|
Domain Name
FAQ
A domain name tells people (and the computers they use) how to find your homepage on the Internet. Each domain name is assigned to a numerical IP (Internet Protocol) address by your host provider. Since people remember names better than numbers, the domain name translates this number into words. www.yourname.com Why do I need to register a domain name? Most Internet providers offer you a directory on their own domain. Most of the time, they look like this: http://www.domain.com/~yourname. In addition to having to explain the little squiggle mark (~ which is called a tilde) to your less net savvy customers, this can prove cumbersome on business cards and letterhead, and it does not reflect the unique nature of your business or homepage. Registering a domain name for your business or organization is essential to your marketing efforts. A domain name gives your business a unique identity on the world wide web. How will I be able to tell if my desired Domain Name is already taken? Before registering a domain name you will first have to do a "Who is" search to see if your requested domain name is available. The domain request comes up with "no match" you will then be able to register that domain name. How much does it cost to register a domain name? When you register your domain name there is an annual fee that is payable to
the registration agent (Selectyourdomain) of $19.95 - .com, .org and .net, or
$39.95 for .ca domains plus applicable taxes. When this payment is made our
accounting system runs a pre-authorization check on your credit card. At a
later date (approx. 24 hours) the full charge is applied to your card. The
pre-authorization amount is credited back to your card up to 72 hours later. Once I have a domain name secured, how long may I use it? If there are no trademark disputes, your secured domain name will be yours for as long as you maintain the yearly registration fees. What if my desired name is the same as a trademarked name? Generally, if you've registered the name in good faith, its not a name belonging to an internationally known company, and you can show that you have a legitimate reason to use that name then you are likely to be able to keep that name. That may not be the case if it can be shown that you purchased the name for the express purpose of re-selling it to a company with a legitimate claim to the name. Where can I learn more about trademark issues? Here is a short list of web sites that will be able to help you learn more about trademark and copyright issues:
How do I choose a good domain name? Choose a name that reflects the intent and purpose of your web site or business. Try to keep it short and snappy, and say it out loud, as if you were telling someone at a party to visit your web page. Some domain names look good on paper, but are confusing when you try to send someone to them over the phone. Keep in mind the image that it conjures … your domain name will be one of the ways people recognize or evaluate their sites for their interests when they are searching via Yahoo or the other search engines. When facing a large number of choices, the snappiest domain sometimes grabs the most attention. What are the valid characters for a domain name and how long can it be? The only valid characters for a domain name are letters, numbers and a hyphen "-". Other special characters like the underscore "_" or an exclamation mark "!" are NOT permitted. Example: your name.com (not correct, No spaces allowed) Example: your-name.com (is correct) A domain name can be up to 26 characters long -- including the 4 characters used to identify the Top Level Domain (.NET, .COM, .ORG, or .CA). Do not type the www. before your domain name when registering. Why are some domain names "On Hold"? When searching the "Whois" database sometimes a domain name may show a status of "On Hold" if a.) payment for the domain is not current, b.) the domain name is involved in a trademark dispute, or c.) pending server activation.
|