Starting Point In Domain Name Registration

If you are planning to have your own web presence, you would have to register your own domain name to get started. A domain name is the name used to refer to a specific website. Domain name registration is not limited to a company of an organization. Even individuals can choose a domain name and work with an ICANN accredited registrar to get the same registered.

Why is this important?

Getting a domain name is important for various reasons. The name you choose for your domain can go with you, even when you change your web host. The change in web address or URL need not be communicated to your regular visitors and customers. They can follow their practice of keying in your domain name to be directed to your new site.

Business owners can use their domain names as a sign of their credibility. Ideally, no one would want to have a business relationship with a company that does not have its own domain name.
Get a name related to your product or line of business that is also easy to remember. This way, visitors can key in the name and return to your site without having to lookup your address in the documents they might be stored in. If you have a domain name describing your product or service, you can also drive in people who were keying in the word or phrase in any of the popular search engines.
Domain name registration is also important if you want to garner dependable sponsors or advertisers for your website.

What does it involve?

You need to register the domain name you have selected with ICANN (Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers) by working with a domain name registrar. ICANN is a non-profit organization responsible for coordinating the "systems of unique identifiers" of the worldwide Internet's systems.
The process of domain name registration involves going to a registrar, paying the registration fees, and get the right to the name you have selected for a year. You would need to renew the registration annually and usually for the same amount. Make sure that you are registered as the owner of your website, so that you do not fall prey to someone one else laying a claim to the name and charging exorbitant fees at a later date. You can work with ICANN accredited domain name registrar to register or transfer domain names in all top level and country level domains.
Bear in mind that names for domains have a tendency to disappear really fast. Most of the time, domain names describing different kinds of products and services are already taken. If you want a specific domain name, it is important you act now.

Actual steps for domain name registration

To register a domain name, you would need to follow the steps mentioned below:

• Decide on a few possible names for your website that you would want to use. Make sure that there more than one option, as some of the selected names might already be taken.
• Pay for the domain name using a credit card or PayPal account, which is usually the norm with most registrars.
• Get the name of your primary and secondary name servers from your web host, if you already have one. This information is necessary to point your domain name to your website after the buying procedure is completed.
• If you do not have a web host, you can request your registrar to park your domain name at a temporary site; this way, you can get the domain name you want and not be too late. You can then take all the time you need to select a web host and set up other aspects of your planned websites. Most of the time, registrars would park your names by default, which is actually a good thing. There are a few registrars that offer free email addresses for your own domain name, while it is still parked and not fully functional.