Wiley Website Design and Development: 100 Questions to Ask Before Building a Website
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1. Some people say it s better to keep your domain name as short as possible Aside from the fact that many shorter names have already been snapped up the length of the domain is not as important as its 1 HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF A GOOD DOMAIN NAME FOR YOUR WEBSITE memorability If your company name is four words long it will be easy to remember a domain name that matches those four words exactly You can also help visitors remember a longer name by capitalizing words in print Heal thWiseFitnessEquipment com or using different colors for the parts of the name If You Don t Have an Offline Name For some businesses deciding on a company name is one and the same with choosing a domain name In most situations it s best to find a name that describes what you do If your business is fitness equipment try to get those terms in the domain name It s also possible to choose an unrelated but catchy or distinctive name Take the thousands of social media startup companies on the Internet for example with names such as Squidoo Ning and Reddit They re trying to follow in the footsteps of online giants such as Ama zon and Google which have shown that an unusual domain name can be turned into a household word with a lot of hard work and heavy marketing Before finishing your list you need to consider whether it would be good to have multiple domain names for your website the topic of the next question Registering vs2. Owning You often see domains written as www mydomain com but the www is not actually part of the domain name Increasingly you ll see URL s without the www but check with your host to see if your account is configured to accept either version If it s not and you leave off the www your site won t come up 2 Do you need multiple domain names Page 4 gt 3 How much should you pay for a domain Page 6 Action Item Draw up alist of as many good primary domain names as you can think of and rank them in order of desirability You want to be sure to have plenty of alternatives if the ones you really want aren t available Importance You need to make sure that you correctly point additional domain names at your website There can be negative consequences when dealing with search engines unless you do it right which involves creating what s called a 301 redirect What this redirect tells search en gines is that the web site has permanently moved from one do main name to another For detailed instruc tions try the search phrase Qy redirect multiple domains 301 The part of the domain that comes after the very last dot mydomain com mydomain co uk is called the root or top level domain TLD extension There are two common types generic gTLDs such as com org and biz and country code ccTLDs SuchiaS Uk Eea alle tv anel aco CHAPTER 1 DOMAIN NAMES 2 Do You
3. ofa domain name is determined by two variables the base price set by the agencies that control the various domain name exten sions com us tv and so on and the markup charged by domain name registrars That s why you see such a variation in the prices charged by a single registrar for different domain extensions as shown in Figure 1 1 enet org xtv com only 9 25 yr only 9 25 yr onby 30 95 only 9 25 yr US opro only 9 25 yr only 9 25 yr only 22 95 yr only 9 95 yr FIGURE 1 1 On top of that different registrars might offer radically different prices for the same domain extension by creating special offers for instance if you transfer over from another registrar or host your web site through the registrar Figure 1 2 shows different prices for a com domain DOMAINS for just 1 99 first year TELS lak with a new non domain purchase _ i E a 14 95 Domai I REGISTRATION AND TRANSFER 49 OVER 5441 IN 8 amp LOWER FREE EXTRAS TRANSFER a ee enter a domain com d DOMAIN transfer 19 my MyDo Just 1 99 Only go LILIM IL ICIC FIGURE 1 2 3 HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU PAY FOR A DOMAIN You can also get an existing domain name by agreeing to pay the current registrant to transfer the registration to you Many registrars offer domain name brokering services to facilitate these kinds of trans actions or some will run domain name auctions The cost of registering a domain name
4. start the transfer If youre not listed as the registrant and the existing registrant won t give you the login information or do a transfer start by contacting the registrar with proof that you hired that company or person to register the domain name on your behalf After that there are varying types of dispute resolution depending on the agency overseeing the TLD 4 Do you know what makes a good domain registrar Page 9 gt 96 Will you routinely check your contact information Page 282 gt 98 Will your site administration be securely accessed Page 288 Action Items If you don t have a domain name yet registration is very easy to do yourself You can get some one to help you later with correctly pointing the domain at the server and then change the password when they re done If someone else is going to register your domain for you clarify in whose name it s being regis tered Make sure it s yours Also make sure they re paying a good price If you already have a domain name registered but didn t do it yourself check who is listed as the registrant
5. this way is completely a matter of what you re willing to pay the current registrant it can be a couple of hundred dollars or a couple of thousand or more Figure 1 3 shows an example of a domains for sale page FitnessSet net Health Fitness Wid rk Pee Healt Fitness Way net Health Fitness Running con Health Fitness Part com Health Fitness Position corn Health Fitness Heads com Flealth Fitness Point net Health Fitness Points comi Health fitnesscall com Health eels e eje eje elele Fitness First nmet Health FIGURE 1 3 These are some of the reasons why it s impossible to say what you should pay for any particular domain name but here are a couple of rules of thumb for you to follow Rule of Thumb Do not pay more than 12 per year for a new com domain subject to fee changes from ICANN the governing body You can get com names for less but usually because you have to buy some other product or buy in bulk or transfer from another registrar and so on The point is you don t have pay more than 12 to get a com with no strings attached from good quality registrars Rule of Thumb Expect to pay more for specialty TLDs such as tv CO pro Sometimes you ll see offers of a free domain but remember that you re paying for the domain somehow usually by committing to a hosting contract for a period of time Always read the fine print to understand the terms F
6. Domain Names 1 Have you thought of a good domain name for your website 2 Do you need multiple domain names 3 How much should you pay for a domain 4 Do you know what makes a good domain registrar 5 Who will register your domain and in whose name Importance You cannot own a do main name Domain registrants are given exclusive right to use a domain name for a cer tain period This right is managed through regu latory agencies such as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ICANN the international agency that oversees generic non country domain names SUCK ee ean OF Org for periods of up to 10 years You ll hear of peo ple selling their domain name but what they re really doing is transfer ring their right to use the domain for a fee On Video Watch how to use an online domain search tool to brainstorm al ternative versions of a domain name There s a lot to con sider when choosing a domain name but don t take too long deciding People have checked a domain s availability in the evening only to find that it s been taken by morning CHAPTER 1 DOMAIN NAMES 1 Have You Thought of a Good Domain Name for Your Website Choosing a domain name is a key step in developing your website Aside from being part of your branding a domain name is one of the most common ways people will find you on the Internet That s why a domain name needs to be memorab
7. Need Multiple Domain Names Every website should have only one domain name by which it s known but there are all sorts of reasons to have additional domain names pointing to that site Here are a few gt Common misspellings Suppose that your name is Healthwize it would make sense to get an additional domain name with the spelling Healthwise because most people will enter it that way out of habit Common variations If you use a number in your primary domain health2you you should register an additional domain name with the literal spelling healthtoyou Doing business in multiple countries A British company might have a domain name with the country top level domain uk but also have the domain name with com Keep in mind that most country domain regulators require a legal presence to register their domains Block competing domains Someone else might register the same domain with a different extension You can prevent this by registering the com net and org versions of your domain name for example Special promotional domain names Suppose that you develop a fitness calculator on your Healthwise fitness website It might be worth registering a domain such as takethefitnesschal lenge comand point it at that page on your site Although most new domain names are not expensive having a lot of domain names can add up so you ll need to weigh how important some of these variations are
8. ay to tell registrars apart is by the other services they offer These services break down into two broad categories gt Domain management How easy is it for you to manage your domains update information organize multiple domains and so on gt Add on functions Does the registrar offer services such as auto renewal or free e mail accounts If you have only one domain the quality of a registrar s domain management interface might not be all that important But if you have more than one you ll appreciate being able to easily tell the status of all your domains organize them into groups sort them in various ways quickly manage where the domains are pointing and so on Figure 1 4 shows an example of a good domain manager layout The other important part of a domain management system is the help function You deal with domain names once and then maybe not again for another year or more Without a good help system it can be difficult to remember what you should be doing Contextual popup help screens are good but video tutorials are even better registered dns hosted expiring expired redemption folders search ESE sarino wih Ifregisterea i search PE CC 8 24 2010 6 4 2011 5 27 2011 2 10 2011 5 10 2011 8 11 2010 10 6 2010 PEREA E i FIGURE 1 4 Importance Registrars vs Hosts It s easy to think these two are one and the same because so many registrars offer web hostin
9. d be listed as the registrant Use your mailing information your e mail address and so on The registrant is the one who controls the domain name There are three other contacts for a domain name administrative technical and billing Usually all four contacts are the same but it can be useful to have the person or company helping you listed as the technical contact That way they have authority to talk to the registrar if there are technical issues to be resolved The key is that you be listed as the registrant Of all the information listed for you as registrant the most impor tant is your e mail address It s used for a number of crucial tasks Notifying you of the domain s expiration date gt Sending approval requests should you want to transfer to another domain registrar Sending password information should you ever lose your password Once the domain name has been configured so that it s pointing to your server and your website is functional you should change the pass word for the domain manager You can always supply the designer or company with this new information should they later need to help you with the domain name What you don t want is to discover a year later that some former employee still has access to your domain and goes in and changes the registrant e mail and password thereby taking control of the domain If you ve had a domain name registered but you don t have any of the login info
10. g and so many web hosting providers offer domain names But there is absolutely no requirement that you have your domain names registered through the company that hosts your website or vice versa Registering domains and hosting websites are two distinct functions If you discover a do main registrar with bet ter pricing or services you can transfer your domain to that other registrar at any time Your existing registrar should not charge any fee for this but the new registrar will charge you for an additional year of registration which you would have spent anyway 10 CHAPTER 1 DOMAIN NAMES When you re checking out domain registrars look for a demo of the On Video For a detailed view of a domain management interface on their websites a live demo that you can try out or at the very least a video demo If there s nothing there Sem IA NNa I SevieIN you can always call their sales department and request a tour Remem interface l ve created a Asters E ber you can get good quality management tools and very low domain prices so don t just settle for low prices It s also useful for domain registrars to offer add on functions that make your life easier Here s a checklist in order of what I think is most Use one domain regis important trar for all your domains E a gt Frequent renewal notices Receive at least 60 30 15 and 7 days three or more registrars before a domain expi
11. how likely misspellings might be how much competition there is and whether people in a certain country care if they re going to a domain with their country s extension 2 DO YOU NEED MULTIPLE DOMAIN NAMES As more top level domain TLD extensions are added or country codes are opened to general use there can be a lot of hype about the need to register your domain name with a particular extension to pre vent competitors from snapping it up Sometimes that s all it is hype But ifa TLD extension does take off and come close to com in popular ity you d hate to miss out The best bet is to keep an eye out for which TLD extensions are actually being used how many info domains you see for example after being available for several years now Or if the price isn t much more than a regular domain it might be worth registering on a year by year basis to see where the extension goes Related Questions gt 1 Have you thought of a good domain name for your website Page 2 3 How much should you pay for a domain Page 6 Action Item gt The most important type of additional domain name is the kind that visitors might easily mis type So brainstorm some possible ways they can get it wrong You can also do some testing by telling friends the proper domain name over the phone and asking them to write it out CHAPTER 1 Importance DOMAIN NAMES 3 How Much Should You Pay for a Domain The price
12. le by matching or relating to an existing name or by simply being catchy and unique If You Have an Existing Offline Name If you already have an established name you ll want your domain name to be the same or very close to it If your company name is Healthwise Fitness Equipment the top of your list will be healthwise fitnessequipment com Even if youre commonly known as Healthwise Fitness it would be better to have the word equipment in the domain because it will help the search engines distinguish you from fitness clubs or other businesses that use the name Healthwise Fitness In case you can t get the full name you want have some variations prepared For Healthwise Fitness Equipment healthwiseequi pment com would be a good alternative It retains the key part of your brand name as well as the search engine friendly term equipment The word health should be enough to keep you from being confused with a construction equipment company Another alternative is to place dashes between each word healthwise fitness equipment com Keep in mind however that communicating those dashes can be tricky and people will often forget to put them in Other alternatives include short forms or acronyms hfe com or if your business is confined to a region or a country find a domain name using your country s extension such as healthwiseequipment us Quite often a name that s taken for com will be available for a particular country
13. or example the domain might be free for only one year of registra tion or you have to pay a high yearly rate for the domain name if you stop hosting with the registrar The same can be true even for low priced do mains so check to see what s involved with any special deal On Video Watch the video on DVD showing an example of a domain registration scam letter and what it says in the fine print A popular scam is when a domain registrar sends out a notice say ing that your domain is expiring Soon so you should make sure that it s safe by renew ing now Except that when you sign the form you re actually agree ing to transfer the do main from your existing registrar to this other company and usually at crazy high rates upward of S70 per year Do not respond to these no tices Instead use them as a reminder to log in to your true registrar and renew your domain at your regular rate CHAPTER 1 DOMAIN NAMES Some top level domains such as tv are actually country codes which have been licensed by the country to be sold to anyone in the world You re paying for the privilege of having this exclusive exten sion In the case of other extensions such as pro you re paying for an accreditation process among other things Some specialty domains such as me have come down considerably in price after initial sales were slow so sometimes it can pay to wait Many domain extensions allow yo
14. res e mail gets lost or you re away and so on Cann De a mightimare oF Auto renewal You can turn this on if you don t want to worry k d roe ican ORNs Boia dG about renewal notices at all Just make sure your credit card is even end up missing notices for domains that up to date need to be renewed Auto lock This requires a special code if you want to transfer to another registrar but it also means that someone can t easily transfer the domain without your authorization Free e mail If you don t have a website yet you can still have e mail service using the domain name gt 301 redirects If you want to use the domain name to point to an existing website this is the proper way to do it Related Question 3 How much should you pay for a domain Page 6 Action Itew gt To get you started on finding registrars search for the phrase ay top 10 domain registrars 5 WHO WILL REGISTER YOUR DOMAIN AND IN WHOSE NAME 5 Who Will Register Your Domain and in Whose Name Although registering a domain name is straightforward some people are not comfortable doing it themselves or they re too busy so it s not uncommon for a web designer or a company to register a domain on behalf of their client If that s how you re having your domain name registered there are several steps you ll want to take to make sure that the domain remains under your control At the very least you shoul
15. rmation for the domain do what s called a whois search at Importance On Video Watch how you can register a domain name yourself It s a good idea for your contact e mail not to be the same as your domain name If your domain name expired any communication from the domain reg istrar would no longer work Be careful about using an e mail address from your ISP if you change ISPs or move be sure to update your contact e mail address for your domain name 12 CHAPTER 1 Your domain manage ment login is completely separate from your host ing control panel login Remember that your domain name is not the same as your website the domain tells the world which server has your website files Make sure the login data for your domain and your hosting control panel are different Related Questions DOMAIN NAMES a site like domaintools com You can find out the registrar and whether you re listed as the domain registrant If your e mail is listed properly you can use the registrar s lost password function to gain access If youre not listed as the registrant contact the company or person who registered on your behalf and get the login information from them then go in and change the registrant information to your own If the domain is one of many in the other party s domain manager simply sign up with the same registrar and initiate a domain transfer or if you already have a domain manager
16. u to register a name for up to 10 years whereas the minimum registration period is generally i year but can sometimes be 2 years Although registering for several years in advance eliminates the worry of missing a renewal make sure that you don t forget about your domain In particular it s easy for your contact e mail to have changed in a few years so you end up not getting the renewal notice As long as you keep your information up to date lengthy registration times can be helpful If you ve registered a domain for a fairly new extension it might be worth doing a yearly registration The price for those domains can well go down over time the com names were 35 per year not that long ago and it would be ashame to lock it in at the higher price The final point to keep in mind about domain pricing is that domain registrars have nothing to offer except price and service Having an amaz ing price with poor service is no deal at all But what counts as good ser vice from a registrar That s the topic of the next question 2 Do you need multiple domain names Page 4 Action Trew gt Survey the sites of several registrars to get a sense of what they re all charging for a particular domain extension 4 DO YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES A GOOD DOMAIN REGISTRAR 4 Do You Know What Makes a Good Domain Registrar There really isn t much for a domain registrar to do except record who registered which domain name so the only w
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