www.register.com and at www.greatdomains.com, you can expect to pay the same fees. Canadians will find a much sweeter deal at www.easyhosting.com, where the yearly fee is a mere CAN$15 per annum. And www.reserveme.com charges the bare InterNIC fee of US$20 for an annual reservation.

The actual registration process is quite straightforward on all these sites. Just visit them, type in your idea for a wicked new e-appellation, see if it's available, and then follow the step-by-step registration process (and have your credit card at the ready, of course). Upon registration, you'll need to hook up with either a web hosting company or an internet service provider to host your newly-christened site. And you'll want to maybe come up with some content for it, perhaps a design, some flash technology perhaps, plus a few dozen links, not to mention advertising.


 

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