If you’ve decided to go with the com domain, go to the registration form at the ICANN Domain Name Template Generator. Your first choice is whether to use ICANN’s new Guardian feature, which offers you various security choices for domain name transactions (see our news story “Domain name sign-up made more secure” for details). This will prevent unauthorized follow-ups to your registration or tampering with your account. If you want to use the Guardian, click on the button and answer the questions.
Then you’ll be taken to the main registration form. If you don’t want Guardian, you can scroll down to the form immediately.
Fill in the form, beginning with your email address. Be sure to fill in all the blanks; the form will not be accepted with incomplete information. Because you’re asking for a domain that is assigned to businesses, you’ll be asked for information such as administrative and technical contacts as well as the purpose of your organization. Unless you actually have a staff working for you, use your own name and address for the contacts. Make up your company’s purpose. When you’re asked for the IP addresses, paste them in from your clipboard.
At the end of the registration form, click on Submit Query. An ICANN robot immediately makes sure all the necessary information is there and emails a completed form back to you. You’re not finished, though. For unknown reasons, the form isn’t automatically submitted for registration.
If you don’t want to pay to live in a desirable online neighborhood, try a us domain name. You’ll find a registration template at the U.S. Domain Registration Services (USDRS). This form is similar to the ICANN form. (And of course you don”t have to send a check, because it’s free.)
Now that you’re registered, give your ISP a call and ask them to connect your new domain name to an IP address. Pay the appropriate fee (about $10 is standard), and you’re done. Now that you’ve got the cool domain name, you just have to create that Web page…
