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Domain names

What do you need to know about domain names?

  • In order for a web site to be publicly accessible, you need a domain name.
  • Anyone can register a domain on condition that the domain is available and the registration rules are followed regarding the domain concerned (there are certain exceptions, such as .eu or .us, where it is necessary for the owner's address to be in the area concerned).
  • The domains are registered based on the "first come, first served" principle. Consequently, it is a good idea for you to register your domain as soon as possible.
  • You can register a domain name even if you don't publish a web site. Thus, you make sure that the domain is not registered by someone else before you do.
  • Many incorrectly check the availability of a domain, entering that domain in the browser to check if a web site is loading. The right method is to use the registration domain domain registrationform.
  • You can have your email operational at mailboxes such as name@mydomain.com, even if you don't publish a site on that domain.
  • An honest domain provider registeres the domain to your name, it gives you the freedom to change the provider without arbitrary costs and it does not condition the registration or the modification of a domain by other services.
  • Denominations used for a domain: domain name, internet domain, web domain. They all mean the same thing.

The internet domain denomination (or "web domains") is the address where the visitors can access a web site and part of the email address where someone can send an email-type message. A domain reservation is the first step to have an online presence.

The process by means of which you are entitled to the exclusive use of a domain name is called domain registration. Because the domains are registered based on the "first come, first served" principal, it is crucial for you to register your domain name as soon as possible. A domain suffix (.com, .org, .eu etc.) is predetermined by international organizations dealing with domain administration. You can choose from hundreds of predetermined suffixes and you can choose the string of letters and numbers that make up the first part of a domain name. In its complete form, a domain looks, for instance, as follows: mycompany.com, myservice.net, where .com and .net are predetermined suffixes (also called domain extensions or TLD=Top Level Domain), and "mycompany" and "myservice" are your personal choice.

With only a few exceptions, anyone can register an internet domain name. See the extension list below to ascertain technical information about domains and the registration rules.

Popular domain extensions

There are over 500 milion domains registered worldwide, and among these, certain extensions are very popular:

  • .com - represents more than 40% of all the domains registered worldwide. At the end of 2020 there were over 150 milion .com domains registered.
  • The next extensions on the popularity list are: .net, .org, .edu și .gov
  • .eu - is an extension we recommend if you address the clients in the European Union. At the end of February 2021 there were over 3.6 milion .eu domains registered.
  • .ro - the most popular extension in Romania. At the end of February 2021 there were 641,657 .ro domains registered.

Besides these popular extensions, our recommendation for you is to analyze if one of the new extensions is right for you, such as .co, .io, .app, .shop etc. There are greater chances for you to find such a domain free and it is a creative way to integrate the domain extension into the brand name.

If you have already decided what your domain name will be, go to domain registration.

Domain extension list

Click a domain name extension below to find out more information, including registration and transfer rules, price list or to register a domain name (also called "web domain").

Why do we need domain names?

The domain name is essential in order to have an online presence. This is an easy way for the visitors to know where to find your site and to send you email message.

Without a domain name, it would be necessary for everyone to know the exact IP address of the computer (server) where the site is hosted. If there were only one, there would be no problem, but in the end everyone should keep a web site name list and their related IP addresses they need to remember , only to be able to follow all of them.

This is the reason why the domain names are so useful. With a domain name, the visitors know where to access you site or where to send an email message (the full email address is necessary, which includes the domain name). The domain name system deals with the conversion of the domain name into the IP address of the machine on which the content is hosted. It is similar to a phone book, which transforms a domain name to an IP address and so the site can be loaded.

How can I choose a domain name?

The choice of an excellent domain name can be fun, but also difficult. The name should be short, easy to remember and relevant to your company or to your business. It is important for the companies to register a domain in order to protect their online identity, their trade mark or brand within their organization.

In order for us to help you choose more easily a relevant domain name for your activity, we have written the article 8 steps to choose an internet domain name.

If you have already decided upon the domain name you want to register, the only thing left to do for you is to go to Domain registration

Frequently asked questions about web domains

What is a web domain?

A web domain or an internet domain name is the address where visitors can access an internet website. The domain is also used for the email addresses. Thus, in order to have email addresses such as name@domain.com it is necessary that you register that domain.com.

Who can register a domain?

Generally, anyone can register a domain name, either a natural person or a legal person. There are few domain exceptions, which have certain registration restrictions. For instance, the .eu domains may only be registered by people from the European Union, the .us domains may only be registered by USA residents. To see the domain registration rules, go to domain list and click the domain you want to find out more about.

An internet domain is the same thing with a web site?

No. In order for a web site to operate and to be accessible on the internet, the following elements are necessary: (1) a domain name the visitors will enter in the browser to access the site, (2) the site's technical construction, usually performed by web designers and web programmers, (3) the text, image and even video content, (4) a web hosting service which runs the site's code, stores the site's content and serves the web site when a visitor accesses it through a web browser. As you can see, a domain name is just the first element of a web site. It is worth noting that you can register a domain name even if you don't have yet the other elements of a web site, which can be created later on. It is actually a good idea to first register the domain, to avoid it being registered by another person before you do. And you can use the email @yourdomain.com, even if you don't have a site published.

What do I need for customized email addresses like name@my-domain.com?

Two things are necessary: a domain name and an email hosting service. Our web hosting packages include the email hosting service and are, therefore, an affordable option for the email service. For a premium service see our business email hosting packages or for a service that includes advanced collaboration and communication features see the Google Workspacepackage.

How can I check the availability of a domain?

You can check if a domain is free using the domain registration form.

How can I buy a domain name?

In order to buy an internet domain name, the first step is to check if it is available, using the domain registration form.

Why do I have to pay the renewal of the domain, isnt't it enough for me to buy it once?

The internet domains have a regular fee, you cannot buy the domain paying only once. Among the reasons why there is a regular fee are the administration costs and nameserver root operating costs. The regular fee ensures a natural method for retrieving the domains that are abandoned by the previous owner.

After I pay for a domain, does it become my property?

Actually, the right terminology is that you pay for "the right to use" a domain name, it is not an ownership. Moreover, in exceptional situations, a domain can be refused when it is being registered or even cancelled later on. For instance, the .ro domains can be rejected when they are being registered if they are "names of obscene or pornographic domains" or a domain can be cancelled "if RoTLD is informed about an illegal action, referring to that specific domain name". These are extremely rare situations and most of the clients will not find themselves in this situation, but it's advisable to read the domain registration rules to avoid any surprises. For more information on this example, see the registration rules for .ro domains.

How do I know if a domain registration provider is honest?

An honest domain name provider registers the domain to your name, it will not restrict your freedom to move that domain to a different provider and it will not ask additional arbitrary costs for this move. There can be costs established by the high-level organization managing the extension and which must be paid regardless of the provider. These costs come, usually, with the extension of the domain registration period along with the transfer. Check the extension list to see if there are any transfer costs. An honest provider will not condition the registration, the modification or the migration of your domain by other services or costs.

You find more information about the internet domain names on the page Wikipedia.