Verifying your Google Apps Domain

Tips for Selecting and Registering a Domain - Help for Newcomers

Domain

How does a domain name work?

Many new people to the internet often confuse a domain name with web hosting. Registering a domain with an (ICANN accredited registrar) will not instantaneously cause your Web site to appear when someone enters your domain into the Web browser. You must also upload your Web site (the group of files that make up your site) to a computer (server) that hosts the site and assigns a numeric address, called an IP address, to your domain. Your domain and related IP address are stored in a Whois database with every other registered domain and associated IP address. When visitors enter your domain into a Web browser, your domain works like an address forwarding service by forwarding visitors to the IP address where your Web site is stored. We use domain names instead of IP addresses because most people find it much easier to remember a name rather than a series of numbers. This system also helps businesses online establish a unique identity that creates brand recognition.

However, when you register a domain, you do not always have to create a website and upload the files to your hosting server. You can also:

Sell Your Domain Later. They can be a great investment! If you have registered a domain that you are not using, someone else might want to use it. Depending on where you registered, you can log in to your Account Manager and set up a For Sale parked page for your domain and sell it to the highest bidder. Don't forget to include your contact information.

Protect your identity, and brand online. Obviously, more domains you register, the better. This will help to prevent others from registering a similar domain to yours-just to pilfer away your customers. What can you do with all these names? Forward them to your main domain that way you will capitalize on all the names.

Hold on to it for a while. Perhaps you have a great domain name but you haven't decided what to do with your new domain. Don't worry about it, there's no big rush. You can leave it parked for the length of your registration until you decide.

For new .COM and .NET domains and updates, it can take up to eight hours for the changes to become effective. It can also take up to 48 hours for changes made to all other domain extensions to become effective. This reason is because of the number of networks and agencies involved in the process. These delays apply to all domains and registrars. In many instances the delays aren't nearly this long, but please allow for this delay when planning Web sites or configuring a domain to work with your email.

Tips for registering a domain name

If your preferred domain is obtainable, you can register it for a period of time that you will specify during the checkout process. You can use your domain to build your business and assist you in creating a dynamic online identity. You may also want to seriously consider registering multiple domain names to:

" Keep your competitors from recording a similar domain name that draws customers to them instead of you.

" Promote a specific product and/or service you provide.

" Help to drive more quality traffic to your Web site.

" Create more ways to market to customers, and be listed on various search engines.

" Develop strategies that reach different target markets.

" Give your customers even more ways to find you when searching the Internet.

" Capture common misspellings of your domain name, instead of sending visitors to an error page.

" Safeguard your brand and identity online from others who may have objectionable purposes.

To generate a good name on the web for our site, you will have to do a little research. Choose an authorized domain registrar that is approved by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) the authority that manages the international Domain Name Server database, and ensures that all domain names are unique and map properly to a specific IP address. While selecting the domain registrar scrutinize their trustworthiness through various means, such as their prices, special offers, twenty-four hour support services, etc. You should select only that registrar who is giving you complete control over your domain. There are many registrars who hide some critical information from the customers and secure the rights to some very important settings in a domain such as changing the DNS servers, forwarding, masking, etc.

Brainstorm numerous names, and don't get your heart set on one particular name. In the event that the desired domain name under the TLD you wanted has already been taken, other options are available. Most domain registrars have an intelligent interface that will automatically check to see if the same name is available to register with a different TLD extension like (.net, .org, .biz, .us, .name, .ws, etc.), and offer you the option of registering your preferred name with one of those extensions instead. It is also recommended that name be short if possible. Leave out dashes, dots, things that may confuse customers and certainly does not aid with search engines. Also, give some consideration to purchasing several other similar domain names, based on your individual or business needs, in order to protect your name, your brand, and your identity on the internet. This often helps to prevent others from stealing the identity you have worked so hard to establish. The need to do this will vary depending on your website and its intended purpose.

What if I misspelled my domain when I registered it?

Please be careful when registering your domain and make sure your spelling is correct before you secure a purchase. Unfortunately, registrars are unable to change or edit the spelling of a domain once it has been registered. They try to register the domain exactly as you enter it in the search box. If the registration succeeds, then you are charged, even if the domain you entered was not the one you actually intended to type.

You do have the right of canceling the domain you registered so that it is no longer registered to you. However, canceling it will not entitle you to a refund of any part of your registration fee due to all the processes involved in registering it. Once you cancel the domain it is a permanent action and cannot be undone.