Why should I register a domain name?

Your domain name is your identity on the Internet. If you want people to find you on the Internet, either to access your web site, or to send you email, you should have a memorable domain name to help them find your location. You should also consider registering your domain on the internet to stop other persons using it.

I've already got mycompany.com, so why should I get other domain names?

There are lots of reasons you might want to get another domain name. Some of the most common reasons are:

Why can't I just register my own domain name? Why do I need NetNames?

You can of course go to the trouble of registering your own domain name. Alongside NetNames' experience and ability to register your name quickly and efficiently, we also provides you with many valuable FREE services that you would have to pay for if you were using other suppliers. Here's what you get with a NetNames registration:

1. FREE DNS — you need to have at least two registered nameservers hooked up to the Internet to service your domain. NetNames provides that for FREE with no time limit.

2. FREE email forwarding. You can give out an address at your new domain (e.g., bob@mycompany.com) and have all mail forwarded to your current email addresss.

3. FREE WebForwarding™. Many people have web space that comes with their email account. Unfortunately, the URL is something unmanageable like http://www.provider.com/users/a/~username.html. With WebForwarding?, anyone who types in your new domain http://www.mycompany.com will automatically get sent to that horrible-looking URL. It's quick, it's simple, and it's FREE.

What is the point of registering a country domain when I've already got a .com domain which I thought was international?

All domain names (including of course .com) are visible to any machine connected to the Internet anywhere in the world. So your .com domain is international in the sense that it is accessible worldwide. BUT the fact that you have registered "mycompany.com" doesn't give you any rights over "mycompany.com.uk", or vice-versa. If you view your domain name as a brand-name equity, you might consider registering the same name in the country TLDs where you do business.

I've already got a domain name. How can I take advantage of your WebForwarding™ service?

All you have to do is transfer your domain to our servers. We'll handle all the details. As always, we charge a low one-time fee. Contact your local NetNames office for pricing.

What names should I register?

You should certainly register the name you will be trading under on the Web. That is probably your company name. For protection, you should probably also register any brand names that you have, especially if you haven't trademarked them or if they are generic words that you can't trademark. Good examples would be book and magazine titles, records and general product names.