I want to
register a domain
name in country X. What procedure do I have to follow,
and how much will it cost?
To answer that in detail would take more space than this entire FAQ. Every
country has its own rules and peculiarities. Costs range from free to
hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars. The best source of
information on Country domains is undoubtedly
NetNamesUSA. I heartily recommend that you take a look at their
comprehensive list of filing requirements for around 200 countries. That's
after bookmarking this site first, of course! |
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What
should I beware of when using a registration service to register a domain
name?
There are enough registration companies out there that you really
shouldn't need to go to one that charges an annual or monthly maintenance
fee to "reserve" or "hold" your domain
names for you. I am not talking
about the mandatory InterNIC fee here, that is a separate issue entirely.
Here are some tips to check when choosing a
registrar.
- The registrar should offer unlimited
"reservation" and DNS services for domain
names purchased through their
site. Beware of sites that offer reservation services for a limited time
only, typically 90 days. After that period is up, you'll have to find
some other way to keep your domain
name.
- Since all domain
names are created
equal, you shouldn't need to pay more than $50 for a basic registration.
Companies that charge much more than this are either offering additional
services [check their site carefully] or simply charging over the odds.
This is a simple demand and supply issue: there are dozens of registrars
who will get you your name for $50 or less.
- Be wary of registrars who ask to "point"
the domain
name at their own site. In other words, avoid registrars who
make "www.YOURNEWNAME.com" an alternative address for THEIR own site
while they are holding the name for you. Better to point to a standard
under construction notice or simply to not point the name anywhere.
Otherwise, there is a risk of confusing visitors as to who owns a given
name.
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How much
should a domain
registration service cost?
Whatever you are willing to pay. However, in view of the wide choice when
selecting a registrar, $50 seems to be about the reasonable ceiling for a
simple domain
name registration. Expect to pay more for additional
services. |
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What extra
services can I get when I register a domain
name?
These will depend on the registrar. Possible services include:-
- email forwarding : Any email sent to
YOU@YOURNEWNAME.com is automatically forwarded to your current email
address. This is a viable alternative to a vanity email address.
- website forwarding : This comes in two
flavors: pointing your website at a given IP address, and pointing your
website at a directory. The latter is great for anyone hosting a site on
an ISP's site, as you will not need to move the site. The name will
automatically be resolved to point to the correct directory.
- under construction page : depending on
your personal preference, you may prefer to have www.YOURNEWNAME.com
point at a standard "under construction" page rather than not point at
anything at all.
- sample page : some registrars allow a
single free "sample" page so that visitors to the site
www.YOURNEWNAME.com would see your company name and address and maybe a
phone number or a simple description of the services your company
provides.
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How much
can I expect to pay for these extra services?
This varies, depending on the registrar. A little market research never
hurts, so I suggest you visit several registrars before making a decision. |
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Can you
recommend a particular registrar?
No, I will leave the choice of registrar up to you. However, I have tried
on the
Links pages to highlight any special services or special problems
presented by particular registrars. Also, note that the
companies sponsoring this site are all reputable firms. |
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How much
should I pay for domain
name "XYZ"?
I assume you're asking because the domain
name is already registered to
someone else. If not, the standard $100 fee should do the trick! This is a
very difficult issue, and it is impossible to give specific guidelines.
Here are a few tips. First, remember that you have to give the owner an
incentive to sell. Frankly I would be insulted if somebody emailed me out
of the blue and offered me a couple of hundred dollars for a domain
name.
This is infinitely more valid if the domain
name is in use for an existing
site, instead of merely reserved. Then you have to think in terms of tens
of thousands of dollars or more. The best advice is: "Be Realistic!" If
the domain
name is fairly obscure, and is merely reserved, an offer of a
thousand dollars seems like a good starting point. But premium names will
fetch much more. internet.com sold for over $100,000 and business.com sold
for $150,000. Negotiations will end before they even get going if you make
a "joke" offer for a valuable name. I am sorry, but I CANNOT provide
detailed information for pricing individual names. |
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Somebody has
registered the domain
name I want. What can I do?
You can either offer to buy the name off them, or look for an alternative
name. If the domain
name is a trademark that your company owns, you can
also consult with a lawyer with a view to starting proceedings to recover
the name. |
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Hey, I had
a really clever idea. I'm going to register "XYZ.org" as lots and lots
of people visit "XYZ.com" and some of them might visit my site by
accident. Clever, heh?
As the recent case of the multiple Nasa sites showed [nasa.org is the
official site; nasa.com and nasa.net were registered and pointed at porn
sites] such tactics can generate a lot of traffic. However, InterNIC did
not hesitate to act and suspend the two "rogue" names upon request of the
real Nasa. So you be the judge... |
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I wanted a
very good domain
name but it has been taken, so I thought I would
register a similar domain
name but misspell a word. Clever, heh?
Hmmm. This may work, but the larger companies at least are girding for
such new battles in the continuing war to protect their trademarks. On the
other hand,
typo.com is making a living out of such misspelled domain
names. Take
a look! |
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I want to
buy a domain
name, but I don't want to pay to move my site from its
current location at [long directory URL] Is there anything I can do?
Yes, you need to choose a registrar that offers a website forwarding
service. That will ensure that visitors can enter your new domain
name and
be sent invisibly to your current site, no matter where it is hosted. |
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I want to
receive email at my new domain
name, but I don't have a site yet. What
can I do?
Simple: register your name via a registrar that offers email forwarding.
That way, any email sent to your new domain
name will be redirected to
your current email account. |
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I want to
register a domain
name to have a cool address for people to send mail
to. What can I do?
Choose a registrar that offers to forward email for you from your new
domain
name to an existing email account.. |
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I want to
point more than one domain
name at my site. Is that possible?
Absolutely, though it may cost quite a lot. Charges range from $10++ per
month to point several domain
names at one site. There are several
alternatives here: if you have a site with an IP address, you can just
point a number of domain
names at that IP address; if your site is hosted
in a subdirectory of a web hosting service, you'll need to choose a
registrar that offers website forwarding. |
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I noticed
that a hot domain
name is "on hold". How can I buy it?
If the name is on hold because it has not been paid for, it will generally
become available 90 days after payment became overdue. If you are really
keen to acquire the name, keep searching the InterNIC database EVERY day!
If you find that the name is on hold for over 90 days, it is very likely
the focus of a trademark or other dispute, and you will have to forget
that name and try another. |
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What are the
"hidden costs" of domain
name ownership?
One hidden cost is the requirement to maintain a domain
name server,
or an arrangement with a company that provides a domain
name server
service. Some companies offer a once-off fee, others charge every year. Go
for the former.The other hidden cost is not really hidden. However, it is
easy to forget in the excitement of registering domain
names, putting them
on the market, promoting them etc. that in two years' time they will have
to be paid for again. If you own 10 domain
names, and you fail to sell any
of them, you will have to pay an extra $500 every year you hold on to
them. |
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Why should I
buy domain
names now, when so many are already for sale?
Although the domain
name market is quite quiet now, it is bound to
grow in the future. The supply of good domain
names is limited. Many of
the best names have already gone. If you get in now, it is only going to
cost you $100. |
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I can't
think of any good domain
names. What shall I do?
Try and think of domain
names associated with current or future growth
areas. For instance, the year 2000 problem is a hot topic right now, so
many companies will require domain
names relating to the year 2000. Other
good topics include electronic money, travel, shopping, investment,
entertainment and more. A quick look at the front page of many search
engines will give you a good idea of what is popular. A good way to think
up names is to sit down in front of a clean sheet of paper and let your
mind wander. Jot down any ideas that you get, no matter how strange they
may be. Once you have a list of 20 names, you can then start working on
these to find alternative spellings, similar names, synonyms etc. |
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I can't
think of any good domain
names. Can you help me?
In the past, I have made suggestions to various individuals who
approached me. I will continue to do so providing that there is some form
of return for me. I maintain a list of around 200 unregistered domain
names in various categories; this list takes a great deal of time to
compile and keep up to date. Hence I would suggest some kind of small
contribution to the upkeep of this website, either in cash or in kind,
would be in order if I help you to find your dream domain
name. The list
is also available for sale in its entirety. Please contact me for further
details. |
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Is there any
way that I can speed up the process of hunting for domain
names?
Yes, there is.
123DomainMe offers a service whereby you can specify keywords you
would like to have appear in a domain
name; within a short time it will
send you a list of all the permutations of these keywords that have not
yet been registered with InterNIC. This can prove to save a great deal of
time. For example, you want to think of some kind of domain
name related
to travel. You could run a search on the keywords travel, fly, flight,
package, tour, ticket, holiday and vacation. You will receive by email a
list of hundreds of permutations of these keywords; most of these will be
useless, indeed laughable, but you may well spot a few gems you had not
yet thought of. Of course, this service can only work with the keywords
you give it, as it does not include synonyms. Maybe this is a future
opening for an enterprising company? |
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A service to
make up domain
names for me? Sounds good! Must be expensive, though.
It is completely free. Not only that, it also offers a list of all
related domain
names that have already been registered with InterNIC.
Great if you want to avoid buying a domain
name too close to one belonging
to another company. A good way to think up names is to sit down in front
of a clean sheet of paper and let your mind wander. Jot down any ideas
that you get, no matter how strange they may be. Once you have a list of
20 names, you can then start working on these to find alternative
spellings, similar names, synonyms etc. |
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I bought a
domain
name.
If you mean that you bought a domain
name off another party, please
tell me all about it. If you are referring to registering a domain
name
with InterNIC, then I would like to wish you the best of luck with your
new name, but please don't tell me about it. With tens of thousands of new
names being registered every month, my mailbox would explode. |
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What happens
if someone else has applied for the same domain
as me, and their
application is pending?
Bad luck. Although the domain
name will not show up in the InterNIC
database, once an application is in the processing queue at InterNIC, it
cannot be overtaken by another application. Your application will
eventually be rejected after the other application for the same domain
name has been processed, and the domain
name has been registered in the
system. |
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What
can I put in the "Company name" field of the registration template if
I do not have a company?
Pretty much anything you like, really. I would recommend either
repeating your name, or making up an interesting-sounding organization
name. Note that the invoice InterNIC will send you will be addressed to
the contents of the Company name field on the registration template. |
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I
registered XYZ.com last week, but I changed my mind. What can I do?
If InterNIC has not yet billed you, or if you have not yet sent off
payment, then there is something you can do... just grit your teeth, and
ignore the payment demands, final demands and men with baseball bats at
midnight -- just kidding about the latter, folks! Anyway, if you fail to
pay for long enough, InterNIC will void your registration and your domain
name will become available again. |
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Can I
register an all-numeric domain
name?
"Yes" is the short answer. It seems we all have Nick Lawrence of
911.com to thank for making this possible. He nagged IANA until they
changed the rules to allow this type of domain
name to be registered. |
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F.A.Q : Registering Domain Names
