Domain Registering

How does domain registering work?
Lets say I buy a domain from godaddy.com for about $5. Let's say the domain is: yahoo-answers.info When I type in 'yahoo-answers.info' how does it know where to take me? How does GoDaddy put the domain on the internet? If I were to go somewhere else with my domain, I could transfer it and it would still work. o how is that? Why can't you register yourself a domain. How could you start a web hosting business and sell domains to people?

Domain names are registered in a database using domain name servers, or dns for short. Basically there is a load of servers which contain the url of the server where that specific domain is hosted. Once it gets to that server, it double checks it's domains table to see if that domain is hosted there, and if so loads the files that are hosted under that domain name. When you transfer a domain name, you usually update the dns records for that domain, which in turn causes the initial records to be updated with the new IP address of where that name server is located. Then the checks resume from there whensomeone tries to access the site. Domain name transfers normally take up to 7 days to fully update on all name servers. Domains, such as .com and .co.uk are registered by domain name registrars (which is where the initial check takes place). For example, the registrar for .co.uk domains is Nominet. They hold the records about that domain name and all other .co.uk domains and it redirects each link to the appropriate server once someone tries to access that site. If you wish to sell domain names to people, there are several reseller programs out there that you can join. The majority of them are subscription services (you have to pay to join), but there are some free ones out there if you are willing to take the time to look for them.

Domain registering and paid web hosting - what do I have to do?
I want to register a .net domain and sign up for paid web hosting ~ but I have no idea what I have to do. If I register the domain with one company and purchase the hosting from another company, how do I make the domain refer to the index page of the server? I worked only with free hosting until now and I feel like a n00b >.< Help will be much appreciated.

for domains, .com domains are much better than .net domains. So go for .com domains instead of .net. There are many good webhosting sites. Visit http://www.nicewebhosts.com there you will find best web hosting providers compared with their webspace and bandwidth as well as their prices. Hope you find the right one.

What is the difference between domain registering and hosting?
I need to get a website up for my church again. I used Yahoo to build my site, but I want to go to a different service becasue I can't my new payment information in their systems (it keeps giving me this temporary error message) and their customer service makes me wait hours on the phone. If I buy a domain from GoDaddy.com for a year, does that mean I log into their website and upload pages to my website? Or do I have to find yet another service to host my site? I am a bit confused. I just want to buy the .com for a year, and log in and upload my site, etc.

As an experienced webmaster I recommend take a look at: http://bluehost-service.atspace.com I’m sure it would work for you and fulfill all your requirements. If you had any question just email me.

Is there a difference between buying and registering domain names?
You can go to dozens of sites and register a domain for $5-25/year, but I've seen auctions for $500+ k domains. Is this just a fee for transfering the registration? When you 'buy' a domain, is it yours forever until you sell it? Who exactly are you 'registering' a domain with? I'm sure the for profit companies like GoDaddy aren't regulatory bodies, so when you register it... where does that go? Does anyone here _know_ the answers? Or know where I can find them? Thanks in advance.

Buying and registering are for all intents and purposes the same thing. -- You can't buy it unless it's registered in your name. You can't register it in your name unless you've paid for it. The regulatory body is: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) http://www.icann.org/ From their ABOUT page: http://www.icann.org/about/ ICANN was formed in 1998. It is a not-for-profit partnership of people from all over the world dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable. It promotes competition and develops policy on the Internet’s unique identifiers. So GoDaddy is basically a middle man. Go Daddy and Other hosting company's are merely charging you a nominal fee to process your request, and file it with ICANN. I think ICANN only charges like $2 for a domain. Once you register a domain, you have to pay a yearly fee to KEEP it in your name. If you let the name lapse.. someone else could come along and snatch it from under you...and then you might have to pay them whatever they want to get it back. Lukily, you can pay for multiple years in advance, usually at a discount. The $500+ cost you see is when a private company or party already owns a particular domain name and is offering it for sale. -- The seller can charge whatever they want to transfer it it into your name. The more desireable the name.. the more money they will charge. Think about it.. if someone was smart enough to buy "www.walmart.com" and hold onto it for years.. I bet Walmart would pay them $100,00.00 for that name, to make it easier for shoppers to find their site. This has led to the practice of "domain speculation" similar to Real Estate Investors buying a house or land on speculation that it will become valueable in the future. (like on the edge of town or in a new area where a shopping mall might be put) This is also sometimes called "Domain Name Camping" because the speculator essentially buys the domain and then sits on it (camps)..'til someone makes them an offer, with no intention of building a REAL website with it. I've even seen sites where all it is a page which says.. "This domain is for sale, please contact ___ if you are interested" As with anything in business... there have been legal battles of Company names and Trademarks. Can Pepsi register Cokea.com and create a webpage about Pepsi or an anti-Coke page?

How does registering a domain for 5-10 year increments boost site ranking?
He's the statement: "Registering your domain for 5-10 year increments also helps your search engine ranking by setting your site apart from spammers, who typically only register for a year at a time." So how does the search engine know?

Search engines simply perform a WHOIS search. Try it yourself... http://www.networksolutions.com/whois-search/yahoo.com

What features should you look for when registering a domain name?
I would like to register a domain name, but I don't have a clue how to compare the registrars.

You can't go wrong with GoDaddy.com! The price is right, the service is excellent and the interface is easy to use. I've used them for years and they're the only company I recommend to clients, friends and family. They also offer bolt-on features such as email and web hosting for those looking to get started quickly.

Why is there a delay after Registering a Domain Name?
I registered a domain and have been informed it will take up to 3 days for it to become available. What causes this delay? Is there any way around it?

Don't worry,some domain registrants are instant, and some takes some time. By the way which webhosting company you are using. I am using hostmonster webhosting for my e-commerce website http://www.hostmonster.com/track/hostmonsterwebhosting/

Registering more then one domain for on site.?
I have heard that it is a good business idea to register multiple domains. Registering and using multiple domains names is great for building your business and can help you create a dynamic online identity. So how do I go about it? Do I have the same content registered to those names? In other words you will see the exact site with those different URL's?

I'm not quite sure what you are asking, but yes, it can be good to register several domain names, especially if yours can be confused with another. A good example is with my own website, www.printedproducts.com. When I registered this name, I was shortsighted and didn't register any other names. Now, someone else has come along and registered my name with the .net, .biz, and .org extensions, as well as printedproduct.com. with all the extensions. So, if someone doesn't ad the "s", or use the correct extension they won't get to my site. Oh well, you live and learn. You can point each domain name to the same website, buyt using the domain forwarding function offered through your registrar. That way, you only have to create a website once. You can have literaly thousands of domains, all pointing to the same webpage. Good Luck, Michael

How long does it take after registering my domain name to sell it?
I really need to know after registering my domain name lets say today can i sell today or tomorrow?

It all depends on the demand for that domain name. I'm sure no one would want to spend extra money to purchase a domain name like, "www.blahlbah1234jsnda.com", from you. You are talking about registering a domain name and then selling it, correct?

can i stop an affiliate using a similar domain as mine by registering a domain trademark?
the affiliate is using the exact same domain name as me, except he has put in a dash ie - between the two words of the domain. he is selling my product. if i decided to register the trademark, could i have a claim against him?

Yes you probably could unless your domain name is very generic ... BUT ... you should trademark your domain anyway. I'd be more concerned about competitors getting similar domain names in the hopes of scooping some of your potential clients. As for your affiliate ... you could simply threaten to cancel his affiliate status unless he stops using the domain name. Most affiliate programs have specific guidelines regarding this problem as well as which keywords can be bid on for Google adwords, yahoo publishers network etc.