Do We Need To Register A Domain Name
Strictly speaking, no. But realistically, a domain name is an important part of your company’s online presence and branding.
If you have a website, it needs an address. Similarly, if you want to send and receive email, you need an email address.
Unless you register a domain name, you will have to use addresses allocated by your internet service provider or email supplier.
For example, your ISP might let you use the website address ourcompany.ispname.com and email addresses like. However, addresses like these have several disadvantages:
- They do not give you a professional image.
- If you change your ISP, you may have to change website and email addresses.
- Customers will not be able to find your website by guessing the address.
Registering a domain name helps overcomes these disadvantages.
Choosing the right domain name can also help establish rights to your trading names or trade marks and prevents other businesses from using that domain name.
Choose A Domain Name Suffix Such As Com Or Net
After settling on the domain name, consider the suffix. The most popular suffix is .com, although .net and .org are also popular. These are considered to be top-level domains, or the highest-level domain suffixes in the domain naming system.
There are also other varieties to consider, such as country code top-level domains. These domain names end in a suffix that is particular to a specific country. A website in Germany might end in .de, for example.
Finally, there is another class of domain name suffixes called “sponsored, top-level domains,” which are sponsored by a specific community related to the domain name. For example, .gov is for the U.S. government and .edu is for education organizations.
For most websites, .com is the best suffix for its ease of use, but if you have a specialized website, you might consider a country code or sponsored top-level domain.
Will My Website Go Down During A Domain Name Transfer
Nope!
When you transfer a domain name from one registrar to another, thats literally all youre doing. Youre not moving your email or hosting. During the domain transfer process, your nameservers dont change theyll stay pointed to the same pre-transfer nameservers.
Now, its another story if youre changing your hosting provider along with your domain registrar. If you decide to change your website host, follow these steps to avoid site downtime:
- Import your DNS records to your new hosting provider
- Double-check to make sure the DNS information is correct.
- Change the nameservers at the originating registrar.
- You may have to wait for propagation it could take 24-48 hours.
Another scenario to consider is if youre using the default nameservers of your current registrar. Many registrars offer access to free nameservers so long as your domain remains registered with them. If you decide to transfer your domain, you could lose access to those nameservers.
If youre unsure whether youre using default nameservers, ask your registrar BEFORE you transfer your domain. We recommend keeping your domain pointed to your hosting providers nameservers.
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To Conclude: How To Register A Domain Name
Congratulations! If you followed through with our step-by-step guide, you should now know how to register a domain name.
What you need is come up with a sound word combo, decide on your domain extension, pick some handful add-ons, and pay for your subscription. Afterward, the registrar will provide you with further quick instructions for connecting your domain name to your website, so that you can finally become visible on the web.
Have a question about how to register a domain name for your website that is not included here? Leave us a comment below.
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Cost To Register A Domain Name
According to HostGator, domain name cost ranges from free to tens of thousands of dollars, with the average domain name settling around $10-$12 annually. These factors will affect what you’d pay for a specific domain:
- The demand for the particular name you choose
- The TLD domain extension
- The domain registrar you’re purchasing from
- Whether the domain has already been purchased by someone else
- Whether you commit to an annual payment or another payment schedule
- Add-ons such as privacy
Whether you choose a free or paid domain will depend on your budget and your website’s purpose. For example, you might need a basic website or something simple and temporary. In that case, a free domain name might be a good option.
However, paid domain names look more professional and are more likely to grow with your brand. You should ultimately decide what will work best for your business and goals.
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Domain Names And Trademarks
A registered domain name and a registered trademark may look similar at first glance, but they are very different. Legal disputes and conflicts can often arise as a result of the confusion between domain names and trademarks. Domain names do not carry legal rights. Put simply, trademarks mean you can take legal action if someone infringes your rights, whereas domain names do not.
Register your trademark
Challenging A Domain Name Using Arbitration
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How To Secure Your Website Url
Domain security is vital not only for yourself but also for those who visit your website. People are aware of the risk of cyber-attacks. They are worried when opening websites to avoid becoming victims of hacking.
Some domain owners do not employ strict security measures when developing their website security policies. Unfortunately, poor domain management can result in irrevocable damage and a poor reputation for your business.
A hacker can alter the accessibility setting of your website if they can access your domain name control panel. Losing the domain name of your website can bring your business to a standstill. You can take several measures to safeguard your domain name from loss or theft
Fourth: Reveal Your Bid
After the three days have passed and the auction ends everyone must reveal their bids within 48 hours. If you dont reveal you lose the auction and all of the funds you bid.
To reveal your bid go back to the ENS section of MyEtherWallet and search your domain like you did when you first placed a bid. Youll get a message back telling you its time to reveal your bid.
Revealing Bid in ENS section of MEW
To reveal the bid log into MyEtherWallet with your login details and youll then be prompted to enter the bid details. This is the information you copied and/or screenshot when you placed your bid. Once the details are entered click Reveal your Bid to make your bid public.
Confirmation of bid details
This reveal stage lasts for 48 hours. If youre still the highest bidder at that time you win the auction and the domain is yours!
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How Do You Select A Name
When choosing another name than your own one to identify your work or performance, you need to select one that is original, such as an invented word or a word that would not normally be associated with your particular art form. An example of the latter would be the name BLUR used by the English pop music group. Choosing an original name has the following advantages:
- it will reduce the likelihood that you will infringe someone else’s rights
- it will make it easier for you to establish a reputation in the name and
- it will make it easier to register the name as a trade mark.
Before using a name it is important to conduct searches to see if there are other artists or businesses that have rights that may prevent you from using the name you have chosen. You can do this yourself or through a professional search agency. It is a good idea to select several quite different names in case you find that someone else has the right to use the one you first wanted and you need an alternative. It can be cheaper, and is quicker, to check all potential names at the same time. Your investigations should include:
If you plan to work overseas, you may need to extend your investigations to the countries that interest you.
If you are established as a not for profit entity you should consider obtaining an Australian Business Number registration if you intend to trade outside your state or territory of incorporation.
Purchase The Domain Name
When you have settled on the domain name and a suffix, you will pay to register the domain name with the domain registrar. This is not a one-time purchase, however. Typically, you will pay to own the domain name for one year, after which you can renew your registration for a fee. You can expect a registration fee of about $10 to $15.
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Who Should We Use To Register A Domain Name
There are many domain name suppliers to choose from.
When selecting a supplier, try to make sure they are a registrar for the type of domain name you want to buy. At the very least, make sure they are anauthorised reseller for an accredited registrar.
For instance, Nominet ultimately manages all domain names that end in .uk. So if you want to buy a .uk domain name, it’s best to purchase from a company on Nominet’s list of registrars.
Carefully check your supplier’s terms and conditions. In particular:
- It is important that the domain name is registered in your name and with your contact details, not the name of the agent. This helps protect your rights to the domain name and reduces the risk of administrative problems.
- Check you will have the right to move your registration to another agent if you choose, and what the charges for doing this would be.
- Review the charges in detail. As well as the initial registration charge, you will have to pay renewal fees. You may also be charged if you need to change your administrative details.
You May Find That Someone Else Has Snapped Up The Domain Name Of Your Dreams Here Are Your Options
So you have a great idea for a domain name. It will make you millions and be the beacon by which an unprecedented amount of Internet commerce flows your way. Youre excited. You go to a domain name registrar to perform a domain name search and, you guessed it, the name you want is already taken. What now? Dont worry, you have choices.
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Be Ready To Prove Previous And Recent Ownership Of The Lost Domain
Iâve been contacted by individuals about reclaiming lost domain names. They were able to prove the legitimacy of previous ownership without a shadow of a doubt. In return, I transfer the domain at cost or no cost, if under a certain amount.
But Iâve also had people try to get over on me too with a sob story of how they lost a domain that was never theirs, to begin with. In short, they are essentially trying to steal the domain from me.
Nevertheless, contact the new domain owner to explain your situation of how the domain was lost. But donât count the new owner rolling over and just handing over domain because of your story. Always make a reasonable, market-driven offer when contacting a domain owner. Understand their asking price may not be cheap at all.
Most honest domainers aim to work a reasonably priced deal of some sort with you. You may have to legitimately prove previous ownership of the lost domain name that are in question. In some cases, domainers gladly return lost domain names to you at no cost but donât count on it.
See, if the new owner of the lost domain has paid money using either a backorder service or bought the domain name via an expired domain auction, then you may very well have to pay the new domain owner the amount that they paid for the lost or expired domain name.
This reason alone makes reclaiming lost domain names a very costly experience.
What Are My Chances
The best initial option is to talk to a specialist in trade mark disputes, to get some idea of your legal position. However, the simple rule with domain name complaints is not to make one, unless your adviser is at least 80 percent sure that you will win.
If a domain name is unused and contains a non-famous brand, it will be difficult to prove bad faith, and there is often little that can be done to force the domain name holder to hand over the domain name.
It often better to put the person on notice of trade mark rights and warn them that use of the domain name could lead to court action. An unused domain name is a nuisance but is rarely damaging.
Alternatively, many domain name holders are prepared to sell their domain for a reasonable price . Although unpalatable, paying for transfer of the domain is often the most cost-effective way of obtaining the domain name.
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Availability Of State Law Claims For Trademark Violations
Some states have also drafted their own cybersquatting laws. For example, California has California Prof. Bus. Code § 17525. This trademark law better protects the victims of cybersquatting for two main reasons.
First, Californias cybersquatting statute does not have an intent-to-profit requirement. Recall that under federal law, the plaintiff must show that the person who registered the domain had the intent to profit at the time of registration.
Proving this intent is straightforward when the cybersquatter reaches out to the victim and asks them to buy the domain name. But most cybersquatters do not do this. Instead, they acquire the domain and wait for the victim to approach them.
When this happens, the plaintiff has trouble proving that the cybersquatter intended to profit from the domain name at the time of registration. Without the cybersquatter reaching out first, there is often no evidence available to meet the intent-to-profit requirement.
Second, Californias cybersquatting law does not distinguish domain name legal disputes involving marks and individual names.
Californias law is similar to the ACPA in that it utilizes the same nine factors in defining bad faith. But it also adds one more factor to cover situations when the domain name is used to deceive voters on election matters. Californias law also provides First Amendment safeguards.
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A Trade Mark For Your Domain Name
When it comes to protecting your brand, a registered trade mark is a powerful option. Whether you need to register your trade mark and licence your domain name will depend on your circumstances.
A trade mark is used to differentiate your business from your competitors. The owner of a registered trade mark has the exclusive right to use the trade mark in relation to the goods and / or services for which the trade mark was registered.
This does not include use as a domain name. Licensing of domain names is carried out by companies on behalf of the Australian Domain Name Authority on a first in, first served basis. Having a trade mark application or registration does not automatically entitle you to the domain name licence.
If someone has licensed a domain name the same as or similar to your trade mark, you need to lodge a complaint with auDA. This only applies to the .au country code it doesnt extend to other countries, nor generic top-level domains such as .com or .org regulated by other bodies.
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Whois Public Domain Info
WHOIS is a database that stores public information on a domains registered users in a way that can be easily read. It basically tells you who is responsible for a domain. Many online registrars will allow you to access and search the WHOIS databases. I use the Godaddy lookup out of habit but any of them should work just fine.
WHOIS will also give you the registrant name of the individual who registered the domain. Now youll be able to know if it was an old web designer, a business partner, or even yourself who set it up. Youll also find the date of creation and expiration date. With this information you can hopefully contact the person who registered it and have them transfer the domain to you. And we all live happily ever after!
If you need to recover a domain account where you lost the password, the WHOIS info will often give the registrant email address which will help you in recovering a password and login from the domain registrar.
Transferring is slightly complicated but I created a video on how to easily transfer domain names that you can find HERE.
Note: Keep in mind that some domain owners pay for privacy to hide the public WHOIS information and provide only proxy info. In that case, youll be out of luck and may just need to wait for the domain to expire so you can register it yourself
For a rundown on best practices when setting up a website, check out my blog post on Website Ownership Fundamentals and feel free to ask any questions you may have below.