Domain Names: Registering Your Domain Name for Joomla site

Choosing the domain name of your Web site can be a difficult and trying process, and to people new to the concept, it can be confusing. Domain names work similarly to how our telephone system works. Just as telephone numbers are universal and unique, so are domain names. As with telephone numbers, the Internet runs on a number system called the Internet Protocol address, or IP address. The Domain Name System translates these hard-to-remember numbers into an easy-to-remember string of letters (for example, 000.000.000.000 to mysite.com). This number system determines how one computer

knows how to find another computer. The worldwide body in charge of keeping the universal Domain Name System stable and operable is Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a

nonprofit organizational and consensus development body. The top-level domains (TLDs) that we are all mostly familiar with are .com, .net, .org, .gov, .edu, and .mil. Also, there are the two-letter ISO country codes that can be used such as .us, .ca, and .uk. These TLDs were intended to act like the country codes and area codes of our telephone system, helping us identify where a site is geographically located. As the Web has exponentially expanded, some of these country codes are now being used for specific purposes, such as .tv (country code for the islands of Tuvalu) being used to imply television. One of the places to search to see whether a domain name is available for use is to go to Internic.net and do a whois (pronounced “who-is”) search. Whois means exactly that—you will be searching to see whether a domain name is already in use and who is using it. Also at the Internic.net site, you can find information regarding registrars. Registrar companies are where you go to register your use of a domain name. Prices vary widely from company to company, as can the related services each company offers. One of the main points to keep in mind is to make sure you are using an accredited registrar and that when you register the domain name you want to use, you are registering it yourself, in your own name; if you are going through a third party such as a hosting company or development or Web design firm, make sure they are registering the domain in your name. The Internic.net site also has a lot of information and FAQs on how to resolve issues regarding domain names and their registration.

Tip

The importance of your domain being registered in your own name cannot be stressed enough. You are creating your Web presence, a lasting memorable experience for your users and your online reputation. Many people have fallen into the trap of fly-by-night, disreputable companies that offer domain name registration, only to have the company disappear, holding your domain name in limbo because it is registered in that company’s name, and therefore they retain control of the domain. Also, a common trap is that a domain name you register with a company may be available to you for your use for only as long as you retain other extended services from that company. If you decide you want to get those services somewhere else, they can retain all rights and ownership to the domain name they registered for you. Remember to always read the fine print, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Pick a domain name that is relevant to your Web site, be it your company name or  something catchy that people can relate to you and/or your Web site. Remember that people are going to be typing in your domain name, so make it as simple as possible, and if you can avoid complicated or cryptic acronyms and extremely long domain names, you really should. Also, your domain name can help people find you in search engines, so the more relevant to your Web site and your target audience, the better. Watch out for domain names in existence that may be similar to yours or misspelled that may direct people away from your site and to someone else’s site. Think about .com, .net, and .org and the country ISO code for your country when registering, because those are the most popular TLDs that people know and use. When you do a whois search, you will be able to see whether someone has one or all of these registered with your preferred domain name. Consider any conflicts that may occur if you don’t own all the main references. You may want to purchase all that are available to protect your brand. All of these tips are good things to consider when the time comes to pick a domain name.