Domain names

[GraemeVW]

I have asked a little about this in my other website thread, but I have a more specific query that I felt needed it's own thread.

At some point next year I am going to start a small business making items and selling them online. I have no idea how small, or big, this business will end up.
I want the website to be quite professional though.

What it turns out i REALLY don't understand though is how domain names work.

I know what name I want, and its available, so im wondering if i should just buy it now, just in case someone else wants to use it.

But, how do i do this?

It seems I can buy the .co.uk for anything from £1 a year to £20 a year, depending who inbuy it through.
I have no idea if I'd use a website building site to do the website, or pay someone to build it. I've no idea what company I'd use or anything.

I just, for now, want to make sure no one else can use the name. I also want to make sure that i can use the name in any way i wish. So, for arguments sake, i decide to use wix to build the website myself, i dont want to not be able to use the name because ive bought it through a different provider.


As with my other thread, it's awkward for me as I don't even know what questions I'm asking!

I just want to reserve the domain name.

Its scary how little I understand the internet/websites!!

Thanks.

 

[jonclancy]

Just buy it through IONOS (or similar) to retain the name. You can build your website later. Depending on the complexity, you could use a program or sitebuilder youself. If it’s complex, then pay someone to do it. Plenty of small companies out there will make you a site and maintain it.

 

[julianf]

They're like mobile phone numbers.

They have to be "somewhere" but they are yours to move to the "somewhere" of your choice.

Most hosting packages will include a .co.uk name in the price of the package.

Or, if you're hasty, get it now and move it later.

 

[GraemeVW]

O have been planning this company for 7 years, but never got round to starting it. The products are designed, the name is chosen, the logo is drawn.
2024 is going to be the year.
If, in spring, I then find out the name has gone, I'd be upset

Ok, great. The phone number analogy helps.

So I can buy it from anywhere, it doesn't matter. And then in future I can use/move it anywhere I wish.

Paying a few quid now, just to make sure someone else doesn't use it, seems like cheap insurance.

Just needed to check my lack of knowledge doesn't mean I end up doing something that causes mkre problems than it solves later down the line.

 

[ajlelectronics]

A domain name is a bit like a PO Box number. Anything directed at that address will be redirected anywhere you choose. If you point it at a website, Your "www.mydomain.uk" could be pointed at "www.freewebsitebuilder.com" in which case the address shown in the top bar will change to that address. For an illustration, go to http://www.classicmicrocars.com/ and watch what happens in the top address bar field.

If you choose a "hosting" company, it is an invisible process and so the address bar will show your chosen domain name at all times.

 

[optima21]

I have my own domain, Ive had it for longer than I can remember, I just use it for email, I got an org.uk domain as it was much cheaper back in the day than a .co.uk domain.
www.optima21.org.uk (take a look says its hosted for free) thats with fasthosts.co.uk

think the email cost about £3 a month and they just increased that to 5GB of data for emails. (think introductory offers may be cheaper)

I had nothing to do with the setting up though, a relative did that, it used to be on his own servers but then he wanted to use them for his business only.

 

[colnerov]

I to am confused about websites and domain names and all that, however I read a piece of advice a while ago. Don't just buy the name you want buy other similar versions of it. For example, if you were to use your forum name get different spellings of Graeme and reversing the 'V' and the 'W' or add a number, because if your business takes off someone could come along and use a similar name and take away business that you could have had where the general public don't read the name correctly. They could even hold it for ransom.

Colin

 

[GraemeVW]

I to am confused about websites and domain names and all that, however I read a piece of advice a while ago. Don't just buy the name you want buy other similar versions of it. For example, if you were to use your forum name get different spellings of Graeme and reversing the 'V' and the 'W' or add a number, because if your business takes off someone could come along and use a similar name and take away business that you could have had where the general public don't read the name correctly. They could even hold it for ransom.

Colin

With what I'm planning, copycats shouldnt be a problem. But i can see why that could matter with ither businesses.

While on this subject, what about e.mail addresses?
Will that be tied in with the website?
Just thinking if I buy the .co.uk, should I be registering any e.mail addresses too?

 

[julianf]

There are (were?) a couple of sites that offer free domain names, but, when you read the small print, they then own the domain.

Just be sure you don't get sucked in there.

As AJ says, with regards to where the domain name is stored, it kind of doesn't matter anyway.

What happens is someone types in the name, or sends an email, or whatever, and wherever the domain name is stored then tells the requesting computer to go to XYZ.

So the company storing the domain may do nothing more than serve up tiny redirects. Or they can do the storage of the website at the same time. But it doesn't have to all be in the same place.

To complicate things, you could have the email records pointing to a machine in Asia somewhere and the web records pointing to a server in America. It doesn't matter... Its all just numbers.


But, at this stage, just buy the domain name from some semi reputable company (personally I'd stay away from ionos or whatever there called but there have been recommendations for them above - if you go with them keep a hawk eye on what they're billing you for every year as they will sling extra stuff on and charge you for it if you don't opt out all the time)

Around y2000 ish, I had an adsl contract with a fixed ip, so I redirected mail somewhere proper (for fault tolerance) and had the web server itself sitting under my desk. Again it's all just numerical redirects. Physical location doesn't really apply so much with this stuff.

 

[julianf]

With what I'm planning, copycats shouldnt be a problem. But i can see why that could matter with ither businesses.

While on this subject, what about e.mail addresses?
Will that be tied in with the website?
Just thinking if I buy the .co.uk, should I be registering any e.mail addresses too?

Your domain name covers it all. As per my prior mail it all just gets split up on the records thereafter.

 

[julianf]

My work domain is registered (records held) somewhere (I can't remember where but I could look it up in 5mins)

The web server is a virtual server run by a UK chap. Who knows where the actual machine is. Could be anywhere. I get the an apache server and a MySQL database on that (server serves up stuff but you need a database for other "stuff" including, if you want, WordPress)

The mail goes somewhere... I set it up years ago and could work it out in 5 mins, but I don't know now. I never interact with the mail server as I route it to a Gmail interface as their spam filtering is pretty good.

When I reply to emails, I can set it so there's no visible mention of gmail.

Again is all just redirects. You can have stuff all over the place. It doesn't really matter at all.

 

[GraemeVW]

Your domain name covers it all. As per my prior mail it all just gets split up on the records thereafter.

Thanks for the explanations, starting to make more sense now.

My partner found somewhere saying the .co.uk I wanted was £1 a year then £10 a year after. She was looking for cheapest options. I'm not bothered, it's peanuts, and cheap insurance against not being able to use the name later.

I'll read any terms carefully.

Just so I understand, I'm basically claiming the name, but it has to be registered somewhere or it goes back into circulation. So I'm not buying the name, I'm paying a company to keep it on their books and provide redirection services. Doing this stops anyone else using it.

if I fall out with that company, I can pay a different company to provide that service, or just hold the name for me.

seems that you don't actually own the name (although maybe once you have a whole business built around it you may?) You have just reserved the rights to use it as your address to redirect from, and are paying the provider to do the redirecting.

 

[winchman]

I have had one for several years, its .co.uk but not a sales site, some one in the US has bought the same but .com, they contact me every few months and try to flog it to me and wont believe I am not interested. So the point above about buying variations and miss spellings is very valid.
EG B&Q have DIY.co.uk and no doubt severe variations. You also need to learn about Google Spider and what ever other magic helps you stay at the top of the search engines.
You will need
Faceach
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram etc
and keep them updated.
Not to mention any forums to do with the product
It may well be with looking for teenage nerd who can help you, you write content they get it in the rankings, if its sales give them a cut of profit as an insentive.

 

[GraemeVW]

I have had one for several years, its .co.uk but not a sales site, some one in the US has bought the same but .com, they contact me every few months and try to flog it to me and wont believe I am not interested. So the point above about buying variations and miss spellings is very valid.
EG B&Q have DIY.co.uk and no doubt severe variations. You also need to learn about Google Spider and what ever other magic helps you stay at the top of the search engines.
You will need
Faceach
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram etc
and keep them updated.
Not to mention any forums to do with the product
It may well be with looking for teenage nerd who can help you, you write content they get it in the rankings, if its sales give them a cut of profit as an insentive.

Constantly turning down someone trying to sell you their domain as you don't want it sounds like fun

It's not something I'd even want to get too big.
For arguments sake, let's pretend it's a dog shampoo and I'm calling it www.ruby1234.co.uk
Probably no need to have .com too as I don't need it and no one is going to try and sell the same thing to take business from me.
It will take a little while to get the name out, and sell enough product, but if I can turn it into something that makes £30k a year I'd be over the moon! (Its not dog shampoo, dog is just sat next to me )
If it started to get serious, require business premises, proper distribution, staff etc, and turned into a 100k a year business I'd probably fold it. I'm really not interested. I don't want to do loads of work, even for loads of money.
Just want a simple sideline that only takes part time hours and can keep me living.

All the social media's are a very good point though. I'll need those. I'd better check they've sent taken either and get on those too

 

[julianf]

Thanks for the explanations, starting to make more sense now.

My partner found somewhere saying the .co.uk I wanted was £1 a year then £10 a year after. She was looking for cheapest options. I'm not bothered, it's peanuts, and cheap insurance against not being able to use the name later.

I'll read any terms carefully.

Just so I understand, I'm basically claiming the name, but it has to be registered somewhere or it goes back into circulation. So I'm not buying the name, I'm paying a company to keep it on their books and provide redirection services. Doing this stops anyone else using it.

if I fall out with that company, I can pay a different company to provide that service, or just hold the name for me.

seems that you don't actually own the name (although maybe once you have a whole business built around it you may?) You have just reserved the rights to use it as your address to redirect from, and are paying the provider to do the redirecting.

Again, it's like UK mobile numbers. I think (although I'm not certain) that you can't have them without a network. Ie they have to be registered somewhere, and, if you don't spend any money with that network for long enough, they will release them and then you no longer have it.

Domains need to be registered (for a fee, for x years) and then re registered when the time runs out. If you forget, someone else can register it and then that's it - gone. Same as loosing a mobile number.


So you kind of own it, so long as you keep up the registration payments. And those are to the "registrar" rather than the host. You can swap registrar whenever you like. There's no (that I've ever found) release fee or anything like that. You just get in touch with them and ask for, I forget what it's called, but the equivalent of a PAC code for a mobile number (port authorization code - again it's some other three letter acronym for web stuff)


.co.uk are cheap. And you don't need to pay for hosting to keep the name, just registration.

But some names cost loads (like £000s) to maintain. Don't worry about them though, you wouldn't just stumble into that.


For someone to hold your domain name is a few lines of records. For someone to hold your website is some disc space and bandwidth.

One is pretty much without cost, and the other is, pretty much, without cost (but a bit more) for a small low traffic site.

 

[julianf]

The registrar is the company that you pay for the domain. They then hold that redirect table so that, if someone types in your .co.uk into their web browser, it's the registrar that then (generally) holds the DNS records, which are the little redirect things that tell the person's computer that's just typed in the website to go to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx machine for the actual data.

 

[winchman]

Constantly turning down someone trying to sell you their domain as you don't want it sounds like fun

It's not something I'd even want to get too big.
For arguments sake, let's pretend it's a dog shampoo and I'm calling it www.ruby1234.co.uk
Probably no need to have .com too as I don't need it and no one is going to try and sell the same thing to take business from me.
It will take a little while to get the name out, and sell enough product, but if I can turn it into something that makes £30k a year I'd be over the moon! (Its not dog shampoo, dog is just sat next to me )
If it started to get serious, require business premises, proper distribution, staff etc, and turned into a 100k a year business I'd probably fold it. I'm really not interested. I don't want to do loads of work, even for loads of money.
Just want a simple sideline that only takes part time hours and can keep me living.

All the social media's are a very good point though. I'll need those. I'd better check they've sent taken either and get on those too

Some of the things I think are worth knowing.
No profit shut up shop, its surprising how many people flog a dead house and could make more working in Asda, but for some its life style choice.
Not all growth is good, you can end up too big and make less money
Paddle your own Canoe, Look out for a business partner, they will find you, promise loads but give little, some work but I believe mostly not.
Never share the slightest hint about suppliers etc

 

[winchman]

Just one last thing
Talk to a good accountant, look at going Ltd, have the correct liability insurance

 

[galooph]

Me (and several others on here, I think) use https://www.mythic-beasts.com. They can sort you out with domains, email and hosting, but they're real people who know their stuff. Their support is legendary

No connection to them other than as a customer.

 

[julianf]

I think I bought my last domain with namecheap?

I think you even get a bit of cash back with quidco.