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How to register a domain name (web address) for my business.

Domain Names - also known as a URL or web address.
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Registering a Domain Name


Chilli Websites is a domain name reseller. We purchase domains at wholesale prices which allows us to register domain names for our customers at prices lower than most retail domain name registrars (i.e. Melbourne IT or www.domainregistration.com.au).

By providing this service to our web site clients it enables you to manage all of your web site requirements in one place and avoids spending time and effort (as well as more money) in coordinating web services.

Click here to have us register a domain name for you.

Click here for domain prices.


Domain Name Pricing and Registration Periods


There are different bodies that control the regulations for different types of domain name. For example, auDA (Australian Domains) will only allow 2 year registration periods - so any domain name ending in .au (i.e. .com.au or .net.au) can only be registered for a two year period, whereas ICANN (com/net/org/info/biz) allows from 1 to 10 years of registration for a domain.

Click here to view our entire listing, pricing and registration periods.


What is a Domain Name?


Also commonly referred to as a "URL" or a "web address", a domain name is a usable method of navigating the internet. Originally the internet was comprised only of IP addresses, such as 202.131.88.154 (if you click on this IP address you will see that it opens the Chilli Websites web site). Domain names were introduced to make the internet easier - it's a lot easier to remember a name like chilliwebsites.com than it is to remember the 12 digits behind the name.

Domain names are comprised of 2 or more parts, separated by dots. For example, the domain chilliwebsites.com has 2 parts - "chilliwebsites" and "com". "com" is the top level domain, or the end of the name, and "chilliwebsites" is the second level domain. The domain name "chilliwebsites.com.au" has 3 parts - "chilliwebsites", "com" and "au". The "au" is the top level domain, which is short for Australia. The "com" is the second level, which means that the domain name is a commercial business operating in Australia, and "chilliwebsites" is the name that Chilli Websites chose for our website. This is also the third level in the domain "chilliwebsites.com.au".

It is interesting to note that the "www." commonly associated with domain names is not actually a part of the domain name but is simply an abbreviation of "world wide web" which serves as an indication that the user is requesting a web site with the domain name (as opposed to an email address, FTP or other address associated with the domain name). You will note that you can type chilliwebsites.com or www.chilliwebsites.com into a browser and you will get the Chilli Websites web site with either request.


The Domain Name System


Domain names were created because they are easier to remember than numerical IP addresses. Every domain name is unique and is mapped to an IP address through the Domain Name System (or DNS for short).

There are 13 computers throughout the world called Root Servers, which hold the information about the whereabouts for all of the top level domain names (.com, .info, .org, .au, .jp, .uk, etc). The top level domain names include universal names such as .com & .info, as well as country-based names such as .au and .uk.

Every top level domain has its own database where information concerning the location of 2nd level domains are held. For example, the .com database would contain the information about the whereabouts of the chilliwebsites.com domain name, while the .au database would contain information about the whereabouts of the chilliwebsites.com.au domain.


Rules for Registration


Most domain names, with the exception of .au domains and .eu, can be registered by anyone. However .au and .eu domains have specific licensing requirements.


.com.au & .net.au
To purchase a .com.au or .net.au you must be an Australian registered company or business with a registered business number (ABN, BRN, BN) trademark owner and/or foreign company licensed to trade in Australia.

The licence requirements for a .com.au and .net.au domain name require your business to be registered for business trading in Australia, this means registering your business or company name with one of the official Government Authorities, eg ASIC, State Dept. of Fair Trading, or alternatively by obtaining an Australian Business Number (ABN) from the ATO.

The domain name you order should be an exact match, acronym or abbreviation of the supplied business registration, or it should bear a close and substantial connection to the domain name:

For example, the Ford Motor Company would be reasonably entitled to own:

www.fordmotorcompany.com.au
www.ford.com.au
www.mustang.com.au
www.fordfocus.com.au

Domains can be 2 to 63 letters
Words can be separated by hyphens, but not spaces.


.org.au & .asn.au
To qualify for these domains your organisation must be a "non-commercial organisation". The domain name you register should have a solid relationship to the organisation to which it represents.

For example, the Salvation Army are reasonably entitled to own:

www.salvationarmy.org.au
www.salvos.org.au


.id.au
This domain name is intended for individuals, who reside in Australia. You may register ANY personal name by which you are known.

For example, Jay Meredith could purchase:
www.jaymeredith.id.au


.eu
You must have a European Registrant Contact address to be eligible for a .eu domain registration.



Further Reading on Domain Names

For additional, more detailed information on domain names, view the Wikipedia article on Domain Names.



We encourage you to contact us with any questions or to register your domain name!



Last updated on October 15, 2007.
Domain name registration

Register your Domain Name
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Click here to register your domain name.

Click here for domain prices.

Quick Links within This Page:
Build my own website free website
Registering a Domain Name
Domain Name Pricing
What is a Domain Name?
The Domain Name System
Rules for Registration
   .com.au & .net.au
   .org.au & .asn.au
   .id.au
   .eu
Further Reading on Domain Names

FREE!    Domain Name for Life*
Build my own website free website free websites
When you elect to pay for your Chilli Website annually, we will include a FREE domain name of your choice for the life of your website*.

Alternatively, you can elect to pay for your Chilli Website either monthly or quarterly and we can still register a domain name of your choice (an additional fee of $44/year applies) and delegate the domain name to your web site.

*the free domain name applies for most common extensions (i.e. .com, .net, .com.au, .net.au, etc.) but not all. The free domain name is only available while your web site is paid for and on Chilli Websites' servers.
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