United Kingdom domain names
The Internet is based on IP addresses, not domain names, every Web server requires a Domain Name System (DNS) server to translate domain names into IP addresses.
In addition to the domain name, there is also another address for a Web site: the IP (Internet Protocol) number. This is the actual address computers use to connect to the site through the Internet. It is directly linked to the domain name and is regulated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN.
The domain name and the IP address act in the same way. Each computer connected to the Internet is assigned a unique number known as an IP address. Developed in the early 1970's, this number serves as the computer's Internet address. An IP address can be either static (permanent) or dynamic (temporary). Most home computers use a dynamic IP address while servers and many other computers use a static IP address.
By allowing the use of unique alphabetical addresses instead of numeric ones, domain names allow Internet users to more easily find and communicate with web sites and other server-based services. The flexibility of the domain name system allows multiple IP addresses to be assigned to a single domain name, or multiple domain names to be assigned to a single IP address. This means that one server may have multiple roles (such as hosting multiple independent websites), or that one role can be spread among many servers. One IP address can also be assigned to several servers, as used in anycast and hijacked IP space.
Domain Names are the fist building block when establishing a website, or any other Internet property, your domain name is your address on the web. Though .com domains are the most popular domain names, however, if you are targeting UK businesses, using a .uk domain extension, will help make you business immediately recognisable as a United Kingdom based company, it is also said to help your search engine ranking as search engines will immediately know that you site is targeted at UK companies, one the .uk extension is detected.
With tens of thousands of domain names being registered daily it's very important you register your company or personal domain name before someone else does! Even if you're not quite ready to place a website online you should reserve and "park" your domain name without delay.
As domain names became attractive to marketers-rather than just the technical audience for which they were originally intended-they began to be used in manners that in many cases did not fit in their intended structure. As originally planned, the structure of domain names followed a strict hierarchy in which the TLD indicated the type of organization (commercial, governmental, etc.), and addresses would be nested down to third, fourth, or further levels to express complex structures, where, for instance, branches, departments and subsidiaries of a parent organization would have addresses that were subdomains of the parent domain. Also, hostnames were originally intended to correspond to actual physical machines on the network, generally with only one name per machine
Where can I register UK domain names
Registering a domain name is a simple task. Choosing the right domain name for you is the difficult part. The key to registering a domain name is getting the point across. Choose a domain name relevant to yourself, your business and/or the work that you do, try & make the domain name as short & easy to remember as possible.The only way to register and start using a domain name is to use the services of a domain name registrar. The domain name industry is regulated and overseen by ICANN, the organization that is responsible for certifying companies as domain name registrars. At one time there was only one domain name registrar - Network Solutions, Inc. - but today there are dozens of accredited registrars.The registrar you choose will determine the cost for registering a domain name, but in general expect to pay a yearly fee. Some registrars will offer discounts if you register for more than one year, but no registrar has the authority to sell more than a 10-year registration contract for any domain name. The registrar will ask you to provide some contact and technical information to have on record. This information is stored in a registry, which other computers can access to find information on your site. While it may seem like a privacy issue, it is best to be honest when supplying the contact information to a registrar. The registrar can cancel a contract and resell the domain name if it cannot contact an actual person to settle legal issues that may arise.
There are number of places you can register a UK domain name, one of them is domain name registration services section of Velnet.
Velnet not only register .uk domain name extension, they also register .com, .net, .org and all the popular domain name extensions available on the market today.
The domain name is registered for a specified period of time. i.e. one year, up to a maximum of ten years, and is renewable on an ongoing basis. When you purchase a domain name, it only belongs to you for the specified time you stated, in this case, one year. As long as you continue to renew it in a timely fashion, it will belong to you. It is important to keep track of the renewal period because if the domain name is not renewed, it can be registered by anyone for their own use.
During the registration process you may be asked for information for different "contacts." i.e., technical, administrative. Your domain name record will be available to the public in what is called a "whois" database (a public database mandated by ICANN). The information is categorized under different areas in order for the proper contact information to be available in any given situation (technical difficulties, copyright infringement, etc.). The contact information can be the same for each position; some registrars will have a check box to enable the duplication of the information in each section.
A domain name is nothing more than an alias for the IP address of your Web site. It can also be an important tool in marketing your Web site. Usually your company name or some variation of it works best. Remember this is your Web address. Make it easy for your customers to find you.
How do you choose your domain name?
Registering the Domain Name.
Finding a good domain name requires a great planning.
Your domain name is your first chance to build credibility with your visitors. Choosing the right domain name for you online business can help to bring more traffic to your business.
Your domain name is the key to your web site. Control of your domain name give you the ability to choose a host at will and control all aspects of your on-line presence. We'd recommend that you register your domain name with someone other than your web hosting company. This gives you a great amount of freedom with your hosting and ensures that you will always be able to host your site somewhere else if unhappy. It also gives you more time to shop around for hosting after registering your domain.
Do a little research, the right domain name will make your marketing so much easier. Your goal is to "Brand" your site, make your name a household name like "Velnet.com". Not everyone may like them but anyone who has been on-line more than a month has probably heard of them.
Here are my few tips on how to choose the right domain name:
* Simple: Make your doman name simple and easy to spell. A domain name should be easy to write and spell properly. This is to make surfers easily to get to your website, if people cannot pronounce your domain name properly , it could cause some problems for you.
* Make it Short: Longer names can lead to more confusion and thus cause problems in pronunciation and spelling. It is much more difficult for an average person to remember longer variations of a web address. Try to register the shortest name that your customers and visitors will associate with your Website.
* It should be Descriptive: Your domain name should have something to do with your business. Make it descriptive of your site, your product offerings, or your service.
*Register Your Domain NOW: You must register soon unless you want to get stuck with "the-domain-name-that-no-one-wanted, register before you loose the opportunity to get the name you really want.
* Include Keywords in Your Domain Name: Include your most relevant keyword into your domain name as the domain has an impact on search engines indexing and ranking your site. Keep your keywords to a minimum of 1 to 2 words, many keywords can be considered as spam.
* One May Not Be Enough: Sometimes, it isn't a bad idea to register several similar domain names. If you have "yourname.uk", register "yourname.net" so no one else takes it. You can register your full company name and a shorter, easier to remember version. Some people even register common misspellings of their company's name. (You don't need a separate Web page for each. Several domains can point to the same Website.)
* Use hyphens: Use hyphens (-) to separate your keywords or phrases in your domain name.
* Check for Trademarks: You check for trademarks before registering your domain name. Search as many existing trademarks as possible and look for possible conflicts.
*Character Types: Just a reminder. Domain names can only use letters, numbers, and dashes. Spaces and symbols are not allowed. Also, domain names are not case sensitive.
Domain Registration
Registering your domain for a long duration is a good way of telling the search engines you are serious about your website and do not have intentions of a spam page. Then don't hide your domain registration details. Some search engines consider websites with hidden details as spam. Long existed domains tends to have better ranking on search engines.
Register today at http://www.velnet.com. Velnet.com is currently offering a special deal on business premium web hosting package. You get a free domain name and free web design template when you order business premium website hosting package. Our usual internet services such as free UK web hosting, dial up internet access, free sub domain name, domain name registration, POP3 and webmail services are always available.
Now that you have decided on the domain name(s) you are going to register, the next step is to choose a Registrar and register the domain name.
While each Registrar may have slightly different requirements in terms of the information you will need to provide when registering a domain name, a registration generally requires 5 pieces of information:-
A) Registrant
This is the company or individual to whom the domain name actually belongs.
B) Administrative Contact
This is a person authorized to make certain changes to the domain name, such as alter the address associated with that domain name.
C) Technical Contact
This is a person authorized to make certain changes to the domain name, such as alter the DNS servers associated with that domain name.
D) Billing Contact
This is the person to whom all bills and other correspondence will be sent.
E) DNS Server Settings
This is where you specify the primary and secondary DNS server settings you would like to associate with the domain name.
Remember to write down the URL of the Registrar you used to register your domain name; occasionally, an emailed or mailed confirmation can go astray and you'll have no record of which domain name you registered or where you registered it. This information is key if you need to make changes later.
