Uncategorized

Domain Name Registration – How to use your domain name

Domain ordered. So now what?

So you’ve bought a new domain name. Now what? Much depends on why you registered the domain name – but that’s the last of stating the obvious!

There are several options now ahead of you and we’ll try to cover them all in the document below. Whichever you choose you are free to change your mind in the future, there are no configuration costs for your domain name so you can change your mind as often as you wish. But first things first, you need to make sure your domain name registration request was executed correctly by viewing the domain registrant details on the public WHOIS record.

First things first…

1) Make sure your domain name is correctly registered

Once you have submitted your domain registration order and successfully paid, your domain registration request is immediately submitted to the appropriate registry. The domain should be showing as registered to you within a few short minutes. A common reason for rejection is “invalid postcode” or even a completely dreamed up address!

To verify that your registration was successful, go to our WHOIS lookup page and type in your domain name eg. yourdomain.co.uk. If the result is “no match” or “not found” and you have paid for your domain name then you must contact the Helpdesk immediately as it is possible that you registration request has been rejected OR your PayPal payment has not been correctly matched to your order.

Once you have established that your WHOIS record is correctly showing your submitted contact details then you can move on – it’s time to decide what to do with your domain name!

2) Did you purchase your domain name with a Web Hosting package?

If so, that’s great! So you have a full hosting package with your domain name, you need read no further here as your domain name will be automatically connected to your web hosting service and your web hosting control panel is in control of all aspects of your domain name.

3) Now it’s time to login to your Domain Control Panel (DCP)

Your domain name control panel is your domain control centre. Everything you could possible want to do with your domain name is done from here such as setting up aliases (email prefixes), email forwarding, web redirection, changing nameservers, changing IPSTAG or UNLOCKing your domain name. Everything, I think you get the picture!

How to: Domain Name Control Panel Visual Guide

Your domain name control panel can be entered using the link below:

https://www.uk-cheapest.co.uk/dcp

If you have problems getting in make sure that you are using the latest version of your browser, we recommend Chrome:

Download Google Chrome – The World’s BEST Browser

Once you have downloaded and installed Chrome we promise you will never want to use another browser!

4) If you have no immediate plans you can just leave your domain name parked

No immediate plans? That’s ok! Your domain is registered and this is now your domain name. Maybe you like the sound of it? You may be able to sell it in future, earn cash from domain parking (see below) or just keep it reserved for future use. It is entirely up to you but the main thing is to know that it is yours do with as you please and so doing nothing is a valid option!

5) How do I get my Domain Homepage online?

The Domain Homepage builder is very easy to use. When activated it overrides your “Web Forwarding” features.

    1. Login to your domain name control panel
    2. On the Features menu on the right, click on “Homepage Builder”
    3. Change “Homepage Builder” drop down box to “Active” from “Disabled”
    4. Select your desired homepage layout
    5. Enter the Main Title for your web site, eg. “Widgets and Gadgets Limited”
    6. Enter the Sub Title for your web site, eg. “Established sine 1999”
    7. Enter your contact email address, eg. “info@widgetsandgadgets.co.uk”
    8. Enter your Homepage header, eg. “Welcome to our website!”
    9. Enter your Homepage text, eg. “This website is all about us!”
    10. Select if you want an “About Us” page from the drop down box.
    11. Enter the information you want on the “About Us” page if necessary
    12. Select if you want a “Contact Us” page from the drop down box.
    13. Enter the information you want on the “Contact Us” page if necessary
    14. Press the “Save and Publish” button
    15. Your site is now online!

If you no longer require your Homepage simply “Disable” it. You can switch it back on at anytime.

6) How to setup email forwarding aliases for your domain name

In an effort to minimise SPAM to your domain name, all email automatically bounces UNLESS you have setup a forwarding alias. You setup which email addresses will be valid and to where this email should be forwarded.

In the example below, we will set “sales@yourdomain.co.uk” to be forwarded to “myhome@hotmail.co.uk“.

    1. Login to your domain name control panel
    2. On the Features menu on the right, click on “Update Email Forwarding“
    3. In the alias text box on the left type the alias name, eg. “sales”
    4. In the destination text box on the right type the target email address eg. “myhome@hotmail.co.uk”
    5. Now press the “Add” button on the right of the destination email address.
    6. Now all email sent to “sales@yourdomain.co.uk” will be forwarded to “myhome@hotmail.co.uk”
    7. Add as many aliases as you wish, eg. “info”, “webmaster”, “bob” etc.

7) You have full control of the DNS for your domain name

Our domain names are easy to use with online services such as Google Apps. Weebly, Moonfruit, Apple’s dotMac and MobileMe service. Configure your domain name DNS in a single click – instantly – for all of these great services!

Our domain names are easy to use with online services such as Google Apps. Weebly, Moonfruit, Apple’s dotMac and MobileMe service. Configure your domain name DNS in a single click – instantly – for all of these great services!

With our new advanced web interface DNS Manager, you can configure your domain names to function with any hosting provider or server of your choosing. This process can be used for Weebly, Google Apps, Apple’s dotMac and MobileMe.

8.) You can connect your domain name to any web host

Your web host will provide the information to you. You will either have a URL to forward to such as:

http://www.freewebspaceprovider.co.uk/mydomainwebspace

Or your provider will ask you to change the nameservers to something such as:

ns1.nameserver.co.uk
ns2.nameserver.co.uk

Or finally (!) your provider will ask you to change DNS A records and provide an IP address such as:

12.23.34.45

All of these option can be performed within your domain control panel, the giude further up may assist.

If you have any problems contact the Helpdesk, copy+paste the instructions you received from your provider and our Tech Support will do the rest for you if you absolutely, positively and thoroughly get stuck.

9) How to modify your DNS A, MX, CNAME or TXT records

You can freely add or delete all A, MX, TXT (SPF) and CNAME records for your domain using the DNS Manager. The records are added in realtime, there is no delay to your record changes being submitted to the server.

Access the DNS Manager by logging in to your domain name control panel. Then select “DNS Manager” from the navigation menu on the right. You can now add/delete DNS records as per your web hosting instructions.

10) Make money with your domain name using the Namedrive domain parking programme

First you need to sign up to a domain parking programme, we recommend Namedrive as they at present pay the greatest clickthrough rates. Sign up to Namedrive, add your domain (full instructions provided at Namedrive) and then login to your Domain Control Panel and forward your domain to Namedrive using a forwarding URL such as:

http://www.ndparking.com/yourdomain.co.uk

You can use Masked or Unmasked forwarding, the choice is yours. There is a plethora of information atNamedrive concerning adding keywords to your domain in the Namedrive parking system.

Another popular parking programme is run by Sedo whilst earnings from clicks are lower than Namedrive you are more likely to be made an offer to purchase your domain name outright by a private buyer.

11) It’s easy to transfer-in domains to UK-Cheapest.co.uk

Now you have an account with UK-Cheapest you may be wondering if you can transfer your other domains to your control panel? Well of course you can! Once your domains are transferred to us you can use all of our domain name facilities and your future domain renewal costs will be at our super low rate! Go to Domains Transfers for more information.

12) How to transfer your domain name to a new owner

So you’ve sold your domain name – congratulations! To transfer your domain name to a new owner (for example, if you sell the domain name) this can only be performed direct via Nominet.

For more information please review the Nominet Registrant Transfers FAQ.