About
domain names
A website name (such
as "www.yourName.com") is also known as a domain name or a
URL (Uniform Resource Locator).
You can buy domain
names directly from an online domain name registrar. We have around
800 domains for sale at DealNames.com
and around 170 brandable domains offered at TechBrand.com
(see details below).
Please note that the
Website Package offered by Click as a Flash includes the purchase
(for a year) of a .com, .biz, .ws or .info
name, but not other country specific names.
How
they work
A domain name such
as clickasaflash.com can be purchased before it's site has actually
been created. Then, the name is "pointed" or "parked"
at the registrar's site so that all registered registrars know that
name is taken.
Anyone who tries to
look at a purchased name which doesn't yet have a site will instead
be redirected to an error page or notice on the registrar's site saying
something like "the site you are seeking is a registered domain
name but it doesn't have a website yet" or whatever.
Later, once the name's
actual site is created and placed on a server (a 24 hour connected computer)
the domain name must be directed away from the registrar and instead
pointed at this actual server. Only then is the website accessible to
the public. (Note that two servers are generally used so that when one
goes down temporarily, the other one is still available.)
Domain
names for sale
If you don't already
have a domain name or are having trouble finding one, there are many
aftermarket sites such as Deal
Names which have hundreds or thousands of pre-owned domain names
for sale.
(DealNames.com which
specialises in business domains for sale is wholly owned by Click
As A Flash.)
Brandable
Domains
Short, catchy and
memorable domains are highly sought after. A short, catchy name gives
your new business an excellent advantage right from the start. Fortunately
we offer a large range of brandable names for sale via our dedicated
site: TechBrand.com
which features around 170 domains.
Buying
domain names
Details on how to
easily buy a name follow later.
The cost of purchasing
a .com, .biz, .ws or .info domain name is
included in your purchase of a Website Package from Click as
a Flash.
(If you already own
your domain name the package fee reduces by $15.)
This registration
lasts for one year after which it must be renewed. Some registrars allow
you to purchase multiple years.
If at any time you
choose to discontinue hosting with us, we can transfer the domain name
to you.
Country specific domain
names such as .co.uk for Britain or .com.au for Australia
are not included in our package.
Why
we recommend you register your name yourself!
It's in your own
best interests to register your own domain name. It's best for you to
fully own and control (and renew) your domain name which is, after all,
your second business name and a precious asset. For us to do it would
be like commissioning us to visit your government office to register
your business name for you. And by doing it yourself, you can take responsibility
for renewal to avoid the possibility of it being forgotten!
Please note that we
only register names on behalf of hosting clients. In that case, if you
choose to discontinue hosting with us, your site name should be transferred
to you or your new webmaster.
Other web companies
like to provide your domain name to "lock you in" as a customer!
Domain registration
only costs around $10 per year.
How
to buy domain names yourself
It's an easy and
straightforward process. With credit card handy, you visit a domain
name registrar and follow their instructions. (Which registrar depends
on whether you want a .com or .co.uk or .com.au
type etc).
Good registrars make
it simple. There are two basic steps:
- Do a search on
the registrar's own on-site search engine for the name you want.
- If the name is
available, you fill in a secure (128-bit encrypted) form with your
details and credit card number etc and send in your order and payment.
That's it, you can own a name in minutes!
However, you will
probably find that the name you want is already registered. Fortunately
there are domain sales sites such as BuyDomains® and Sedo®
who have millions of domains for sale. See their sites for info.
What's
next?
After you purchase
a name, you or your registrar "point" it at the registrar's
own site, even though you have no site yet. (This is so other registrars
know that that unique name has just been purchased - registrars link
to each other's sites.) To activate it once you have built a site, access
it again on the registrar's site and key in the server (hosting computer)
names of whoever will be your real host. So if you are purchasing a
Website Package from us, we provide you with our host server's
address for you to point your domain name at.
Please note that different
rules and fees apply to different name types. For example, only governments
can use the ".gov" extension. But the method of buying one
is similar for all types.
About
registrars
Registrars vary between
countries and so do their fees. They are generally private companies,
but they are authorised by governments and by ICANN (Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
who coordinate the international data). They cooperate and connect with
each other so that two registrars cannot both sell the same name to
two different clients.
The icann.org
site has lots of information about domain names, and also lists many
registrars.
Click as a Flash
uses registrars like Moniker.com and Godaddy.com for the numerous
international .com names we own. Their fee is a very affordable
around $US10 per name per year and their site is very easy to follow.
In Australia (for
.com.au) visit melbourneit.com.au
whose fee is $A140 for two years.
These sites contain
more detailed and up-to-date information than appears here.
For other specific
country names, you need to check out your own nation's registrars
for the best deals. If you are not sure how to do this, you could
try visiting a search engine like google.com
and if you want a British website for example, enter words like: "Britain,
domain, registrar" in the search field. Or look at ICANN's list
of accredited registrars.
About
rules
International domain names
(.com)
You can pretty well
register any name with the .com extension if it hasn't already been
taken. No-one regulates the words. That's the main problem — the
best names have been snapped up. But if you are imaginative, you might
be able to get a good name by being clever.
For example, a name
like "FantasticFlowers.com" might already be taken, but if
you're a florist in London, you might find that "FantasticFlowersLondon.com"
is available. Or "FantasticFlowersAnywhere.com".
Technical restrictions
do apply — you can only use lower case letters and numbers, though
dashes can be used. The name can be up to 63 characters in length.
Other names like .biz,
.ws (for "website") and .info are also available
and good names are still available in non .com extensions.
Alternatively, you
can visit domain aftermarket sites such as our own DealNames.com
where there are many pre-owned domain names for sale on offer.
Register
a domain (for .com, .biz etc)
Actual registration
procedures may vary from what appears below.
Click as a Flash uses
and recommends the registrars Moniker.com and Godaddy.com
To register a .com
name (or other top level names eg .biz, .info) with Godaddy
you first set up a free account. This is then accessible anytime. On
their home page, click on the "Sign-Up" button at the top.
On the form that appears, fill in your details and a password. It must
be letters or numbers from 6-14 characters in length and for security
reasons cannot be a single dictionary word. Submit the form.
Go back to the home
page. Click on "Domain Registrations" at left. Perform a search
for your preferred name by typing it into the search engine text field
that appears and submitting it.
A new page appears
telling you if the name is available. (Other options and variations
on that name also appear. They are hoping to generate extra sales.)
If your desired name
isn't available, you'll have to try another.
If the name is available,
click on "Click here to add to cart!"
A new secure page
appears giving you the option of opening the account you just created.
Enter your name & password and continue.
A page appears featuring
the domain name(s) you have already placed in your shopping cart.
Here, you get the
option of selecting how many years to pay for. Click "Continue
Purchase."
A new page appears.
Check your name is correct. For the moment, leave the domain nameservers
pointed at their default (eg ns1.nameserver24.com). These are the fields
that have to be changed later to the nameservers of whoever will ultimately
host your site. Remember, after purchase, you are able to easily change
this via your new account (if you remember your password!) Click "Continue
Purchase".
(A "nameserver"
is simply the hosting computer which will eventually host your site.
Once purchased, names have to be pointed at a "host", in this
case your registrar, even before you have a site so that the world knows
that name has been taken.)
A secure page appears.
Input your credit card details and send. That's it! You shortly get
an email confirmation and receipt. And you can check on your domain
name at any time via your account. This registrar sends you an email
before renewal is due. Write yourself a reminder in next year's diary
as well. If you let your name expire, anyone can take it over!
I
own a name. What happens next?
Once we have created
a website for you, we notify you of the two server names of our hosting
provider. These names are simply domain names like ns1.server01.com
and ns2.server02.com.
You then go to your
registrar's site and open your secure account using your password. You
simply locate the fields containing the two names your domain name is
currently "pointed" at (ie the registrar's servers) and replace
them with the new server names we give you.
A day or two later
the entire world knows your new web address exists, and customers start
pouring in!
Australian clients
can click here for information about the .com.au
domain name
Special
note — new top level domains are coming
In June 2012 ICANN
(the domain name regulatory authority) announced they had received
1930 applications for new gTLDs (general top level domains). This
refers to the many hundreds of new dot categories of domains that
will soon be possible.
There will be entirely
new generic domains, brand domains and city domains appearing on the
internet. An overview of this exciting program has been published
at DomainNameExplosion.
New generic domain
extensions like .home, .search, .games, .online, .music and .web will
be available. Each of these new strings will have potentially millions
of associated domains... For example websites like Rock.music and
Business.web will be launched.
Another entirely
new category (often called the city domains) will also launch. Around
70 cities like London and Paris (and a few regions like Quebec) will
launch their own domain extensions. Websites like Museums.london and
Galleries.paris will appear on the net.
The Brand
Domains
Perhaps the most
interesting and game-changing event coming to the internet is the
advent of the brand domains. Approximately 680 of the world's most
famous companies are planning on launching their own brand strings
(extensions). Large corporations such as General Electric, Apple,
Google and Honda — to name just a few — are about to launch
their own dot brands. These companies will be able to leverage their
brands to create new marketing strategies that seem certain to transform
commerce on the web. A detailed strategic analysis of this program
is published at TheBrandDomains.com.
Super
Monopolies
Unfortunately, ICANN
has not made it mandatory for all the millions of new generic comain
names to be available for resale to the general public. In fact, many
applicants are intending to acquire a new domain string for their
own exclusive and private use.
This is not what
the web is supposed to be about — instead, some of the world's
major corporations are seeking to create their own private internets
— shutting you out...
Click as a Flash
is so disturbed by this that we have created an entire website about
this disturbing scenario. Millions of new websites are due to start
appearing in 2014. You can read about this significant threat to fair
global commerce on the internet at SuperMonopolies.com
