Domain Names

What is a Domain Name?
Don't think you know what a domain name is? You might be surprised how often you have seen or used one. Read on for an explanation on what a domain name is and how you may be using one already. >Read More

ICANN Accreditation
Does it really matter if you use an ICANN accredited registrar or not. We think it does. Read on to learn why. >Read More

New Top Level Domains
To alleviate the domain name shortage, ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigning Names and Numbers announced on August 16, 2000 that new global top level domains would be released. These new names allow for unimpeded growth of the Internet. >Read More

Top Level Domains
Have you ever wondered what the different letters following the dot mean at the end of a domain name? (.com) The letters on the far right following the dot are called the top level domain, or TLD. The TLD tells about what type of site the domain refers to. Using our previous domain name examples, in "Parts of a Domain", the TLDs would be .net, .com, .edu. and .tv. >Read More

Using Your Domain Name
Domain names are registered for a variety of reasons. Choosing the right registrar will depend upon your reason for registering a domain name. What do you plan to do with the domain name after it is registered? >Read More

What is Domain Parking?
Not ready to use your domain just yet? Park it! Read on to learn about this popular registrar extra. >Read More

Registering .ca .cn .us
If you are looking for an alternative extension to .com you may find some promising choices with available country code top level domains, or ccTLDs like .ca .cn and .us. >Read More

Domain Resellers
With the ever increasing ranks of registration services, domain buyers can thank the little guy, the registrar resellers, for low prices and competitive features. >Read More

History of Domains
So does the 'g' in gTLD stand for 'generic' or 'global'? Or perhaps it stands for 'grand-daddy' since the gTLDs represent the first extensions ever created. >Read More

Parts of a Domain Name
By breaking down the various sections of a domain name we can learn the heirarchal structure and how each part effects the name as a whole. >Read More

What are Subdomains?
What are subdomains, where are they used, and how can you get one? >Read More

What is Whois?
What or Who is Whois, and why do they have your personal contact information? >Read More

Whois Spam Protection
Everyone who registers a domain name is required to make their contact information publicly available through the WHOIS database. The penalty of providing inaccurate contact information is the revocation of your domain name. >Read More

Buying Cheap Domains
You may have heard the phrase "you get what you pay for" in regards to online services. Although this is generally true, domain registrars are the exception. Smart shoppers buy cheap domains. >Read More

What is Domain Hosting?
Once you purchase a domain name you still need to have a domain host in order to build a web site. Domain hosting is often referred to web hosting as they are virtually the same thing. >Read More

Registration Terms Glossary
Confused by the registration lingo? Learn the definitions of commonly used domain registration terms and phrases. >Read More

Choosing a Domain Name
Choosing the right domain name for your company or web site is one of the most important steps in achieving good web success. >Read More

Domain Registration FAQ
Learn the answers to common domain name registration questions covering issues such as: registration, transfers, domain name life span, and more. >Read More

Which Domain Extension?
The first thing to consider when choosing a domain name is what domain extension (or top level domain, TLD) you would like to use. >Read More

Trademarking Domains
Are you violating another's trademark with the domain name you just purchased? Find out the rules about trademarking domains. >Read More

Our Favorite Registrars
After seven years registering domain names and building web sites, we have tested countless domain registrars. Take our word for it, the following registrars are the best of the best. We'll tell you why >Read More

Buying Expired Domains
Anyone who has tried registering a .com domain name is familiar with the words "Already Taken". Searching for an available .com domain name can be a frustrating experience. Maybe you have spent hours using domain search queries to figure out a suitable alternative to the name you really want. Well, before settling for the available .us or longer, hyphenated version of your domain there is one more place to look to see if your domain is available. >Read More

Selling a Domain Name
If you have registered a desirable domain name and don't want to use it for your own web site, you may consider selling your domain name. >Read More

Domain Appraisal
Could your $8.00 per year domain name be worth thousands? There is only one way to find out- appraise it! >Read More

Domain Name Pre- Appraisal
Before paying for a domain name appraisal be sure your domain is at least worth the cost of the valuation services. >Read More

Domain Name for Sale
Once you have had your domain name appraised and think it is worth selling you can go about deciding how to market your domain. >Read More

Listing a Domain For Sale
A more secure way of selling a domain name than private party, is using a domain broker to list and sell your domain name. >Read More

Transferring Funds
As discussed in our article on selling a domain private party, unless you really know and trust the buyer of your domain name, you would be wise to use a trusted third party, also known as an escrow service, to complete the transaction. >Read More

Transferring Domain Names
Once you have found a buyer for your domain name there is still a bit of work to do. Transferring the domain name from one name and registrar to another can take work, time and patience. >Read More

Dashes or No?

The debate continues- should you or should you not use a dash in your domain name?

Who's The Biggest Registrar
If you would like to know who is the top dog in domain registration, you can easily find out which domain registrars host the most domain names (registered the most domains) with only a couple of free clicks. >Read More

Go Daddy Offers SSL Certificates
If you thought Go Daddy was only the leader in domain registration you had better take another look. >Read More

New Policy Eases Domain Transfer
Better prices, features, or switching to a new web host may have introduced you to the domain transfer process. The universal Internet pain in the drain. ICANN (the International Corporation for Assigned Name and Numbers) recently (11/04) announced a new and improved system of transferring domain names from registrar to registrar. The new policy is aimed at speeding up the domain transfer process and easing the domain transfer process for registrars. Some debate that this new domain transfer policy puts users at risk for domain hijacking. Read on for details that effect you in the new domain transfer policy. >Read More

Securing a Domain Name
It is always desirable and presents the most professional image if you acquire your own top level domain name (www.yourname.com.) >Read More

Domain Name Appraisals
Before spending money on a domain appraisal find out if your domain name has the attributes of a very valuable aftermarket domain. >Read More

Why Register a Domain?
Domain names are registered for a variety of reasons. Some build a web site right away, or buy a name to build a site later, while others purchase domain names in order to protect a company name or trademark, and some register a domain name so they can have personalized email addresses. What do you plan to do with the domain name after it is registered? >Read More

Reselling Domain Names
Becoming a domain name registrar as a reseller for an established registrar is a great solution for webmasters registering many domains, and a great money making opportunity for anyone on the Web. Here's how reselling domain names works and where to sign up to be one: >Read More

Domain Name Appraisal
Webmaster, you may be sitting on a gold mine with your already registered domain names. Could your $10 domain names be worth hundreds or even thousands? There is only one way to find out, domain name appraisal! >Read More

Finding Alternatives to .com
We are all familiar with good old "dot com", but what about dot everything else? If the dot com name you want to register has already been taken - along with every misspelled and dashed version you could think of - you may wonder if there are viable alternatives to using .com as a domain extension. Find out more about domain extensions and which ones are as good as (or better for) your site than .com. Also, learn which domain extensions you should steer clear of using! >Read More

Buying Aftermarket Domains
Is this scenario familiar? "You decide to build a web site. You type the name you want in your web browser to see if the .com you would like is being used for a web site already - find it is not and race to a domain registrar to snatch the name up for yourself - only to find that the domain name is 'Not Available'. Arghhh!" Learning that unused (but registered) names are unavailable can be frustrating for buyers. However, there is hope! Many domain owners are selling their previously registered domains. Read on to learn how buying aftermarket domains works. >Read More

Marketing a Domain
There are various methods of putting your domain name up for sale. Decide whether you would like to sell your domain by owner or share a percentage of the profit by listing a domain name with a third party. For a complete list of ideas for marketing your domain name, read on. >Read More