pwsdb Domain Names

Domain Name Selection Tips

What is a domain name?

Domain name is a human readable and memorable representation of an IP address. Internet is a network of computers connected together and capable of communicating to each other using a network protocol called TCP/IP. In order for the machines to identify themselves, these machines are assigned a numeric value called an IP address (ex: 123.12.123.12). As it is not possible to remember all those numbers for all the different sites, a distributed domain name table was introduced. Now, when some one types in a domain name like www.joe-j-jones.net, the browser communicates with a root domain name server that acts as a dictionary and provides the IP address, like 123.12.123.12 to the requesting browser. Then the browser can use that IP to communicate to the website.

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 23 (63) total characters, not including the domain extension. To be practical, keep them as short and easy to remember as possible.

.com, .net and .org domain names exceeding a total of 26 characters are supported by most web browsers. However, certain web browsers, email programs and other Internet related applications may not support domain names over 26 characters.
Additionally, many new international extension do not support over 26 characters
( ex: 23+ .com ). ( see below )

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.

Try to register the .com version of your name first (even if it is not what you will use directly). 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 you might consider using .net, .org (for noncommercial), .us, info, .biz, or .name (or ... find a name where .com is available as well as the extension that you want - so that they will end up at your site either way).

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, Carlton's Sporting Goods might choose www.carltons-sports.com or www.carltons.com. ( If you can get it both spelled out and abbreviated, it will be wise to do that) )

Choose a domain that is easy to say, 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, if they make your domain name harder to type and recall. You don't want to lose potential customers because your domain name is difficult. Test out potential names with friends before making your final selection.

Thoughts from another source:
Punctuation in Domain Names: The only punctuation mark allowed is the dash. However, when a dash is used it creates a whole new Domain Name. If you have a multiple word Domain Name, you should consider registering it with a dash and without a dash. Search engines recognize the dash as a separator of words and are more likely to find your web site. Be advised that some people are not used to the hyphen in Domain Names or just don't like it. We suggest that you register two Domain Name addresses that contains two or more words, one with hyphens and one without. Use one in your advertising and promotions and "point" the other one (all others) to it.

Need Help in Thinking up a Name? Some web sites are great resources for thinking up good Domain Names and checking availability. They contain excellent name generating tools which automatically add on applicable prefixes and suffixes or re-arrange the word(s) that you provide and list the applicable Domain Names and whether they are available or not. For those wishing to create a Brand Name Identity for commercial purposes we suggest you contact www.LogoWorks.com .

You may want to consider securing similar-looking names that contain alternate spellings of your name or common typos. For example, Carlton's Sporting Goods, might register additional domains like www.carltonSportingGoods.com, www.carltons-sporting-goods.com, www.CSGinc.com, and so on.

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.

.gov represents the word "government," and is an unrestricted global domain name extension that is primarily used for national, state, and local goverment sites.

.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.

(from "registry.com":)

The following is a list of rules of each registry. Please note that this list may not be a complete list and that each registry may adopt additional rules from time to time. Domain Names have a variety of basic rules:

GENERAL EXTENSIONS

* .com, .net and .org domain names exceeding a total of 26 characters are supported by most web browsers. However, certain web browsers, email programs and other Internet related applications may not support domain names over 26 characters.

Country-Specific Extensions

.AC and .SH Domain Names

.SH - St. Helena, to be used for both commercial and personal sites
.AC - Ascension Island, to be used for both commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have at least 3 characters, but less than 23, not including .AC and .SH
.AS Domain Names

.AS - American Samoa, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have at least 3 characters, but less than 23, not including .AS
.BE Domain Names

.BE - Belgium, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have at least 2 characters, not including .BE
.CA Domain Names

.CA registrants must meet Canadian presence requirements as defined by CIRA (Canadian Internet Registration Authority)
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Length. Domain names must be between 2 and 50 characters long.
.CC Domain Names

.CC - Cocos (Keeling) Islands, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Cannot contain all numbers
Must have at least 3 characters, but less than 47, not including .CC
.CO.IL and ORG.IL Domain Names

.CO.IL - Israel, to be used for commercial and personal sites
.ORG.IL - Israel, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have between 3 and 62 characters, not including .IL
No more than 10 domain names may be registered by any individual or organization.
.CO.UK and .ORG.UK Domain Names

.CO.UK - United Kingdom TLD used for both commercial and personal sites
.ORG.UK - United Kingdom TLD used for both commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have at least 3 characters, but less than 23, not including .CO.UK and .ORG.UK
.DE Domain Names

.DE - Germany, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have at least 3 characters, but less than 64, not including .DE
.DK Domain Names

.DK - Denmark, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have less than 23 characters, not including .DK
.FM Domain Names

.FM - Micronesia, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have less than 23 characters, not including .FM
.JP Domain Names

.JP - Japan, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have at least 3 characters, but less than 63, not including .jp
.KZ Domain Names

.KZ - Kazakstan, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have less than 23 characters, not including .KZ
.LT Domain Names

.LT - Lithuania, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have at least 3 characters, but less than 23, not including .LT
.MS, .VG, .TC, .GS and .TF Domain Names

.MS - Montserrat, to be used for both commercial and personal sites
.VG - British Virgin Islands, to be used for both commercial and personal sites
.TC - Turks and Caicos Islands, to be used for both commercial and personal sites
.GS - South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, to be used for both commercial and personal sites
.TF - French Southern Territories, to be used for both commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have less than 23 characters, not including .MS, .VG, .TC, .GS and .TF
.NZ Domain Names

.CO.NZ - New Zealand, intended organizations pursuing commercial aims & purposes
.NET.NZ - New Zealand, intended organizations or services providers related to the NZ internet
.ORG.NZ - New Zealand, intended for non-profit organizations
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have less than 23 characters, not including .CO.NZ, .ORG.NZ, and .NET.NZ
.PH Domain Names

.PH and .COM.PH - Philippines, to be used for commercial and personal sites.
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have as few as three and as many as 62 characters, not including .com.ph or .ph
.RO Domain Names

.RO, .COM.RO - Romania, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have less than 23 characters, not including .RO
.ST(SiTe) Domain Names

.ST(SiTe) - São Tomé and Principe, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have as few as one and as many as 23 characters, not including .ST
.TO Domain Names

.TO - Tonga, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have less than 23 characters, not including .TO
.TV Domain Names

.TV - Tuvalu, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have less than 63 characters, not including .TV
.US Domain Names

.US - to be used by U.S. citizens and residents, U.S. corporations and other U.S. organizations and organizations with a presence within the United States
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Domain names cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Domain names must be longer than 2 characters and cannot exceed 63 characters (this does not include the extension)
.WS Domain Names

.WS - WebSite, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
.WS domains registered through Register.com must have as few as four and as many as 63 characters, not including the .WS extension
.ZA Domain Names

.CO.ZA - South Africa, to be used for commercial and personal sites
Use only letters, numbers, or hyphen ("-")
Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
Must have less than 23 characters, not including .ZA