Domain Transfer Domain Names Domain Name or URL (uniform resource locator) The address of a Web site on the Internet Example: millerdavisagency.com Domain Name Registrar A company where domain names are registered on the Internet Example: Network Solutions (www.networksolutions.com) Tips for Choosing a Domain Name: Can consist of letters, numbers, and hyphens (-), but cannot begin or end with a hyphen Cannot include spaces or symbols, such as ampersands (&) or underscores (_) Can be between two and 63 total characters Are not case sensitive If possible, choose a domain that matches your company name or is a logical abbreviation If your first choice is not available, some alternatives include: Choosing a domain name based on a product you sell If .com is taken, then consider using .net Using synonyms, adding hyphens or including a location on the end, such as your state’s abbreviation Keep your domain name as short as possible, but not so short that it is unrecognizable Choose a domain that is easy to say, understand, remember, type, and spell You can register more than one domain name to use for the same Web site Domain Name Registration and Responsibility A domain name can be registered at one place, but may be hosted at another Whoever has the domain name registered is responsible for renewing that domain name If a dealer has registered their own domain name and points it to our Web server (DNS), BUT DOES NOT transfer the domain name into our registrar account, we are then the host of the Web site, but the dealer is still responsible for renewing the domain name Whatever Web server (name server; DNS) a domain name is pointed to, this is where the Web site under that domain name is hosted Transferring a Domain Name To completely move a domain name’s registration from one registrar account to another Pointing a Domain Name Setting what Web server (DNS) the domain name points to (this can be done without transferring the domain name to another registrar account) Web Sites, Hosting, and Transfers Three Parts to a Live Web Site Domain name Web site files Web server (name server; DNS) Hosting a Web Site In order for a Web site to be hosted, the domain name needs to point to, and the Web site files need to be saved on the same Web server. If the Web site files are not on the Web server that the domain name is pointed to, the Web site will not come up on the Internet. Transferring an Existing Web Site and Hosting to Miller Davis The Web site files must first be received so they can be placed on our Web server. Once this is done, the domain name must then be pointed to our Web server (DNS). At that point, the Web site will come up on the Internet with Miller Davis as the host.