A domain name is your website name. It is important you make a good choice to represent your business as it is also an image for your business.

1. What is a domain name? A domain name is simply an internet address. it is a name that identifies an IP address, e.g. the domain name "www.bluemonkey.it" is the domain name for this website i.e. www.microsoft.com. As no two names can be the same - once your chosen domain name has been registered and renewed when needed, it can not be used by any other person or organisation.

2. What if my domain name is unavailable? You could try a different domain name extension or you could try a different variation on the same theme. For instance, if your original choice of domain name was abcsystems.com you could abbreviate this to abcs.com abc.com and so on. Alternatively, you could use a hyphen abcsystems-uk.com or abc-systems.com.

3. Benefits of domain name registration? A domain name allows you to have your own personalised email and website address. This will never change even if you change your ISP. It portrays a more professional online image which is a simple and easy way for other people or potential customers to remember and use.

4. How long is the registration process? Your request is processed as soon as it is received. Generally it only takes minutes for gTLD's (i.e. .com and .net) and Nominet (i.e. co.uk) to confirm an application and a few hours for the process to be completed.

5. When is the best time to register a domain name? The simple answer is now! Domain name registration is becoming ever-increasingly popular with thousands of registrations taking place each month. Therefore. if you register your domain name now you are minimising the possibility of your name being used by someone else.

6. Who owns the domain name? You retain sole rights to the domain name for as long as you are registered. Domain names are registered in the name you give us, we do not register domain names in our name.

7. Is my email address sold or passed on? No, we do not sell or pass on email addresses to third parties.

8. What are the benefits of web hosting? lf you are looking for more features and control such as email POP3 boxes, spam assassin, anti-virus scanning and webmail (which allows you to check your email from any location) plus a host of other web-based features like MySQL, PHP, Frontpage extensions, graphical stats, then our hosting packages will suit you.

9. Is there a domain name transfer in or out fee? We do not charge a transfer fee. However ,in some cases there is a registrar fee please see below:

There are two main types of transfer: a transfer of services and a full transfer:

Transfer of Services
The domain name is still administered and renewed through your current host/ISP but uses our forwarding or hosting service. You only pay for any forwarding or hosting service that you require.

Full Transfer
The domain name is also administered and renewed through us.

.co.uk .me.uk .org.uk .plc.uk and ltd.uk
The registry (Nominet UK) do not charge a fee to fully transfer your domain name.

.com .org .net .eu .info and .biz
Registrar's charge a 1 year renewal fee to fully transfer the domain name (£12.99 +VAT). Upon successful transfer the domain name is also renewed for a further 1 year.

10. Can I upgrade my domain name to attach hosting at anytime? Yes, it is quick and easy to upgrade your forwarding account to a hosting account at anytime you wish. Simply let us know when you want to do this and it will be completed usually within 48 hours..

11. How long can I register a domain name for? A domain name ending in .co.uk .org.uk .ltd.uk or .plc.uk or .me.uk can only be registered for a period of 2 years.
Domain names ending in .com .net .org .info and .biz can be registered for a minimum of 1 year and up to a maximum of 10 years.
Currently .eu domain names can only be registered for a minimum 1 year period.

12. What are the rules of domain name registration? Domain name characters can be a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 63. UK domains can be a maximum of 64 characters including the actual extension itself.
Available characters include the letters a - z and numbers 0 - 9
The hyphen ( - ) is also available as a character but can not be used at the beginning or end of a word.
Underscores ( _ ) can not be used in a domain name, but can be used before the @ in an email address

.com Originally intended for use by commercial organisation. However, .com is now the most widely used by anybody throughout the world.

.net Provides you with a useful alternative to .com The principle that .net should only be used by network providers has been abandoned therefore anybody can now register a .net name.

.org Initially intended for use by voluntary organisation but can now be registered by anyone.

.info The good news is that anybody can register .info - don't miss this opportunity to get yourself a great domain name or to get the domain name you always wanted but was unavailable to you in all the usual extensions.

.biz Registration of .biz is restricted or intended to be used primarily for bona fide business or commercial purposes.

.info Any individual resident or any organization, business established within the European Community .

.co.uk The main UK domain can be registered by anybody.

.org.uk Originally intended for voluntary organisation's but can now be registered by anyone.

.me.uk The .me.uk second level domain is intended for personal use. Domain name registrations made under .me.uk are expected to be made for natural persons, such as Mr John Doe registering johndoe.me.uk.

.ltd.uk and .plc .uk Only to be used by Limited and PLC companies who must register their exact name as registered at 'Companies House'
For example your company name is: "My Fantastic Company Limited" you can register myfantasticcompany.ltd.uk or my-fantastic-company.ltd.uk

You cannot abbreviate your company name it must be exactly as registered with Companies House.

13. What can I do if my domain name is detagged? If your domain name has been detagged - we can help. In this instance you will need to email us with the domain name in question along with your personal details.

14. I am ready to buy a name, what do I do? Blue Monkey have teamed up with www.InternetButler.co.uk they provide reasonably priced domain names along with some great starter hosting packages. Simply visit their website to do everything online. If any particular domain name endings are not featured with them, please come directly to us at Blue Monkey for an alternative supplier.

To enquire about availability, transferring or buying a domain name visit Internet Butler or contact us here with your details or better still give us a call on 01733 352681 or skype 'bluemonkeyweb'