Domain Name Registration

WEAVING TALES, WEAVING WEBSITES:
Websites 101

If you have Web space through your Internet Service Provider (ISP), your site may have an address that looks something like this:

http://www.yourinternetprovider.com/~yourname

For example, I used to have to tell people who were interested in viewing my storytelling Web site to type in the following:

http://www.msn.fullfeed.com/~hardy/StoryGuy

Not exactly "catchy", right? (By the way, the ~ character is called a "tilde" and can be found on most keyboards just to the left of the exclamation point.)

As a result, you may prefer to have a web address (or "URL") that is a little less cumbersome — one folks can remember a little more easily, such as:

http://www.yourname.com

(Incidentally, my current URL is http://www.storyguy.com ... it's far more comfortable to pronounce and is a far better fit on business cards and other PR materials!)

In this case, "yourname.com" is your desired domain name.

A Little Bit About Domain Names

As you've visited Web sites, you've probably noticed that most domains end in either .com, .net, or .org. These extensions are referred to as top-level domains. In addition to these three, there are also a handful with restricted use, including .mil (for the U.S. military), .gov (for the U.S. government), and .edu (for educational institutions like colleges and universities). More recently, additional top-level domains have been introduced, including .info, .biz, .cc, and .tv. "Dot-com" domains remain the most common for commercial sites, but the others above are increasing in popularity.

(Non-U.S. domains generally have a two-letter code corresponding to where the site resides. For example, whereas www.amazon.com is based in the U.S., www.amazon.co.uk is based in the United Kingdom and www.amazon.de is based in Germany.)

The "main" part of a domain name (for example, "yourname" in "yourname.com") is referred to as a second-level domain.

How Do I Get a Domain Name?

Domain names are obtained through registrars. There are registrars a-plenty out there on the net, each setting its own fees, so you may want to "shop around" a bit before you decide on one. (Your ISP may also offer domain name registration services, so check with them, too.) Doing a Google search for "domain name registration" should bring up several registrars from which to choose.

You can often take advantage of a per-year discount when registering your domain name for a longer term (i.e., for five years versus two years). If you're also looking for Web space, you may be able to find a registrar who also offers Web hosting services, and who can offer you special package pricing.

One of the best deals I've been able to find recently is with ArisHost <www.arishost.com>, a Michigan-based company offering domain name registration along with a basic Web hosting package, all for a very reasonable $30 per year.

The first thing you'll want to do is check the availability of your desired domain name. This is a free service offered through your registrar. If your name's available, great! If it isn't, the registrar may suggest some alternate (but similar) names that are available. (For example, "yourname.com" may already be taken by someone else, but "yourname.net" or "your-name.com" may still be available for purchase.)

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