How to buy a domain and how to find available domains. Assoprovider offers its advice and five strategies to avoid making gross mistakes.
Since the beginning, the first providers have worked as "real estate agents of the Network." The houses they offer to individuals and businesses are virtual and are called domains. An online domain is comparable to a physical street address, technically a web space hosted on a server, which allows you to identify yourself on the Network.
Assoprovider explains what a domain is and how to register one, offering advice to avoid mistakes: "Buying a web domain is a very delicate part of a company's communication strategy because it determines its future on the Internet.», explain our experts today, Marcello Cama from Netlab and Antonio Aprea from NowTech.
How to register a domain
Today, the procedures for purchasing a domain have become much simpler. Until a few years ago, to register an internet domain, it was necessary to fill out a form, addressed to a person or a company. The document then had to be signed and sent via fax:
«For some years now, Providers, known as Registrant, allow individuals and companies to register domains by filling out an online form. The client enters their data and in real-time the domain name is associated with a web space, that is, a portion of the server," explain Cama and Aprea.
Not all providers are Registrant. To become one, they must be accredited with the CNR entity, given the costs and the required infrastructure, many providers "rely" on an ISP (internet service provider). This is a common practice especially among web agencies and webmasters.
Domain verification: here's how to do it
Before purchasing a domain, it is necessary to check if it is available. I provider they are not responsible in this regard. Their task is only to check whether the space is free or not, and proceed accordingly.
In addition to checks at patent offices, there are online sites you can use for initial control activities. The reference site for Italian domains is www.registro.it where the data of over three million registered domains is collected.
"It is necessary to be meticulous in this verification phase. You can even end up before a judge for an online domain. And in case of conflicts and disputes, they can also be "removed ex officio," creating significant economic and reputational damage.
Buying a domain: how to avoid mistakes
The domain purchasing phase is more delicate than one might think. There are major players that allow you to buy domains remotely in just a few steps. Yet, it is necessary to rely on consultants to avoid gross errors and expand one's online visibility:
"There is a difference between industrial providers and 'artisan' providers, those who offer ad hoc consultancy services. Seconds are necessary intermediaries who guide the client in making the right and most appropriate choice, based on their skills and experience."
Cama and Aprea explain that the "domain becomes a fundamental part of the company's communication strategy." In this sense, consultancy and support activities have beneficial effects on the company's entire online activity:
"Imagine being Microsoft and wanting to register this trademark. A provider will conduct a search and advise you to also register a similar word like “micorsoft”, because the Internet user might make a typo when entering the domain name. At the same time, if your company is called Pandant and you want to export the product to the French market, the internet provider will advise you to also register Pendant, given the pronunciation of nasals in the French language. In short, all things that an industrial provider will not tell you."
What advice for those buying a domain?
In the final part of their presentation, Cama and Aprea offer some advice on how to effectively purchase domains:
- The analysis of the name. It is a necessary phase. The domain is "the label you stick on the front," and it is necessary to choose a name associated with your company and also with the product or service you sell.
- The choice of the extension. .Net, .Org., .Com, ensure that there is consistency between the extension you have chosen and the business activity you carry out.
- Rely on consultants. The support of an experienced provider can help you avoid making mistakes in the future.
- Avoid self-referentiality. A mistake to avoid is being too self-referential when choosing a name (such as including first and last name in the domain) when it is not a choice tied to a specific marketing strategy.
- Attention to spelling. This is a rule that applies especially when choosing foreign names. If you register "knowhow.it", you will find yourself constantly having to spell your domain to clients, with the possibility that they make mistakes. The same goes if you use hyphens or underscores. The spelling issue worsens when you dictate your email address over the phone or at a meeting, especially if you don't have a business card.
- Corporate email boxes. In the corporate environment, it is recommended to use the email domain together with the first and last name, for example surname@domainname. In this case too, if the interlocutor remembers your first name, last name, and company, it will be easier to memorize your email address.
