Registering a Domain Name FAQ

Questions:

Who needs to register a domain name?
Help! My domain name expired!
What is Whois?
How many domain names should I register?
How long should I register my domain name?

Answers:

Who needs to register a domain name?
If you create a Web site or set up an email account, you need a domain name to tell the Internet how to find you. A domain name is a unique word or phrase in a particular format understood by the Internet. Domain names are registered for a period of 1 to 10 years by an individual or an organization. A domain name allows people to find your site using a familiar, easy-to-remember domain name instead of the IP address of the server where the Web site is located.

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Help! My domain name expired!
VeriSign operates several domain name registries, however, we are not a registrar. If your domain name expired, you need to contact your registrar about renewing. If you don’t know who your registrar is, you may search the Whois database for your domain name. The results will show the registrar responsible for registering your domain name so that you can contact them.

Whois .com, .net, .edu
Whois .cc
Whois .tv
Whois .jobs
Whois .name

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What is Whois?
Every registry maintains a Whois database with details about registered domain names. For each registered domain name, the Whois database includes the following information: domain name, registrar of record, the registrar's Whois server, referral URL, last updated date, and name server information. The Whois database maintained by VeriSign is an authoritative directory for all domain names registered in the .com, .net, and .edu TLDs. VeriSign also maintains Whois databases for .cc, .tv, .name, and .jobs.

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How many domain names should I register?
A domain name is one of the most effective, affordable ways to promote your online identity and protect your brand. By creating a portfolio of domain names, you make it easier for people to find you and more effectively direct them to the most relevant content. If you register "samplebusinessname.com" for your Web site, you might as well add "samplebusinessname.net" for your internal infrastructure, "samplebusinessname.tv" for your rich media content, "samplebusinessname.jobs" for your recruitment and Human Resources department, and so on. Many companies also register variations on a domain name, for example, "samplecorporatebrand.com" or "businessbrandsample.com". Your domain names can point to a single Web site or to a different landing page within your Web site. Why buy a keyword ad when you can own the domain name?

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How long should I register my domain name?
A domain name can be registered for 1 to 10 years. Ten years may seem like a long time from today. However, if a domain name expires, your connection on the Internet is completely lost. Your Web site becomes unreachable, email bounces back to senders, and someone else can register your domain name. Even if your registrar can retrieve your domain name after it expires, it may take a few days for your Web site to come back online.

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