There are many
registrars of domain names. They charge anywhere from about $5-$30
to register .com, .net, .info and .org domain names. All of them
provide exactly the same service in registering a domain name, so choose
a registrar at the low end of the price range. While it is convenient to
have your web site hosting and domain management with the
same company, it is not recommended for security reasons. If you have multiple domains to register, be sure to
register them all with the same registrar to keep them organized.
One of the options you may be offered at the time of domain name
registration is the privacy option. Without the
privacy option your domain name along with your contact info, including
your name, address, phone, email, etc. all become public information in
a large internet database called the WhoIs database. This database is
readily accessible to spammers, telemarketers, and junk mailers.
Private domain name registration is not mandatory and will not block all
spam, but it may be well worth the extra investment nonetheless.
It is now common for web hosting companies to give a
"free" domain name with a one or two year hosting contract.
All of the web hosting companies advertised on this site offer at least
one free domain name. When you accept one of these make sure that the domain name is
registered in your name and not in the name of the web hosting company.
If it is not, ask the host to transfer the domain registration to your
name as soon as it is allowed. (Domain name registrations
cannot be changed for a period of 90 days following the initial
registration.)
If you have or intend to have multiple web sites, it is
best to keep your domain names with a registrar that provides control
panel access to organize them and assign them to name servers. Do
not chase domain name loss leader sales. Sometimes registrars
lower the price of registering domain names below their costs, hoping
that by doing so you will purchase hosting. Ending up with domains
spread over a number of registrars is an organizational nightmare if you
own a large number of domains, and moving domains between registrars is
not a pleasant task.
If you accept a free domain name with your hosting
account, be sure it is registered in your name with you as
administrator. If registration is in the name of the host,
transfer the registration and administration into your name as soon as
possible. Read "Who Owns
Your Domain Name".
