Precisely what is a domain name?

It is a very powerful tool for the millions of Internet users to locate your business on the World Wide Web. When conducting searches, potential visitors to your site will enter a keyword into a search engine which will then start looking for sites which have registered that keyword. It is essentially your Internet address and is a cost-effective way of obtaining your position in the world's fastest growing market. It is widely anticipated that the number of Internet users will double within the next 2 years. It may therefore be wise to register your domain sooner rather than later.

Your domain name not only acts as a portal for potential visitors but also provides the basis for your e-mail addresses.

As a company interested in obtaining an Internet identity you will require a registered domain name to make the hosting of your World Wide Web site possible and to provide an address for your Email traffic. Further, in this emerging industry it is useful to register a number of names pertinent to your company's business so that you may capture and indeed maximise the volume of web traffic to your site. Failure to do this may result in your having to reclaim a preferred name that has previously been registered but paying a third party for the privilege. Clearly it is vital that your business secures and maintains its market position on the Internet which currently remains an untapped market with seemingly limitless potential.

In order to fully protect your Internet identity it is desirable, though not essential, to register all versions of your principal name.

e.g.:

www.mycompany.com

www.mycompany.net

www.mycompany.co.uk

You may also wish to consider registering domain names to protect subsidiary companies and any products or services provided by your business. These names once registered can be utilised to redirect traffic to your chief site in lieu of a separate web site. Obviously the subsidiary web site can be brought on line at a later stage.

It is vital that any business wishing to trade on the Internet either now or in the future secures their domain name, given that in excess of 570,000 .co.uk domains have been registered in the first quarter of 2000 alone. It is worth noting that you do not have to have a web site to register your domain - "Easily" can hold your domain name until such time as you decide to develop your site.

Cost

Through our association with "Easily" registration fees are remarkably low. For example a .co.uk domain will cost just £10 for 2 years registration all inclusive, .coms and .nets costing £35 all inclusive with 2 years registration. All registrations through "Easily" are dealt with by NOMINET. This represents a tiny proportion of the potential cost and trouble involved in having to purchase your chosen name from a third party. Equally importantly, it guards against any possible litigation should the other party (perhaps a competitor or a "squatter") prove unwilling to release your name.

Simply use the "Easily" search tool free of charge to determine whether your name is available. If your name is unavailable please mail us and we will be happy to give you some pointers, again free of charge.

Registering your name

Assuming your name is available you will receive e-mail or postal confirmation of your order from "Easily" and you are then ready to start developing your site.

Note: always make your name easy to remember and comprised of as few letters or numbers as possible. This will make searches that much easier for potential customers!