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We can register your domain for you when processing
your website if required...
~ see standard fees
Hosting companies or website designers will ensure
complete support for your domain registration and hosting requirements, and
can assist you in checking availability of your
site name and specifics...
Selecting a domain name ~ help/tips for the
uninitiated...
Your domain name is your company's address on
the Web and is how customers find your business online. When you pick
your domain name, keep the following tips in mind:
Domain names can only use letters, numbers, and
hyphens ("-"). Spaces and other symbols are not allowed, and domains
cannot begin or end with a hyphen. Domain names are not case sensitive.
They can be between 2 and 63 total characters, not including the domain
extension.
People who do not know your domain name may try to
guess what it is based on your company name (e.g.
www.yourcompanyname.com), so it is in your interest to choose a domain
that is as close to your company name as possible. If your web site is
based around a specific brand or subset of your products, you may prefer
to choose a domain name based on that brand or product.
It also helps to try and keep your name 'keyword'
rich if possible, try not to use words that are hard to pronounce or
spell, and use everyday words not rare or slang wording.
Try to register the .com version of your name
first. When people look for your site on the web, they are likely to
first try your company name with the .com suffix. If .com is taken then
consider using .net, .org (for noncommercial), .us, info, or .biz. You
can have your .com rerouted to our .com.au site.
Keep your domain name short, but not too short.
Shorter names can be easier to remember, but only up to a point. Be
careful not to abbreviate your name so much that it becomes
unrecognizable. If you must use abbreviations, focus on the one or two
words in your company name that have the most impact, and work your
abbreviations around those words. For example, if you are a bakery based
in geelong you might choose www.geelongbakeries.com .au or www.geelongbakery.com.au
Choose a domain that is easy to say, maybe even
obvious, to understand, remember, and spell. For example, you may not
want to select www.scents.com because that could be confused with
www.cents.com or www.sense.com when said over the phone or radio. Also,
be careful with the use of hyphens and numbers, as they can make domain
names harder to type and recall. You don't want to lose potential
customers because your domain name is difficult to use. Test out
potential names with friends before making your final selection.
What Do .net, .org, .us, .biz, or .info mean?
When you select a domain name, you can choose from
several different extensions. These extensions can help indicate the
type of business or service you are providing online or your
geographical location. Different extensions may also have different
domain names available in inventory. For example, newer extensions such
as .biz may have more available names than the more mature .com
extension.
Here are definitions of the extensions you can
choose from:
.com represents the word "commercial," and
it is an unrestricted global domain name extension. Many businesses
prefer a .com domain name because it is a highly recognized symbol for
having a business presence on the Internet. But, the number of available
.com domain names is shrinking as more and more businesses go online.
.net represents the word "network," and is
an unrestricted global domain name extension most commonly used by
Internet service providers, Web-hosting companies, or other businesses
that are directly involved in the infrastructure of the Internet.
Additionally, some businesses choose domain names with a .net extension
for their intranet web sites.
.org represents the word "organization,"
and is an unrestricted global domain name extension that is primarily
used for non-commercial sites. However, many commercial entities
register the .org extensions corresponding to their .com domain names in
order to protect their brands.
.biz is a restricted-use global domain name
extension used for business web sites. As a relatively new type of
domain, .biz offers a company the opportunity to get the domain name it
really wants and enhance its presence on the Web with a domain name that
means business.
.info is an unrestricted domain name
extension that creates an opportunity to reach a worldwide audience with
information about your business and ideas. .info is growing in
popularity, but still has many great names available.
.us is a restricted-use country code that
may be used by any individual or organization with residence in the US
or its territories, including foreign organizations that do business in
the US.
Others per country or as new tld's become
available...
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