Domain Name Registration

A domain name is simply a system for providing a human-memorable name for a particular computer on the Internet. Properly speaking, computers have numerical addresses similar to phone numbers. The domain name system provides a translation from a name to the appropriate number (similar to a directory assistance for the Internet). For example, www.pcpierce.com is much easier to remember than 498.178.89.226.

Why you need a domain name

There are several advantages to a domain name:

• Your web service and e-mail addresses can be consistent (e.g., www.yourcompany.com and info@yourcompany.com)
• A domain name is shorter and more memorable than a URL under your ISP’s domain name (e.g., www.yourcompany.com vs. www.verizon.net/yourcompanyname).
• Most importantly: You have the freedom to move your web hosting and e-mail at will from one Internet Service Provider (ISP) to another without having to change your URL and e-mail addresses. If your URL is www.verizon.net/yourcompanyname, you have to be a customer of Verizon. If you become unhappy with the service you are getting and want to switch, you’ll have to change your URL and e-mail, throwing away all the work you did to publicize the first website. If you have your own domain name, you’re not stuck. The 3 top level domain names are .com, .net, & .org. There are also several domain extensions such as .us, .edu, .gov, .info, and more. Dot Com domains are usually the best choice, if available. Organizations should use .org, while commercial businesses should use .com, .net or .us, depending on the availability of .com’s.