Your first step in developing your presence on the Internet is to choose and register a domain name. A domain name is a uniquely indentifiable name registered on the Internet, that directs people to your website. A domain name takes the form of spherious.com or google.com.
There are some rules to what characters can be included in a domain name:
- It can only include letters, numbers and hyphens.
- It cannot start or end with a hyphen.
- It can be up to 67 characters in length, including the extension.
It is important that you register a domain name as soon as you have an idea. Hundreds of domain names are registered and reregistered daily.
How do I check if my Domain Name is available?
You can use a domain name search to see if the domain you're after is still available. You can check right now using the Connected Hosting Domain System.
How much does a Domain Name cost?
Domain names were typically sold for $70 (per year) until recently. Deregulation in the registration system has meant that they are now available much cheaper. Domain names must be reregistered every year, you can usually prepay several years in advance. You can register a domain name through Connected Hosting for around $26 on the Domain Registration page.
Once a domain name has been registered, a website needs to be developed and a web host found.
