Register your domain name before you start your site so you will be able to match your content to the name, not the other way around. You will be lucky to set up your site first and then get a name that matches it perfectly. If you get the chance to find a good name that is not already taken, register it before someone else does.

The governments of most of the world's countries have specialised domain extensions, for example, the UK has .gov.uk and the USA has .gov. This differentiates them from unofficial sites and acts as an instant, clear reassurance that visitors are on the relevant governmental website. In this way, they know that the information they read will be relevant and accurate, and any data they submit will go directly to where it is meant to be. It is now being argued that a special extension should be created for banks and building societies to provide the same reassurance for their customers.

What is the first step in creating a website for your company; setting up web hosting, hiring a designer, writing a press release or developing content? It's a tricky one but, in truth, it is none of these. There is one thing that must certainly come before all else. If you wish to start a website you must first select a domain.

To the web hosting industry, a domain name registration operation is vital in the race to attract as many customer as possible, but why do they work so well together?

The original domain names registrar, Network Solutions is also a complete small business online solution: find Web hosting, Web design, E-Commerce, Web site promotion, and more!

The Domain Name System (DNS) helps users to find their way around the Internet. Every computer on the Internet has a unique address - just like a telephone number - which is a rather complicated string of numbers. It is called its "IP address" (IP stands for "Internet Protocol").

Domain name registration has turned into a commodity business, with literally hundreds of sites ready to simplify the process for you. Here is a selection of interesting registration resources. Each resource has been rated from (lowest) to (highest) and resources are ranked by rating within each section.

Another twist on the normal domain names, Names By Net offers a domain name for $95 per year. Note that this is not a true secondary domain name, but a third-level domain name which means you do not own the name.

If the name you wanted is taken, or you want to emphasize where you are coming from, you could consider a country domain name. There's certainly a fair bit of choice out there...

Domain name research tools can help in your quest to find an available domain name that suits your business or personal requirements. Each resource has been rated from (lowest) to (highest) and resources are ranked by rating within each section.