Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Domain Registration: Why You Need Private Whois Service

By: Stanley Spencer Privacy is the control of one’s own personal information, control over what others know about one, and control over how others may use or exploit the personal information. Policies and practices for protecting privacy aim towards minimizing the collection of personally identifiable information. Therefore, the basis of privacy is anonymity, where no personally identifiable information is collected. Making compulsory, the disclosure of personally identifiable information, as under current WhoIs policies for domain registration, cause privacy to be underminedFor free speech, privacy is critical. For instance, if people are forced to disclose their identity, they are reluctant to fully express their ideas on account of fear of persecution.The protection of anonymity further enhances the one-to-many characteristics of the Internet through which an individual's speech can reach a global audience.Privacy and data protection laws may apply to domain registrars' WhoIs services and registrars' participation in thick registry WhoIs services in various countries, particularly in the European Union's member states.Current ICANN regulations require that the Private contact information (WhoIs Info) of each domain registration be included in a publicly accessible Database.The WhoIs database is the collection of information gathered by a domain name registrar from domain name registrants. The purpose for which the WhoIs system is accessed includes: 1. To find out whether a specific domain name is unregistered and currently available2. To identify the person or organization responsible for a domain registration or website on the Internet 3. To support technical operations of Internet Service Providers or network administrators, including assistance in tracing sources of Spam or denial of service attacks 4. To collect names and contact information for the purpose of marketing 5. To aid government law enforcement, other than intellectual propertyWhen a WhoIs search is conducted, the information that is currently available about the domain name registrant leads to the name and address of the domain name owner.However, when a domain name is registered, the personal contact information such as name, address, email address, and even phone number might be made freely available.The domain registrant would not know who collected his/her WhoIs data, the reason for which the information was collected, and how the collector is likely to use the informationThis implies that the private information is displayed and made available to whoever wants to see it, at any point of time.Now it is possible to protect one’s private WhoIs information by switching the "public" domain registration to a "private" unlisted registration through a private whois service. A private whois service protects the private information and shields against its misuse. Hence, one is protected against: - Spam, - Identity Theft, - Data Mining, - Name Hijackers, - Etc.It works in a similar way to having one’s phone umber "unlisted" and it prevents people from gaining access to one’s address, phone number and other such private information. A private whois service works by: - Protecting the private information - Relaying important communication - Providing greater control Protecting the Private Information This implies that the private contact information is not exposed and is held confidentially, and protected by the Domain Privacy Protection Service. Instead of the individual’s contact information, their contact information is displayed to provide with the highest level of protection against spammers and identity theft. Relaying Important Communication Without a private whois service, those involved in spamming can obtain email addresses through harvesting and then use these for sending spam mails and redistribution to marketing firms. The email addresses can stay on record with various spammers and marketing firms for several years. With a private whois service, the visible email address is constantly changing, so it will change within a specific period of time and the previous address will not work for the spammer. The Domain Privacy Protection Service secures and maintains the real email address on record so that important information regarding the domain is received. Providing Greater Control The individual or organization subscribing to the private whois service retains full legal ownership and control over the domain registration. It is possible to sell, renew, transfer and change settings to the domain name just the same as otherwise. The domain control panel provides real-time access to easily manage the domain name. About the Author: Copyright © Active-Domain.com's Domain Registration (http://www.active-domain.com/) Service.

Tips On How To Get Free Domain Name Registration On The Internet

By: Stu Pearson With one of the fastest growing business costs being the internet, knowing how to get free domain name registration on the internet can actually go a long way in making things run a little more smoothly. Whether you have an online business or simply a website for your real-world business, your web presence is important. At the same time, you do not want to have to worry about the cost of domain registration in addition to your monthly hosting fees, web design fees, and possibly even email hosting as well. So what is the answer? Here are a few tips that can help you learn how to get free domain name registration on the internet.Learning how to get free domain name registration on the internet is not difficult. There are really a couple of strategies you can use to avoid those extra nagging fees for your web presence. You can work through either an online registration and hosting company or a local company that will serve the same functions for you, but will do so from close by so that you have more human contact.When working with an online domain name registration and hosting company, you can really afford to shop around and get the best deal. The best deal, in every case, should include free domain name registration. Any hosting company worth their salt on the internet will at least toss in the domain name registration for you. If they do not, you have to ask yourself what they are really doing for you. Using a company for your web hosting, email, and domain registration is how to get free domain name registration on the internet with little or no effort.Another recommendation for how to get free domain name registration on the internet is through a local hosting company. You will be able to get the benefit of face to face work, while still using a company whose primary function for you will take place on the internet. Like the companies online, if you are going to use the company for internet hosting and email, you should ask them about getting free domain name registration on the internet. It is a saved fee for you, and compared to what they are getting, it is a small cost for the hosting company to eat. If they do not seem eager to offer to throw in the domain registration for you, then it may be time to take your business or personal internet needs elsewhere.Though domain name registration is not a huge cost, it is a recurring annual cost. In addition, if you have a larger company or want a major web presence, you may want to register multiple domain names. Either way, knowing how to get free domain name registration on the internet can save you money. How much money you save will depend on a lot of factors, but no matter the amount, it is still money in your pocket. So insist on free domain name registration from your internet hosting company and put more money in your pocket. About the Author: Stu Pearson has an interest in Technology related topics on domain name service or on domain hosting name registration web.

Sorting Out Different Domain Name Registration Cost And Services

By: Stu Pearson There are a number of different domain name registration cost and services out there that you can consider when registering the name for your website or websites. Some services are included in registration costs while others are usually included only when additional fees are paid. In order to totally understand what you are getting from a domain name registrar, it is important that you understand the different domain name registration cost and services and what the function of each one really is. By doing that you will find that you can better decide which registration services is best for you and where you can get the best value for the services you receive.The most common of the different domain name registration cost and services are included in the initial domain name. For most companies, simple domain name registration will cost you less than $10, but will also generally include a number of other services. With most domain registrations, your fee will get you some basic services.First of all, you will usually get email forwarding addresses that go with the domain you register. These are email addresses that, when used, will direct mail to an existing email address you are already using. That way, you can begin using and advertising your domain name even before you have established an actual site.Another of the many different domain name registration cost and services is some sort of web-based service account. This is so you can manage and keep track of domain names you have registered. Your contact information as well as domain time left is often included and the service account allows you access 24 hours a day if your contact information changes and you want to be able to sell the domain name.There are though other domain name registration cost and services that are add-ons. For instance, most companies will charge you a fee to get a catch-all email service. This means that when people send an email to your domain, no matter what the prefix, it will get caught. That way you never miss messages because of a customer miskeying or misunderstanding an email address.Another of the domain name registration cost and services that may be added on in many cases is domain parking page. For a few bucks, some companies will put up a “park” page where your domain is. That way when someone goes there before you have set up an actual page, they will know that a page is going there and who it is from. Your contact information my be displayed so that potential buyers or customers can get in touch with you through your domain, even if you don’t have a site yet.There are a number of different domain name registration cost and services available out there. Some are free with your domain name registration, and there are a number of other features that may be added for additional costs. If you build a relationship with a company, sometimes you can get features for free, so that is something you should consider. When shopping for your domain name registrar, you should always shop around to see which features you can get for free versus what you will pay for so that you end up with the service that best fits you. About the Author: Stu Pearson has an interest in Technology related topics on domain name registration or on cheap domain name registration.

10 Tips For Accurate Domain Registration

By: Adrian Lawrence You should think about registering a domain name before you actually do it. Many people come up with a catchy name, or feel the need to lock in their name, and rush out to buy a domain name. But there are several things to consider in your domain name. After all, your domain name is an extension of your business and your image—don't you want to project the right one? These ten tips will help you to pick just the right domain name for you and/or your business. 1. The extension you select makes a statement to user about where you are and who you are aiming to attract. For example, .co.uk tells people you are operating out of the United Kingdom, and .ca tells them you are operating out of Canada. If that is important to you, then register accordingly. If you would rather give them impression of being a global company, or based in the US, then pick a .com name. 2. Use a reputable registration service. Unfortunately, some domain registration services are little more than a scam. They are only middlemen. You tell them the domain name you want, and they register it, for a fee higher than you would pay! In the worst case, they actually register the domain name using their information, so it becomes very difficult for you to do anything with your domain name. Do some background research into the company before you register a domain with them. 3. Use keywords in your domain name. These will sometimes help search engines in ranking your website. For example, if you sell gourmet dog treats online and from your own store, but your business name is "Laura's Homemade Snacks," you might consider two domain names: one for your business name, and one for keywords. In this case you might select "gourmetdogtreats.com" as your domain name to represent to the search engines and searchers what you are about. 4. Short names are easier to spell correctly. What's easier to remember and type in: gourmetdogtreats.com, or laurashomemadeandgourmetdogsnacks.com? 5. Avoid trademarks from other companies. Companies have been known to sue website owners for copyright and trademark infringement, so be very careful if you try to play off an existing business. Make sure that you register a domain name in good faith, and think about the possibilities and connections that might exist between you and another business. 6. Avoid hyphens. Sometimes you must use hyphens because the straightforward name is gone. In that case, a better idea is to come up with a completely different name. The problem with hyphens is that users may end up visiting the wrong site. If you try to register gourmetdogtreats.com but it is already taken, you might choose to register gourmet-dog-treats.com instead. But you run the risk of someone trying to find you typing in the first address. This means you lose business. Better to try and register a name like homemadedogtreats.com instead. 7. Consider buying several different extensions so no one else can infringe on your success by registering a similar name. For example, if you register homemadedogtreats.com, you might also take .net and .org (with the same name), since these are the most popular extensions after .com. That way, no one can register homemadedogtreats.net and try to piggyback of your success. 8. Look for companies that offer telephone support. If you have trouble with your domain name, you need to be able to contact the company and talk to someone. If there is no phone contact, that may be a sign that you are not dealing with a reputable company. 9. Look for accreditations (i.e., ICANN). Reputable companies will seek out accreditations because they know it boosts their business image to be part of a group that enforces good business ethics and practices. Failure to have an accreditation does not necessarily mean the company is bad, but it could mean that. If the company you are looking at does not have an accreditation, make sure you check for other things like phone support, payment procedures, etc. 10. After you find a company you like, do a search on Google for "domain registration." Does your company of choice appear in the first couple of pages of results, or just via Adwords? If the latter, they may not have been around for a long time and may not be reputable. A legitimate company with a solid track record will be ranked in Google's search engine, especially within the first couple of pages. Beware of registration companies that you can only find in Adwords.These ten tips will help you as you seek to register your domain name. About the Author: Adrian Lawrence is the webmaster for Discount Domains, one of the UK's leading Domain Name Registration Companies .

Domain Registration: How Many Extension Should You Register

By: Stanley Spencer When it comes to selection of a domain name, people are often inundated with several questions. One of the most important of them is which extension should I choose - dot-com or dot-net or dot-biz?There are circumstances when you will think it is fit to register more than one extension. This article is aimed at helping you to make the right decision.A common problem is that people usually type in .com all the time on net and land up on various other sites. This could be troublesome both for the business and the customer.When you select a domain name, you are always given a list of different extensions to choose from. These extensions can help specify the type of products or services you are offering online or your geographical location. To begin this article, I am giving some basic definitions of the extensions you can choose from: * .com signifies "commercial". It is the most well-known extension and preferred by all commercial enterprises. The acute scarcity of unforgettable .com domain names has led to creation of several other extensions. * .net signifies “network". It is generally used by internet service providers, web hosting companies, or other firms related to network or internet services. * .org signifies "organization". It is commonly used by non-commercial web sites. But, at present, many businesses register their matching .org extension to their .com domain names. * .biz signifies “business”. It is used for business web sites. There are more chances of you getting this extension because of its low current penetration. * .info signifies “information”. It is generally used for information sharing web sites. This too like .biz is gradually growing in popularity and there is more likelihood of you getting it. Your first aim should be to get a perfect domain name for your business. Once you have done that you should then consider registering other extensions for the same domain name.It is up to you to decide which extensions are most relevant for your business. It depends a lot on your customer base, range of products/services, and also your brand image.You should always use domain forwarding service to redirect visitors from your other domains to your primary domain. This is quite essential since visitors may get confused about your web site address and may reach your competitor’s web site. For example, you domain name is home-appliances.net and your potential customers may reach home-appliances.com, which is your competitor.Prevention is always better than cure. So, instead of buying a rival domain name from someone (at a high cost), it is always preferable to register that domain name yourself (at a low cost).We find that name protection and greater coverage are the two key forces driving the need for registering more than one domain name. The accessibility of the site increases by registering more than one extension for a domain name.There are other advantages of multiple domain name registration. It helps in creating a demand for similar domain names due to people realizing that so many domain names are available related to the primary one.But some observers in the industry have a different viewpoint. They think that having more than one domain extension is very confusing for the visitors to these sites.In conclusion, I would like to say that your primary target should be .com and thereafter, find out the relevant extensions for your business and try to register them also. I recommend you to register all relevant extensions so as to guarantee maximum coverage and minimum misguided competition. About the Author:Copyright © Active-Domain.com's domain registration (http://www.active-domain.com) service. All rights reserved.

Domain Registration For Great Search Engine Ranking

By: Stanley Spencer A solid keyword domain name is the key to establish a strong presence and making the resources of the Internet more reachable. With a great name, it's always easy to reach new and existing clients. Therefore, a number of companies are ready to spend a large amount of money to get hold of and promote a good keyword rich domain name. Choosing a keyword domain name can be vital to the success of a website. In order to take advantage of search engine traffic, people choose keyword domain. By selecting a domain that is equivalent to a keyword search, websites are able to rank higher for targeted keywords and thus benefit from added traffic and more potential clients. Whether to opt for a brandable domain or a keyword domain is a choice one must make in accordance with their business plan. Follow these simple rules to maximize the benefit of a keyword domain, accomplish success in directory submissions, and enhance site keyword density: Structuring Order the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in such a manner that more vital keywords are listed before those that are less important. For example, if he target keyword is "money" then money-online.com would be more effectual than online-money.com. Length 1. A majority of studies confirms that a number of people use two words or more in a search; as a result phrases are very useful. 2. Always stick to two-three keywords, with hyphens in between. 3. A lengthy, complex URL is more likely to be rejected by directory editors’ sites from which one would like to receive links. Correct English and Must Make Sense 1. In order to execute directory submissions and link popularity campaigns, the URL should be grammatically correct. 2. When examined by an editor, "money-online-white.com" might sound like a less-reliable resource while "white-money-online.com" sounds more justifiable and is less likely to be questioned. Put together "power words" In order to create a distinctive domain name that is still available, one way is to add another less important word to the mix. A few examples include: now, top, just, goto, pro, guide, online and find etc. Avoid using most popular keyword phrases There is intense competition for keywords in the marketplace, so stay away from the most popular keyword phrases. It is impractical to think that a new website could rank number one on a popular phrase like “Shop Online”. A number of well-known companies who have been on the Internet for a few years will have the big advantage of link popularity and click popularity. Try to register a .com domain Always use ".com". In case it is a business website, avoid using domains ending with "ru" or "org". At once, one can consider registering a ".net" domain, but as most people are familiar with ".com", it is better to stick to convention. In addition to the above, an understanding of the domain name system (DNS) is also vital while choosing a domain name. The DNS is set up to make regular words map to IP (Internet Protocol) addresses. In order to connect all computers on the Internet, an IP address is used by networks. A domain name can be up to sixty-three characters, comprising of letters, numbers, or the dash symbol. For example, in the world of computer networking, the web address fishing.com becomes the IP address 124.133.1.1. However, it's the domain name that people around the world use when looking for Web sites or sending an e-mail. Finally, it is very important to choose a keyword phrase very carefully. This can be considered as one of the most critical decisions one will make regarding the success or failure of a website. One must identify the exact phrase that searchers will use to find a website. The more targeted the campaign is, the more increase in sales will be achieved. About the Author: Copyright © Active-Domain.com - Domain Registration Service (http://www.active-domain.com).

Domain Registration Without Copyright Violation

By: Stanley Spencer The selection of a domain name registration is one of the most important features in the development of a web site. Domain names are representative of the address for a web site, and disputes over domain names are becoming more common with increased penetration of Internet. Various factors have led to a crisis of domain names and this, in turn, has led to a rapid increase in the reported cases of infringement of domain registration. A number of companies have taken legal action against other companies or individuals over alleged copyright violation of the domain names. There are some basics that you should understand before choosing a trademark or domain registration: 1. Use of two similar trademarks should not confuse customers about the products or services 2. If there is a legal conflict over use of similar trademarks, the first user is likely to win the case 3. The later user would to give up his claim if he cannot prove his point and may have to pay the first owner damages. You should apply these principles to your domain name registration process.There are some basic guidelines for choosing a domain name: 1. You must be able to justify your reason for using the name. Your domain name should principally consist of a name you are using as a trade name, trademark or corporate name. 2. It is better to select more than one name since you are not sure about the availability of the required domain name. 3. If the domain name that you are looking has already been registered but there is no content being displayed at the domain, try to find out the details of the owner of the domain. It is possible that he/she may be genuine and have yet not published any content. 4. It is also possible that the owner does not plan to create a web site but is willing to give you the domain at the original price. You must confirm that the seller has ownership rights for that particular domain name. Choosing a domain name registration that is same as or quite similar to another well-known trademark, may lead to legal action. The regulations governing these issues are dealt by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). It is very likely that you would lose right of your domain registration if you have intentionally chosen a name similar to another domain name so as to confuse potential visitors to the site. For example, if your site deals in consumer electronics goods made by a Samsung competitor, do not choose the name "samsungbusiness.com" since a court is most likely to pass a verdict that you selected this name to divert attention of Samsung customers. There could be others reasons of losing a domain name registration: 1. You have never carried out any business under that name 2. There is no person in your company similar to that name 3. You are planning to sell that domain name to your competitor for financial gain If your domain name is same as your name then you may be allowed to continue to use it, inspite of the fact that it is similar to someone else’s domain name. But the usage of such a name is governed by certain condition set by court. For example, Mr. Suki Nokia, who runs a cosmetics business, may be allowed to use the domain name "nokia.kr" but he would barred from using his site to demonstrate any electronics-related information or advertising. In the traditional world, two companies may have the same name if they do not conduct a similar business. For example, Roxy Electrical and Roxy Laundry can coexist comfortably. However, in the web world, both Roxies cannot own the "roxy.com" domain name. The laundry Roxy could register under "roxy.laundry" and the electrician under "roxy.electrical." A very useful tip is to buy all three of the top level domains - .com, .net and .org. You should buy all possible misspellings of your domain name before anybody else takes advantage of this fact. The most appropriate way to choose a domain name is to satisfy your own marketing requirements but at the same time do not conflict it with anyone else's domain name. Copyright © Active-Domain.com About the Author:http://www.active-domain.com All rights reserved. Read more articles by: Stanley Spencer
Making Money From Expired Domain Registration By: Stanley Spencer Expired domain names are those that had previously been registered to another owner. These domain name registration are available to the open market because of non-payment of the domain name renewal fees. Such domain names are returned to the open market about forty-five days after the expiration date. How To Make Profits from Expired Domain Names and Expired Domain Name Traffic: 1. Buying for speculation - There is a large and highly profitable market for reselling domain names at present, and speculators are looking out for developing technologies and trends. There are markets, being watched closely right now, that are expected to grow exponentially within a short span of time. It should be a good idea to locate and register expiring domain names that are related to new trends, technology and markets in order to earn substantial profits. 2. Buying expiring domain name registration and redirecting the targeted traffic - Targeted keyword domain names can help to get traffic from those simply typing in keyword rich domain names into the address bar and hitting the enter key. 3. Buying expired domain registration and putting up generic websites - Using tools like easy website building software, third party payment processors, auto responders and other applications, even a novice could put generic websites online with keyword rich domain names that should appear in the search engine rankings. These websites can be built using expired domain names to drive traffic to them and the domain registration and the developed website could then be sold together with the domain name, as a value added commodity. 4. Buying expiring domain names of websites that are already online – A number of expiring domain names are, actually, already functioning websites. The owners of these websites either did not renew their domain name registration for some reason or simply stopped operating the website. In fact, quite often, these websites already have traffic from links to other websites, search engine rankings and even directory listings. 5. Buying expired domain names and using them for marketing affiliate programs - Affiliate programs are a good way to acquire an online business without even having a product. Affiliate marketers redirect traffic from the affiliate website to the website of the actual product or service and charge a commission or a fee when any of the redirected traffic results in sales. Affiliate programs have become an automated turnkey solution for a number of entrepreneurs, especially novices. One can locate and register expired domain name registration that closely target the market of the affiliate programs and then draw that targeted traffic into the website with expired keyword rich domain names with content that satisfies the informational needs. Then the users can be led onto the sales page of the product. Subsequent to the dot com crash, expired domain names and expired domain name traffic have been a source of profits for many. It is critical to obtain, at a low cost, the automated tools required to track the thousands of domain registration and abandoned websites that are removed from the registry and become available for purchase. Expired domain names and the expired domain name traffic associated with them have been only available to those who had an automated system and tools.There are many automated tools and resources currently available for identifying, appraising and even buying these domain name registration on an automated basis. Numerous domain names are registered for website development, but do not appear online. In a number of these cases, the domain name owners do not follow through with respect to the website development and allow the names to expire. Also, many domain names even point to fully functioning websites while many are registered for speculation. These domains are registered by speculators in the hope of obtaining a profit on the resale of the domain name registration. However, there are a number of expired domain names with fully functioning websites, receiving daily traffic from the search engines, links and banner ads. The expired domain names that get this daily traffic can earn revenues if these are redirected to another website or marketed with affiliate programs. About the Author:Copyright © Active-Domain.com (http://www.active-domain.com). All rights reserved. Read more articles by: Stanley Spencer

Monday, October 09, 2006

DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION.

Domain name, what the heck? Probably there is millions of people exists out there who doesn’t know or indeed have no idea about what domain name is. They aren’t jerks, just because they didn’t need to know what domain name is. You can fall in that category; even if you don’t why don’t we give a second look at domain names? Domain name is a name that can identify a web site in the World Wide Web. In web there has to be a way to identify each different web site. So the easiest way was to give a name, just as like as we call each other by our names. But it is bit different from our names. Every name has something to add on, as you have probably visited http://www.yahoo.com/ you can see ‘www’ followed by ‘yahoo’ and ‘com’ separated by comma (.). Now ‘www’ stands for world wide web and .com .net .info are domains. With ‘yahoo’ together they call as domain name. Domain names can be may types like .com .info .co.uk etc. Domain name registration. You have to register your domain name to create and publish a site in World Wide Web (internet). In the past it was extremely difficult to find out affordable domain name registration. All domain name registrars used to charge around $70 to register your domain name for 2 years. ituation has changed now. Many new company offering domain name registration at an affordable cost. Some will register your domain name for less then $15 for a year. Especially if you are registering multiple domain names for multiple sites for a number of years at the same time. Domain name registration process can be confusing if you are a first time buyer. Literally there are number of terms to worry about. But according to many experts and even to those who have gone through the process of domain name registration said domain name registration process is such an easy and quick procedure. It is easy if and only if it is coupled with the effort and interest of both the domain name consumer and domain name registrars. About domain name consumers, it is indeed true that they play a great part in the domain name registration process since it is in their hands that the success of the domain name registration depends. Of course the domain name registrar play a part in the domain name registration process for the fact that they are ones who have the power to amend and control the domain names. Web hosting. If you want to publish your website online then all you have to do other than registering a domain name is a web hosting. This is what you really should go for a good one. If you are creating your personal website just for fun then you better go to yahoo geocities. They are good for personal no cost websites. But if you are thinking for something rocking, I mean if you are considering your website for business purpose or to make money then trust me u definitely don’t need to go for a free web hosting. Ordinary web surfers like me doesn’t like ads popping up in another window while they are browsing a serious site. You can get really cheap deals of web hosting out there that can be great in value. Even if you are lucky enough you can find free hosting with good proving track record that they are really good. I have once heard about a hosting service that provides free hosting without any ads. All you have to do is post at least 50 posts to their blog to get the service working for you. And they are good if you can keep up blogging. Disk space: Doesn’t matter who you are hosting with just make sure you are getting enough disk space for your site. Disk space is like as same as your PC’s hard drive the more disk space do you get the bigger site you can host online. Usually in MB (megabytes) or GB (Giga bytes). Bandwidth: Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be retrieved still more your site within the bandwidth period. The bandwidth period is the length of time before your bandwidth is reset once again, usually reversal a month. Bandwidth is measured in MB and GB, corresponding disk space. That’s all for today. Next time more information on various topics will be here.

Information On Domain Names

By: M6.Net Web Hosting It’s been two years since John started his online business. He is very much satisfied with his current web host whose services he acquired one year ago. Today John is relaxing in his chair and thinking about the initial days when he spent many hours on the Internet collecting information related to web hosting. Like him there are many John’s out there who are in search of information everyday, visiting this and that website hoping to find the most illuminating advice. The problem is that common topics of interest can be found on most of the websites whereas other relevant issues are not dealt with everywhere. This article is going to touch on one of those areas: various concerns related with domain names. What is multiple domain hosting?Many times you will see that a web host offers multiple domain hosting. In simpler words it means that on buying an account you will have the ability to get multiple websites. For instance, if the plan provides you with five domain names, you can use one domain for your website and you will still have four domain names leftover to use. The advantage of this scenario is that you can resell these four domain names to your clients. What is Domain Parking?If you are planning to build up a website and have decided on a name for it you then must purchase that domain name from a domain registrar: i.e. your domain name gets placed on a name server so that you can use it later on. This is known as domain parking. Even if your website content is not ready, it’s better to park your desired domain name. Otherwise, it might be possible that in future somebody else acquires that particular domain name.What are sub domains?Sub domains are ‘third level’ domains in the sense that they are used solely to organize your website content. They are simply folders under your root directory, but to access them a special URL is used.For instance, http://www.m6.net is a regular URL without a sub domain.http://features.m6.net is an URL with the sub domain name: "features".Here the: .net: is the first level domain,m6: is the second level domain,features: is the third level domainFor how long does a domain name belong to you?Generally when you register a domain name it is registered for a minimum of one year. However, you can register it for more years, as there is no hard and fast rule as such. What is Domain Renewal?After one year you need to renew your domain name so that your website doesn’t get lost. Generally when your domain is about to expire your domain registrar will send you a reminder mail regarding the domain renewal. What happens when your domain name expires?When your domain name expires you can renew it within one month. If you don’t renew it in this period it goes into a redemption phase. It stays in this redemption phase for 15 to 30 days before it is then available for purchase again at a normal price. Getting a domain name out of redemption phase is like buying fifty domains as it can cost around $200! How to find out the owner of a domain name?To find out the owner of a domain name, use the WhoIs search tool on the Internet .For E.g. Go to http://centralops.net/co/ and type the domain name under Domain Dossier. It will show you the name of the registrant/domain’s owner/web host. What is WhoIs record?WhoIS record is a domain name search engine/Internet program where users can enter an Internet entity (e.g. a domain, a network, some hosts) and it will give detailed information on the domain registrar, the owner of the domain, and respective DNS records. About the Author:Priyanka Agarwal Hosting evangelist http://www.m6.net/