[Question] Reserving a website address

[AmithS]

Hello All,

Say I decided on a website address for my new business and it is available but I don't want to actually start a website right at this moment.

What would be the best way to reserve the address?

Thanks,

[IanF]

PM softdux rudi, a member here with good service.

[Esquire]

You can reserve a domain name even if you do not use it e.g. www.companyx.co.za

all you pay is the yearly charge which is about R 50-80 depending on your service provider

however you can use the domain to point your business emails to it such as info@companyx.co.za or yourname@companyx.co.za instead of using a Gmail or yahoo mail accounts which do not do anything for your brand

If You need any help in that department , PM me your details which I will pass onto some really great guys based in Gauteng that host our mail servers and websites

[daveob]

a .co.za domain registration costs R 79 and thereafter R79 annually to keep it. As long as you have registered it, nobody else can use it.

When you do want to start using it, decide on who you want to host it ( which server ) and you're all set to go. Different hosting companies have different hosting packages so you can choose one that suits you.

PM me if you want me to register it for you.

I do have a dedicated server so can easily host a "Soon to be the home of ..." page for you.

[AmithS]

Thanks for all the advice and offers guys, I will consider and revert.

Thanks again,

[AmithS]

Hey guys,

First stumbling block,

When I type in the address I would like it comes up with

"Bad Request (Invalid Hostname)"

and when I did a name search for it on 1 of these sites I googled it says the name has been taken.

So I am assuming a squatter has reserved this site!

Is there any way to find out the owner or how much is left of the 1 year period before renewal?

Thanks,

[wynn]

go to http://co.za/banking.shtml and do the search for .co.za if it is available reserve it.

[AmithS]

Yip it is registered since 2002 but not in use.

I emailed the contact from co.za web.

Lets see what happens

Holding thumbs!

[SilverNodashi]

A .co.za domain will cost you R50 to register if you register directly through Uniforum on http://co.za
Use this form to register your domain: http://co.za/coza_reg.txt

But, if you don't want to try and figure out the technicalities behind it, then use a hosting company todo it for you. They'll obviously charge you for it though, but it might just make it much easier for you We charge R100 per year for a domain and include a free DNS control panel where you can manage your own DNS records, for example, to point your domain to Google Apps or something similar. Or signup for a free hosting package which includes hosting space, email, MySQL database, free website scripts, etc. Goto https://billing.softdux.com/order.php for more info.



But in this particular case where the domain already exists and it doesn't look like it has a website, you'll need to contact the owner of the domain (which you have) to see if he's interested in selling it. Remember though, a domain doesn't always tie to a website. Or, rather, the internet isn't limited to websites alone. Many companies use domains without having a website on it for email / VPN / etc purposes.

[AmithS]

Hi Rudi,

Thanks for the response, I have checked with the owner and it is not in use but he also does not want to give it up.

Reasons unknown!

[SilverNodashi]

well chances are he uses it for email, VPN, "to be cool", etc then

[mother]

JWalker, please take Rudi's advice and register the domain yourself directly with Uniforum. Besides saving R20-odd, it is the best way to ensure that it is actually registered in YOUR name, and not someone else. Oh, I've had some painful lessons in the IT field...

Anyway, when I first attempted to start my own business, I decided I needed a website, and since I didn't know anything about it, I asked a web developer to register the name for me. Well, the a-hole registered the domain in his name. Since the business never got off the ground, it didn't really matter in the end who owned the domain name. But imagine your business takes off, and the goodwill of your business becomes significant, then the ownership of your domain name could become a major issue. What if you decide to change to another host or developer, because you need better service? If it then turns out youryou don't own your domain, you could be held at ransom.

[AmithS]

Hey mother, I fully agree with you, that is a concern of mine.

I believe the best way is to check on the whois to see if the domain is registered to you or not.

The part that confuses me though is how do you really know its yours as you give very little info, names and contacts details, no ID numbers or anything of that sort.

Maybe Rudi can advise us? - I believe it gets more complicated if you register a .com as it reflects in an oversees companies name I guess due to legalities?

[Perform Computers]

10 bucks says the guest account is still active on that domain. Let your imagination loose....

[AmithS]

Guest account? What is that

Sorry I am not that cluded up on domains lol