Domain Name Registration Service Web Site Complete Domain

Is There A Good Reason Not To Register A Domain Name?

As we mentioned in the Overview, a Domain Name registration service can cost as little as £10 and is the first step to owning a Web site, complete with Domain. If Email is all you want, then it does not, necessarily, mean you have to design a Website.

Registering and setting up a Domain Name can take as little as thirty minutes and be up-and-running the very next day. If you are considering purchasing a Website at the same time, then most Web Designers include the cost of registering a Domain Name in their costs. In which case, save yourself some money by letting them do the work for you. Why pay twice?

Is Distance A Factor?

Since, there are literally thousands of companies on the Internet where you can register a Domain Name and they all offer more or less the same service, in most cases, we would advise choosing a supplier based in your own country. Although, in theory it shouldn't make any difference, issues such as time zones and cultural differences may become a factor later on in your relationship.

However, as in our case, if suppliers offer good communication channels and seem approachable, then there are no reasons why they should not be able to offer a first class service.

There is no need to narrow your choice further by limiting it to suppliers within xx amount of miles from your business. Do not choose a supplier who requires you to purchase a Hosting Plan at the same time. Apart from limiting your options, it is not necessary.

Choosing A Domain Name

When chosing a Domain Name, you, inadvertently, begin the process of optimising your Website for Search Engines. If you are not particularly bothered about having a Web address that reflects your company name, then you may want to consider registering a Domain Name that incorporates keywords relevant to your industry.

Optimising Your Domain Name

For example, if you are an Accountant in London, your Domain could be www.accountant-london.co.uk. When someone enters the search phrase "accountant london", Search Engines may give points for having the keywords in your Domain Name. The hyphen tells the Search Engine it is two different words.

Generally, the shorter the Domain Name is, the easier it is to remember. Very important if most of your business is via referrals. If your Domain Name is not keyword optimised, then there is no need to separate the words i.e. theholtpartnership is easier for someone to remember than the-holt-partnership.

What Should You Get As A Minimum With Your Domain Name

When registering a Domain Name, make sure you become the legal owner. Some Web Design companies retain legal ownership of Domain Names. It is unnecessary and is an attempt to tie you to their services.

Also, make sure your Domain Name is the only address shown in the URL and not prefixed with your Hosting Company name i.e. it should read www.yourcompanyname.co.uk and not www.yourcompany name.theirname.co.uk etc. In this scenario, there is not much point purchasing a Domain Name.

Free One Page Website

When purchasing a Domain Name, most suppliers will give you free Email forwarding and access to an Administration panel. This allows you to send and receive Emails with your new Domain Name. In our case, we also save clients the expense of purchasing Hosting, by giving them the opportunity to upload a free, one page Website to the Internet.

Keeping It Simple

If you want to keep your existing Email set-up simple, then you can redirect all Emails addressed to www.yourcompanyname.co.uk to your existing Email address. To use your new address in outgoing Email, all you have to do is change the Email Address and Reply address on your Email client i.e. Outlook Express. This only takes a matter of seconds to achieve.

If You Want To Change Your Hosting Supplier

Most Hosting suppliers make it very simple for you to move your Domain Name to someone else and there should be no penalties for doing so. It only takes them a matter of minutes and can be actioned by you requesting something called, an IPSTAG transfer.

Basically, your current supplier has their own tag i.e. COMPANYONE registered against your Domain Name. When you make an IPS Tag transfer request, your new supplier (company two) will give you their TAG details i.e. COMPANYTWO to give to company one. Once the TAG is changed (allow 24-36 hours for change to filter through), your new supplier will be responsible for your Domain Name.

In Summary

If you are considering purchasing a Website and registering a Domain Name at the same time, we recommend you leave the registration process to your Web Designer. It should be part of their development process and the costs will be part of their standard service.

If you already own a Domain Name or are in the process of choosing a Web Designer to build your Website, then let them deal with the IPS TAG Transfer. It should be part of their standard service.

All Hosting Companies purchase Domain Names at approximately the same cost, therefore, there is no reason to pay inflated prices. For example, we charge £8.50 (plus VAT, where applicable) for a .co.uk Domain Name for two years. At the end of this period, you can renew your Domain Name for the annual charge of £8.50 (plus VAT, where applicable)(this is standard with all suppliers).

To check if your Domain Name is available, please enter the name in the box provided at the top of this page. If you require a Domain Name but do not feel comfortable with the registration process, then we can create a Domain Name for you and help configure your Email Client.

Check Out Our Other Web Design Services

If you are thinking of registering or hosting a new Website, then why not check out our Domain Registration and Affordable Web Site Hosting Plan services. New Domain Registrations are as low as £4.25 and come with a free, one page Website. Compare this to over £100, charged by many other traditional Web Design firms. Achieve better results in Search Engines by using our Website Marketing & Optimization services.