If you are seriously considering running or operating an online business, then as a business owner or web designer you need to register a domain name for your business. It's the best way to set your business on a solid footing.

A domain name is like the official address of your website which when compared to the real world is like the official address of your office or home. Domain names are controlled under the Domain Name System popularly known as DNS. There are four key elements that make up a domain name.

They include the domain name, the server prefix, the domain extension or suffix and a country code. Country codes are usually optional as not all domains have one. For a domain name with the address www.webstar.co.ke; ‘‘www’’ is the server prefix while ‘‘webstar’’ represents the actual domain name and the ‘‘co’’ is the domain suffix while ‘‘ke’’ serves as the country code.

An example of a top level domain name extension is the ‘‘.com’’. There are other types of domain - the country code top level domains, ccTLDs like the ‘‘.co.ke’’ or ‘‘.co.uk’’ and the generic top level domains, gTLDs.

Registering A Domain Name Of Your Own

Several ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and free web hosting platforms are usually offering bargain-rated or free domain registration services that actually make the domain name an extension of their domains. These are not the best options if you are really wanted to set up a viable online business.

Registering a domain name without such extensions really makes your business look more professional and come to think of it - domain names are not really that expensive.

A lot of newbies don't realize that domain names matter on the internet. When choosing a domain name with your web designers, choose one that identifies your business and it’s also easy to remember.

When you have done this, it becomes very easy for people interested in your offers to type such kind of keywords that are related to your sites and see them turning up in the search engine results.

Sometimes, the most obvious or best domain names available have already been registered by people and might be available for resale on domain name flipping sites. These are some facts you need to consider when trying to start up an online business or during the domain name registration.

The best thing to do most times is to register a top level country code domain or a generic one. These are the sort of domains most people are used to online for certain products or services. A top level country code domain like .co.ke is okay if you are trying to sell your products or services to the Kenyan market.

If you would like to market your services or products to a global audience, then it is best you try to register a .com or .net domain.