Business Domain Name Registration and Trademark Protection Domain name registration is an important step for any business. Almost all businesses need to be online even if only for PR. Sometimes we don’t have all the information in order to take a decision regarding a Domain Name.
What is a Domain Name?
- Your Domain Name is your property on the Internet. It is the name of your space on Internet.
- Every Domain Name contains two or more name components separated by periods.
- The last part of the address, (com, net, org, us, ca, uk), is called the “Top Level Domain”.
- The second part of the domain is what we call the “Second Level Domain”.
Examples of Second Level Domains are: com.uk, or on.ca. The Second Level Domains are a great way to organize geographically or functional the Domain Names, (on.ca for example is the SLD for Ontario – Canada).
Why do we need a domain name?
- A domain name is needed when you want to be present on the web. It is a way to translate your server’s address into a nice looking, easy to remember address.
- Marketing and PR are other two major reasons. You want to brand your Web Site and personalize it. A Domain Name is a great opportunity to do that.
- Search Engine ranking is another reason. There is been a lot of discussions on this subject and it seems that Search Engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. are taking in consideration the domain name of your website in their ranking algorithm and search results.
- Trademark protection is also important these days and if you don’t use a domain name with your company’s name someone else will use it, and reap off the benefits.
How to choose a good domain name?
- Use these guidelines when you are choosing your domain name:
- Choose a name as short as possible. It is easier for your visitors to remember a short name.
- It has to be related to your company name or to your products.
- What TLD, (Top Level Domain), should I choose? Try to stick with the original designation of the TLD. For example,.com is for commercial institutions,.org is for noncommercial organizations, etc…
How Many Years Should I register my Domain Name?
The longer you register your Domain Name the better. Some search engines give you some extra points in their rankings if you register for longer periods. That means you are serious and you plan to be there for a long time. If you register for 5 years you get a great discount, most of the registrars give you the best discount for 5 years. However, if you register for more than 10 years, your investment might become wasted; the technology changes fast and we don’t know what the Domain Name Space will look like in 15 years.
How to choose my Registrar?
- Your registrar is an important thing since you will have to deal with him a lot. The Registrar Market is constantly changing, however big registrars are the most likely to survive over time, which is critical for you as a domain name owner.
- The Domain Name administration is not an easy task and sometimes involves technical knowledge.
- Make sure you choose a good and established Registrar that offers you most of the features possible.
- Good technical support is another key element.
- Cost is probably one of the most important elements for many of us especially if it’s a starter website. But don’t try to go too cheap, because you will end up by paying more.