 |
 |
 |
UK Cheques |
Domain Name Info
What is a domain name?
Domain name restrictions
How do I get a domain name?
Can a domain name be used without having a web site?
Will I own my domain name?
Can I sell my domain name?
Do domain names expire?
Which domain ending should I buy?
How do I cancel my domain name?
How many domain names can I own?
Domain name pitfalls
What is a domain name?
Simply put, it is a name which is easily memorable for the benefit of us humans to be able to use our computers to talk to other computers connected to the Internet.
Every computer has a unique identifier known as an IP address which looks like 212.58.251.197 as an example. You can view web pages in your browser by using these IP addresses instead of typing in www.websitename.co.uk, but it would be incredibly difficult for most of us to be able to remember all of the IP addresses to all of our favourite web sites, if we even knew them in the first place, so we use a domain name system (DNS), which in basic terms is a system of databases that translates a domain name we type in our browsers, into the IP address of a particular computer associated with that name, such as the computer where your web site may be stored.
Domain name restrictions
Domain names can be up to 63 characters long (not including the domain extension) and only contain the figures (0-9) and letters (a-z) and hyphens (-). No other characters are allowed. Domain names cannot begin or end with a hyphen (-) and they cannot contain any spaces. In most cases two letter domain names are no longer allowed to be registered, although those already registered are allowed to continue.
How do I get a domain name?
The easiest way to get a domain name is to type the name you want into the search box shown above. When you click on the magnifying glass icon to the right of the search box our systems will search to see if your desired domain name is available. After a few seconds the system will finish searching and show you a list of your desired name and which endings are available to buy. Simply click on the checkbox to the right of the corresponding domain ending you wish to buy and then add it to your cart. You can then continue to add more domain names to your cart if you wish and then when you go to our checkout and pay for your domains our system will automatically register the names for you.
The registering process only takes a few seconds and once completed we will supply you with a control panel which allows you to log in to administer your new domain name.
Can a domain name be used without having a web site?
Yes it can. Your domain name doesn't just give you an address for your web site, it also gives you an online identity because the name you buy will be unique to you. Depending on where you buy your domain name will largely depend on what you can do with it. If you buy from Simply Eddie's using the search box above, you will be able to use your domain name for email forwarding. That means if someone sends an email to your domain, such as 'webmaster@yourdomain.co.uk', you can have that email forwarded to a different email address that you may own so you can read it. You won't be able to reply to an email using your domain name unless you get email facilities supplied with it. If you buy your domain name from Simply Eddie's we can arrange for you to have full email facilities so you can make up your own email addresses using your domain name. Full email facilities are automatically included when you buy web space at the same time.
Will I own my domain name?
Strictly speaking, no one actually owns their domain name. Domain names are simply 'registered' to an individual, business, organisation or other legal entity giving them the right to use it, but generally the registrant is normally referred to as the domain owner.
Can I sell my domain name?
The good news is that even though you don't actually 'own' your domain name, you do have the right to sell it to someone else if you want to. In fact selling domain names can be very profitable if the name you have is highly sought after. You can sell your name for whatever price someone is willing to pay for it, so don't think that just because you purchased your name from Simply Eddie's for only £6.50 that you will have to sell it for less than that due to it being second hand. Some domain names have sold for more than £3 million, but of course these are highly sought after generic type domain names such as 'business.com'.
Do domain names expire?
Yes they do. At the end of your registration period you can either re-register your domain name and keep it or you can leave it to expire if you no longer want it. You should be aware that it is up to you to remember when your domain is due to expire and make sure you renew your registration in plenty of time before the day it expires. When you buy a domain at simply Eddie's, our system will automatically send you a reminder email 30 days before your domain is due to expire so there's no need to worry about losing your domain because you forgot it was due renewal. We recommend buying from us for this reason as whilst there are reputable companies who will remind you, there are also many that don't making it very easy for you to lose your domain name.
Which domain ending should I buy?
If you want to create your own unique identity for your business on the web then we are of the opinion that you should buy your name with at least your geographic location such as .co.uk if you are in the UK and also the global domain ending of .com if it is still available. If you live in an EU member state then you should also seriously consider buying the increasingly popular .eu ending for your name too before it becomes as difficult to get as the .com.
You might also want to consider buying several variations of your name even if you don't really need them, for example, simplyeddies.com and simply-eddies.com are two different domain names and could be owned by two different people engaged in the same type of business. By registering these names we are protecting ourselves by 'removing' the temptation of rogue traders to attempt to trade off the back of our good name.
How do I cancel my domain name?
Cancelling a domain name is very simple. You would normally receive an invoice or request for payment from your domain registrar, (Usually the company you bought your name from.) and when you receive it just contact the company and tell them you no longer want the domain. No one is going to try pressuring you into keeping your domain name so don't be afraid to tell your registrar you wish to cancel. Many registrar's sell domains as loss leaders or in the case of Simply Eddie's, don't profit from them, so it's not in anyone's interest to try pressuring you into keeping domains you don't want.
You can ignore the payment request if you wish and in most cases your domain will be cancelled by your registrar when they don't receive the renewal fees from you. Some registrars will automatically renew the name for you and then chase you for the fees so it is better to tell them if you no longer want the name.
Simply Eddie's operate a highly automated system which makes it incredibly easy to cancel your domain. When our system emails the renewal reminder email to you, you can log-in to the customer centre, click the 'renew services' option where you will be shown which services are due renewal. There are two options in a drop down box to choose from which are 'renew' or 'cancel'. If you choose 'renew' then your domain will get re-registered there and then, but if you choose 'cancel', your domain will cancel on the expiry due date, not the date you click the cancel option.
How many domain names can I own?
There is no limitation placed on the quantity of domain names you can register. If it is available you can purchase it regardless of how many other domain names you already have.
Domain name pitfalls
If you choose your domain name carefully then you'll probably never have any problems with it, but if you're not careful then you could end up in a dispute and lose it. Some of the problems domain owners have faced are registering domain names which are someone else's trademark or they are trading on a very similar name to someone else in the same type of business. There are other reasons for disputes, but generally if you check for trademarks before registering your domain name and don't deliberately infringe on someone else's rights then you'll probably be fine.