Online business registration
 

Hey Everyone,
Here I am again...! If anyone of you has an online business, would you guide me on how to register the domain name? I am not selling physical goods, rather, a service, but I have read on books that I need to register my domain name to avoid any complications down the road.

I really want to move forward with this idea, and could use some guidance.

Regards,
Latte11

P.S. This forum is a blessing, and I am so proud to be a "DREAMER", and know how hard we have worked to be standing on our two feet today!

Re: Online business registration
 

Domain name? Domain names are addresses. For example, www.cars.com, is a domain name and its easier for a human to understand cars.com than a string of numbers 57.9420.24286
I think you are talking about a DBA, Doing business as and a Corp., Inc., LLC etc...

Re: Online business registration
 

Yes, you are absolutely correct, I am talking about registering the actual name (e.g., www.applegirls.com). Any suggestions?

Thank you for your time!

Re: Online business registration
 

You want to trademark it? If you already have the domain, it's already registered.

Re: Online business registration
 

At OP:

Please watch this video and pay attention to how to set up a hosting account and how to register your domain name. I hope this helps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgu-Z4psiBA

Re: Online business registration
 

I have the website hosted with Ipage.com I don't think it is registered yet, don't you?

Re: Online business registration
 

It seems like you might have to purchase this domain via auction first. This basically means that someone else currently owns this specific domain, but it's just parked waiting for someone to buy it.
After you buy the domain, you will have all of the rights to that domain and you can then host with any company that you want.

http://www.godaddy.com/domains/searc....aspx?ci=54814

Re: Online business registration
 

You already have the hosting with that company? If you do, then get a domain from them. I recommend hosting your page with Bluehost. Try getting that domain name with your hosting company if possible even if they charge a few more. The reason I recommend this is because transferring a domain name can be a hassle for beginners. Companies make it complicated to transfer a domain because they make you wait 60 days for the transfer. If you buy it from your hosting company, you don't have to wait to use it. You can immediately launch your page by uploading your files. People all over the world will find you by typing the domain you chose.

Re: Online business registration
 

Hello g33k,
Yes, this company is my hosting company. I pay a monthly fee ($19.99 or so) to be able to have the website with them. From a business perspective, in what way would I benefit by buying the domain name from them?

I am very new to the world of e-commerce, and trying to learn as much as I can.

Thank you again for your time!

Have a blissful day,
Latte11

Re: Online business registration
 

Do you have your website template/files? Or are they providing you with that stuff? $20 a month is way too much. If you have your files ready to upload, you can get hosting for as little as $80 a year with a lot of known companies. If you want hosting for more than a year, companies usually offer discounts. From a business perspective you will lose time, time is money. I mentioned before that you will have to wait 3 months to transfer the domain.

What I recommend doing is cancel your subscription and work on your website somewhere with another host. There are two great free open source ecommerce platforms that you can play with. One of them is Magento and the other is OsCommerce. Check tutorials on how to install them. Magento is more commonly used. You can always get a free Magento template that suits your needs.