Saturday 25 May 2013

The Why And How Of Domain Name Registration

By Audrey McGuire


A good web presence is essential in business these days as the quality and availability of the website can have an enormous impact on one's customers. At times it is easy to overlook the importance of the address of the site, but this is a crucial consideration that can greatly influence the success of a business. For this reason, domain name registration is something that is not to be taken lightly.

This importance lies in three main reasons. The first reason is in relation to the web host. If the web host is changed for any reason and the domain name has been registered, then it will not be necessary to change the the URL (web address). This ensures that current and former customers will still be able to find the site where they are accustomed to seeing it. Without registration however, the URL must be changed, potentially leading to difficulty for customers and even the loss of some of them.

Lending a certain amount of credibility to the website and the company is another reason. Customers and advertisers alike, both vital sources of revenue, want to know that they are dealing with an authentic company. If Company 123 has an information email address of company123info@gmail.com, this is less likely to appear to be credible than an address of info@company123.com. This seemingly small difference can have an large impact on the perception of a company and thus on its success.

The other reason is the ease with which the website can be found. If the address is something closely related to the company name or the products or services that are offered then it is likely that more traffic will be driven to the site than it would if this were not the case. More traffic in turn means more potential customers and ad revenue.

In order to do the registration, the first step is to decide on a suitable name. Having a list of several potential options is necessary because the top choices may already be taken. Experts in this area have a great deal of advice on how to choose a proper name and much of this can easily be found on the internet.

After deciding on some choices for names, it will be necessary to choose a domain name registrar. Scores of these sites are easily found online and whichever one is chosen will be able to check on the availability of the name or names that have been chosen. Each provider may have a slightly different way of doing things, but in general one will have to pay a registration fee for the obtaining the name, which is usually valid for one year. For each following year, a annual fee must be paid to maintain it.

In addition to differences in prices, registrars often have a set of perks that they offer. These may include free starter web pages, free email accounts or promotional pricing for registration. With the wide variety of providers available, it's advisable to research the top rated ones prior to making a decision.

The process of domain name registration is not particularly difficult nor expensive but it is necessary to pay attention to the details to be sure that all has been done for the best benefit of the website and the company. If done well, it can mean the difference between struggling and thriving.




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