homehelp - Domain Names

In Simple Terms
Every website address and every e-mail address includes a domain name - in simple terms it is the bit after the "www" or after the @ sign.

The Internet's domain name system, called DNS, is hierarchical so it can be repesented in a "family tree" type of diagram.  The generations, or "levels", are separated by dots.

Top Level Domains
Computers read a domain name backwards (from right to left), so the last part is the "Top Level Domain", or TLD.  Most of the top level domains are national, i.e. they indicate the country, such as .de for Germany, .nz for New Zealand and .uk, the top level UK domain.  Some however are considered to be international, although technically they are American.  .com is one of these "international" top level domains, and is by far the most well known and most popular.  There are tens of millions of registered .com domains!

Why You Need a Domain Name
Changing your e-mail address is often very inconvenient, especially when it isn't your decision.  The only way of ensuring that your e-mail address(es) will stay the same for the forseeable future is to get yourself a domain name.  For many people, this is the main attraction of having a personal domain name.  Usually you can give people your new e-mail address and carry on using your existing e-mail client, even if it is Web-based such as Hotmail.

Sub-Domains
The owner of a domain can choose to divide it into numerous sub-domains and rent them out - rather like buying a large house and splitting it into flats.  This is common with placenames, surnames and "fan club" names and the like.  As a "tenant" though, you do not have any control over the domain, and so these are not good choices if you want to be sure of keeping the same e-mail address.  There is nothing to stop the owner giving notice or putting the price up.

Almost Anyone
Anyone can buy ("register") a domain name, provided that nobody else has already registered it, and it is a valid domain and they are a valid purchaser.  Some countries do impose nationality restrictions on their national domains, but the common UK and US international domains are not restricted.

Is It Mine To Keep?
Domain names are really leased rather than bought, but if you keep paying on time then effectively you can keep the name permanently.  It is unlikely that an affordable domain will suddenly become very expensive, because wholesale domain prices are fairly stable with a slight downward trend, and registration is paid in advance for a number of years.

First Come, First Served
The system is strictly first come, first served, so in reality you will be very lucky if the exact name you want is available, especially if you want a "dot com".  Virtually all English single first names, surnames and place names, as well as the more common noun and verb derivatives and expletives, have already been registered as .com, but there are plenty of alternatives.

Cheaper Domains
Some domains are prohibitively expensive for individuals, but the common domains are cheap.  Generally speaking, anyone can register a .com, .net, .org, .co.uk, .me.uk or .org.uk domain, and these are all cheap domains, typically £6 - £12 per year for a "parked domain" with no transfer restrictions, sometimes including good e-mail facilities.  There is no need for most people to pay more than this if they set it up themselves.

Free Domains
Many websites advertise "free" domains - beware!  Domain registration is never free, you will pay in one way or another.  Many have transfer penalties of £100 or more in the small print - you rarely get something for nothing, even on the Internet!

Speak to us first!
The domain name system is not rocket science but it can be confusing if you don't understand the basic jargon such as "hosting", "forwarding" and the various e-mail and Web services on offer.  Not surprisingly, Internet domain names are registered and traded almost exclusively on the Internet itself - you can't walk into PC World and buy one (as far as we know!).

Experience Helps
We currently manage a significant number of domains for clients, and we have registered and advised on many more, so you can be confident that we know what we are talking about.  We are happy to recommend a good value domain registrar that we regularly use, or we can deal with the whole process for you.  See here for our pricing.