Register Domain Names
Register Domain Names
In order to own a domain name of your choice, you need to go through the purchasing and registration process to ensure that you are the sole owner of the domain concerned. Many web hosting providers are now offering the facilities to register domain names meaning that you needn’t use a separate domain registrar in order to register domain names for yourself or your business. In most cases, the process of registering a domain name is quite simple since all you have to do is provide your contact details from the domain’s whois information then pay for the domain – in most cases it is registered instantly, although this may not always be the case with some web hosting providers that register domain names or domain registrars. Many individuals and businesses are now registering domain names of their choice since it allows them to start up their own websites, and in the case of businesses they can then expand their corporate profile to include an e-commerce website if desired. One of the main things which ahs attracted many to register domain names is the fact that ‘good’ domains which contain certain keywords are of greater value than their registration price, meaning that some have seen this as an opportunity to register domain names then cash in on them at a later date.
Domains are normally purchased under a specific TLD, meaning that you can register domain names for an international audience or for a website aimed at a smaller, more local audience. Each country has its own specific TLD which domains can be registered under, for example the TLD for UK domains is ‘.uk’ whilst it has its own sub-TLDs including ‘.co.uk’ and ‘.org.uk’; web hosts also allow you to register domain names on an international level using TLDs such as ‘.com’ and ‘.net’. However, if you live in one country and are interested in running a website aimed at an audience based in another country, you may have trouble when you want to register domain names of that specific TLD because of rules imposed by the governing body of the TLD concerned. The TLD which you choose to register domain names under can affect the domain in certain ways, for example the minimum time that you are allowed to register domain names for can vary under different TLDs. Other factors that can be affected by registering domain names under a particular TLD also include how and where you are allowed to transfer your domain, as well as the nameservers that you are permitted to use on your registered domain name.
Some web hosting providers are providing a free domain name with their web hosting packages which eradicates the need for you to pay a fee to register domain names. Because of this, more and more web hosting providers now allow you to register domain names whereas before it was down to third party domain registrars to provide you with the service to register domain names. Although having a separate entity to provide you with the facilities to register domains can be of benefit support wise, having domain names and web hosting under one entity makes it easier for both management and for when they want to register domain names or purchase a web hosting package. Web hosting providers normally sell their domains using a domain reseller, since the fees of becoming ICANN accredited are just too great for many of the smaller web hosting providers; this means that the fees which web hosting providers charge to register domain names may be greater than that which is charged by ICANN accredited domain registars for example.
In order to be able to host a website under any domains that you wish to register, you require a web hosting package from a web hosting provider. In most cases, you only need to purchase the web hosting package of your choice since you are normally provided with the facility to register domain names of your choice for free – in most cases this number is normally 1 or 2. Web hosting providers can now allow you to register domain names with them, meaning that you can consolidate all your web hosting accounts and domain names that you have registered into one account to allow easier management; it should also be noted that many domain registrars are now offering web hosting services when you register domain names with them. Web hosting accounts provide you with an opportunity to host a website under domains that you register, meaning that you can make use of them instead of leaving them to do nothing. A web hosting package doesn’t always have to be about the hosting of a website, you can also make use of it to create email accounts out of registered domain names that you have in your web hosting or domain registrar account.
Web hosting for registered domain names can come in the form of Linux web hosting or Windows web hosting, meaning that finding a web hosting package that is suitable for your domain and is able to meet your requirements isn’t a hard task. Linux web hosting is based on many open source programs, mainly because Linux itself is an open source operating system; this means that Linux web hosting is ideal for those who wish to host a website that has been designed using the PHP scripting language with a MySQL database backend, for example. Windows web hosting for registered domains on the other hand can come at a premium; this is because Windows web hosting providers have to pay licensing fees for a majority of the software available for Windows web hosts. Windows web hosting is normally aimed towards those who wish to host websites that have been coded with classic ASP or ASP.NET for a Microsoft SQL Server database backend, for exmaple. When you register domain names, you are normally provided with the option to choose between Linux or Windows web hosting; you should also find that you can host any domain on a Linux or Windows web hosting package, regardless of the TLD of the domain concerned.
If you register domain names or purchase a web hosting package to go with a registered domain name, you will find that you are provided with access to a control panel of some form or another so that you can take control of your domain name or web hosting account. Domain registrars and web hosts typically use their own in house control panel to allow customers to manage their registered domain names, meanwhile they normally use third party control panels to provide web hosting services to those who require them. For Linux web hosting, web hosting providers tend to use the highly popular cPanel control panel to allow customers to manage their hosting accounts; cPanel is designed especially for Linux web hosting, meaning that it allows users to manage the many different aspects of their Linux web hosting account – from the configuration of Apache to the management of MySQL databases. Windows web hosting on the other hand is normally based on the Plesk control panel, meaning that you can use this user friendly control panel to manage the Windows hosting account for your registered domain. Plesk is especially aimed towards Windows web hosting since it contains advanced tools for the management of the ASP.NET configuration under your hosting account.
If it is your first time registering a domain name, you should find a web hosting provider or domain registrar that is able to provide you with support during the domain registration process so that you can register the domain you want, and also to ensure that you are able to register domain names with ease in the future. If you choose to purchase a web hosting package when you register domain names, then typically you will be able to receive full support for both the web hosting plan and the domain name meaning that you should be more than able to get started with your web hosting package, even if you feel that you don’t have the appropriate amount of knowledge to do so. Web hosting companies that allow domain name registration normally have experienced support teams, as do domain registrars; you will probably find that the support teams of domain registrars are generally more knowledgeable with domain name support, since domain name registration is their main business where as web hosting providers tend to focus more on the webhosting side of their business.
In conclusion, if you are new to domain name registration then you should find a domain registar or web hosting provider that is able to provide you with support when you register domain names. If you want to run a website or specific services under your domain name then you will probably find that you need to purchase a web hosting package from a top web hosting provider to meet your needs. Finding web hosting packages for your registered domain names isn’t hard, but finding one which meets your requirements and provides you with control panel access for management may be a bit harder.
