What is Domain Registration?

Names function as labels – ways of identifying things. They help us understand who or what we see and how they function. Once we are familiar with the names, we may even be able to locate people or things through association. Domain registration works in much the same way. It is a way to label your website, so that people can locate it through name association.

Each website has its own set of identifying numbers. These numbers are called IP addresses and allow computers to find the particular website. Most IP addresses are four sets of digits separated by periods. Therefore, an IP address might appear as 143.64.86.564 to identify a specific website. Domain registration creates a more simple way to access the IP address and ultimately the website. Think of how many websites we visit in a given week. Now imagine what it would be like to have to remember the IP addresses for each website. That would be very difficult. Domain registration assigns a domain name to each IP address, making websites easier to recall. This way, we only have to recall the website address as a name rather than a long series of numbers. It’s much more efficient for Internet users to visit www.mywebpage.com than trying to access the site by using 143.64.86.564.

The latest problem with domain registration is that most of the simple, unique, and catchy names are already taken. For example, www.mywebpage.com is a very clear, concise name for a website. However, many other people seek to have the same domain name. As an alternative, the domain name may be slightly modified to www.my-web-page.com or something similar. Even still, possibilities are limited. To combat this problem, new top level domains have been created, to allow for more possibilities. Some common top level domains are .org, .info, and .net. This adds flexibility in domain registration, but thousands of new websites are created daily. So, many countries are giving away or selling top level domain names for public use. For example, if you were to consider domain registration in Canada, the domain name would be www.mywebpage.ca.

While these different alternatives (modifications and top level domains) create more options, they do come with one major drawback. The popularity of the .com top level domain often overshadows the other top level domains. This may cause confusion for those trying to access the website. Many people enter .com out of habit. If they are searching for the domain registered in Canada, they will be directed to the wrong website. This is why domain registration takes a lot of consideration and research. The actual process of registering a domain name is not hard at all. It’s as simple as filling out a few electronic forms. The difficult part is finding a unique and concise domain name that is not already registered to someone else.

The best way to secure a name for domain registration is to compile a list of words and phrases related to the website. At least twenty different alternatives should be on the list. Put the words in various combinations to increase the number of selections. Then perform a free search of the master domain name database. If select a name that is already registered, you may offer to purchase it from the registrant. Sale prices may range from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.