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Domain Name RegistrationSupermassive.NET does not currently offer automated domain registration. If you want low prices and great service visit MyDomain.com and set up an account. You are free to choose any registrar you wish, but you should also read our FAQ to make sure you're getting the best deal and the most control over your domains. NOTE: If you find a domain name you like that is short and memorable, buy it! It may not be available tomorrow.Domain Registration FAQEverything you need to know about registering your domain, owning a domain name, managing a domain name, renewing a domain name, transferring a domain name, protecting a domain name, and keeping your domain name happy!
What is a Domain Name?Every website needs a domain name. For lack of a better term, a domain name is a website's brand. Amazon.com is famous because everyone knows the name Amazon-dot-com. If you already have a business name then your domain name should try to reflect that brand, but if you are looking to create a business online then you need a unique brand that people will remember. Top level domains consist of .COM and .NET and .ORG extensions, with many other second-tier extensions like .INFO and .TV and .BIZ added all the time. A domain name is your store-front, your phone number, your tag line, and your little piece of real-estate on the internet all at once. Most of all a domain name should represent who you are. If you are the best in the internet business, you should pick a name that suits you, like Supermassive.NET. For more on the ins and outs of crafting a domain name, please refer to the WikiPedia Entry on the subject.How do I find a great domain name?Since the business of domain farming -- or buying up bulk premium domains -- has become so lucrative it is harder and harder to find quality domains that are still available. However, with a little imagination and some careful research you should be able to find a domain name that suits your needs. Most of all, you want to find a name that is short and easy to remember, like MySpace or NetFlix. Don't be afraid to be silly or inventive. Nobody thought the Googles and Yahoos of the world would amount to anything, and look what happened to them! If the right .COM isn't available, find a .NET, or Contact Us and we'll help you find the right domain name for your needs. But BEWARE! If you find that perfect domain name and it is still available, register it quick before it gets stolen! Domain sniffers troll the internet looking for good available domain names that people type into search engines. If you find a domain name you like then grab it! For under $10 it is one of the best investments you can make on the internet.How do I register a domain name?Once you find a name that's available you need to pay a service to register that domain for you. There are many places to register a domain, but only a few registrars offer great service at a reasonable price. Since some clients like us to handle everything for them we can register your domain name for you, but you would essentially be paying us $15.00 to do something you could do yourself for $7 or less. Check the next question for a list of cheap domain name registrars.What is the cheapest way to register a domain?Most places will try to charge you more, but $7 is about as low as it goes for .COM domain registrations. Below are links to the most popular low-price domain registrars. If you do not need a .COM address you can get a .INFO address for as low as $2 in some places. Shop around for non-traditional extensions like .CA or .US or .TV. Prices may vary from registrar to registrar. MyDomain.com - $8.95 .COM Domain RegistrationGoDaddy.com - $9.95 .COM Domain Registration MadDogDomains.com - $6.95 .COM Domain Registration What is the difference between Domain Registration and Domain Hosting?With domain registration you are paying a service to list your domain name in all the major lookup tables on the internet backbone, this is so people can find your site on the internet. Hosting is a different service, which includes disk space and bandwidth on a computer where your website's files are stored. With a domain name and a hosting account you have an active channel on the internet, an empty box waiting for your vision. What happens when people type your domain name into their web browser is 100% up to you. We can make it happen.What is a DNS?DNS officially means "Domain Name System", which is a network made up of "Domain Name Servers" all running a "Domain Name Service" (see how useful the abbreviation DNS is?). What these servers do is translate domain names like "google.com" into a physical IP address like 64.233.187.99, which is the computer where the folder containing the all the web pages for google.com are stored. As a domain owner you will be responsible for handling the configuration of your own DNS entries, but this is as easy as updating your address book. The main thing you will have to do with your DNS is update your Name Servers to make sure your domain name points to the server where your pages are hosted. Usually all this means is adding a Name Server, like NS1.MYNAMESERVER.COM to your domain's DNS record to make everyone happy. Sometimes DNS updates take 48 hours to resolve, but usually it is very fast and easy!What are A, MX, NS, and a CNAME records?These are all records you can edit in your DNS settings to route specific services on your domain. Usually if you have an inclusive hosting package you will not need to edit these yourself, but if you want to manually add subdomains, mailservers, and nameservers to your domain (such as mail.myserver.com) this is where you would do it. Check the DNS WikiPedia Entry for more info on the different types of DNS records and what they are for.How do I update my DNS?The main thing you have to know is the nameservers your hosting company gave you. For accounts hosted with us we use the nameservers NS1.SUPERMASSIVE.NET and NS2.SUPERMASSIVE.NET. Your domain name registrar should allow you to edit your name servers to whatever you want; if not then you should change your registrar. For more complicated enterprise networks hosted across multiple servers you may need help getting your DNS records configured correctly. If you are having trouble updating your DNS profile please Contact Us for assistance.How do I transfer my domain registration?If your domain registrar is charging you more than $10 a year then you should think of transfering your domains to another registrar. Most registrars will charge you the same fee as a year's registration to transfer domains (usually $7 - $10). If you want to transfer your domain, wait until you have less than 60 days left on your current registration and then transfer your domain to your new registrar. Your transfer will automatically renew your domain for another year. All you need is your domain name and most registrars can handle the transfer for you automatically. NOTE: You may have to manually unlock domains with your current registrar to transfer them to a new registrar. This is for your protection. You may also have to reset your DNS settings with your new registrar once the change happens, but most DNS settings should transfer from registrar to registrar. If you plan to be in business a while take advantage of low-cost multi-year registrations when you transfer your domains over to save money and protect your name over time.How do I protect my domain name?In addition to locking in your domain for a couple years and setting a "no transfer" lock with your new registrar, there are two simple things you can do to protect your domain. First, always renew your domain registration on time to keep name vultures from picking it off. If you let your registration lapse for more than 30 days someone else will almost surely buy it and put ads on it. Even if you go out of business you can keep your old domain and park it so it can generate a trickle of revenue for you. Some registrars advise that you buy up similar .ORG and .NET and .INFO sites to make sure your brand does not get diluted, but for most websites this is not necessary.What is domain parking?Domain parking is the practice of buying up premium domain names and hosting ads or fake portals at those sites. For instance, the domain http://goodshoes.com does not sell shoes, it merely posts ads and links to other sites that do sell shoes, and the person who owns this domain gets a few cents every time someone clicks those links. For a single domain these penny-clicks may not add up to much, but spread across hundreds of sites they can add up to a decent income. This practice is called Domain Parking, and you can park your domain through companies like NameDrive or Sedo when they are not in use to recoup the cost of registration. If a domain you love is suddenly grabbed by someone else, a domain farmer who buys up hundreds of domains a year is probably your culprit.Should I pay for a premium domain name? If so how much?If the domain name you want is already taken, sometimes it is available to purchase the domain from the current owner. Premium domain names like goodshoes.com can go for thousands of dollars, and domain consulting firms can charge thousands of dollars to come up with fresh internet brands like weebo.com or bingu.net. If you have a trademarked brand to protect (like nikeshoes.com) you may want to buy up every variation of your name you can think of. This can wind up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, so unless you are Nike you should start small with a single normal priced domain. Try to find something that isn't taken, or at least be realistic about what you are willing to spend on a domain name. If you think you can make back the investment, spending a few thousand dollars on a premium domain name may not be a bad idea, but you'd be better off getting a cheap domain name and putting that money into marketing your new name. There's a hotmojo.net out there waiting for you. If you're having trouble finding the right domain, Contact Us. | |
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