You may want to read this off-line. What do I get when I purchase a domain name? The right to use that name for an initial period of two years, subject to certain conditions. Does it include hosting, my own site, e-mails, etc.? No, it just allows you the use of the name. You will need to get an ISP (Internet Service Provider) who will "host" your site on their server. Or you could host with us. (No obligation) Can I get one of the "free" servers to host it for me? In theory there is no reason why not, but as far as we know, there are no free ISPs who will host your own domain name for you free of charge. If you find one, let us know! Can you "park" or store it for me until I wish to use it? Yes...you get a FREE holding page to "park" your domain until you are ready to use it. If I decide to host with you, does it include telephone charges, dial up access, domain name, website design, etc.? No, by hosting your site on our servers, we only provide space for you to place your files, and access to those files by anybody requesting them over the internet. What else will I need? To make your own website available to the internet, you will need:- Your own domain name and web space. There are dozens of free dial up ISPs, offering "free" webspace but the main snag is that your site has to be called something like:- perfectnames.freeserve.co.uk which isn't going to impress your customers much. Some way of writing in HTML, you can use word-processors or a specialized HTML editor, unless you get someone else to design it for you. You will need a way to upload your completed pages (files) to the server. This is done using an FTP (File Transfer Programme). One of the most popular is Cute FTP, which costs about £35, and can be tried out before you buy it. You will obviously need a computer and a modem (V90 preferred), ISDN or T3 cable connection would be even better. A dial-up account with an ISP. We do not provide this. But we can arrange this for you. You can use any ISP you like, most of the free ones are OK. Why do I need a personalized domain name? If you intend to advertise your business on the internet, having a private domain name will create a better impression. It's easy for you and your customers and friends to remember. For example, telling someone to look at your new website at:- http://www.3rd-reef.freeserve.co.uk assuming you can remember it yourself!, isn't it easier to say: www.3rc.co.uk/? How can we do it for £50 per year when Nominet charge £80 plus VAT? It's very simple. As members of Nominet we get a discount - we pass this on to our clients. We are happy to work on a smaller profit margin than our competitors and expect a higher volume of registrations. Some other agencies charge fees of up to £100 plus VAT in addition to the stated £80 "Nominet" charge. We are pleased to offer the domain names at £50 every year and hope it will highlight the special offer we can make on hosting the domain also. As we keep saying, though, there is really no obligation to host your domain name with us. Just let us know where to point it and we'll update the server at Nominet with the information it needs. Is the domain name mine? Yes. The domain name will be registered in your name. Our fees of £50 include one years payment of Nominet fees. What name can I have? You can make up any name you wish as long as it only contains the 26 letters of the alphabet, numbers 0-9 and a - (dash). So for example: perfectnames.co.uk 3rd-reef.co.uk 3rc.co.uk are all acceptable But: rod,jane&freddie.co.uk £1.co.uk are not Why get a domain name? Well its got more prestige. It could be an extension of the marketing of your business. In a few years time it will be the MAJOR marketing of your business. If you don't snap the name up quickly chances are somebody may beat you to it. It also could also be an investment. How do I transfer files to my website? Files must be transferred to the web server via File Transfer Protocol (FTP). If you need FTP, telnet, mail, or other Internet software, visit Shareware.com. Shareware.com is a source for the latest Internet applications with ratings and reviews to help you decide which application is best suited for your needs. An FTP tutorial is also available for beginner users who may not be familiar with FTP. What is a virtual domain? A Virtual Domain means having your own domain name (http://www.yourcompany.co.uk) without having to install expensive server hardware and software. With a Virtual Domain, you utilize our server's storage space, however, you are still professionally represented via your own personal Internet web address domain name (www.yourcompany.co.uk) and by your own personal e-mail address domain name (you@yourcompany.co.uk). Will I be able to access my site for updates 24 hours per day? You have unlimited access via FTP 24-hours a day. As such, you can create and maintain your web pages on your own computer and upload files to your web site at your leisure. Can I use my account for commercial purposes? Yes, you can use your account for commercial purposes. The World Wide Web has become the most efficient and cost-effective means of making information available to the users of the Internet community and we encourage our customers to utilize such an enormous medium. How long does it take to setup a new account? New accounts are generally set up within 24 hours from the time we receive your order. Once an account is set up an activation notice will be sent to you via email including your user-ID, password, and FTP hostname. You can begin uploading files to your new web site immediately. Domain account users will be given a temporary URL to access their site via the web prior to the completion of either domain registration or domain modification. Do you provide tech support? Yes. We encourage our customers in need of assistance to send e-mail to support@perfectnames.co.uk with questions or concerns about their web site. However, we provide technical support only, we cannot provide help with HTML syntax or CGI programming problems. Tech support is done 7 days a week and is staffed over 10 hours per day but please be patient - it may take some time before we can answer you. Can I subdivide my space and resell it? Yes, we do allow you to create subdirectories which you can use to offer friends or clients space as long as its within our policy guidelines. You can also request additional FTP accounts with limited access to a specific directory for a small additional setup charge (£25 per year). We do not point domains to subdirectories of a main domain. Can I register additional domains to point to a subdirectory of my main domain? No, this is something we do not presently offer but may be offering special accounts for this in the future. Can I have additional domains pointing to the same main page as my current domain? Yes, for a one off charge of £50.00 for each additional domain we can mirror your main web pages and mail system. This is a great way to expand the marketing of your present business. Can I add more space to my site? Yes. We can supply more space in 10mb blocks which cost an extra £10 per year Can I install my own cgi scripts? Yes, each domain has its own cgi-bin. We only monitor for poorly written scripts that may become resource hogs. Will server side includes work on your server (SSI)? Yes, SSI's will parse on any page ending in .stm or .shtml, rather than the usual .htm or .html. Can you handle domains with foreign extensions? Yes. Can I access my domain without the "www" in front? Yes, you will be able to access the domain address with or without the "www" in front of the domain name. Example: both http://www.yourcompany.co.uk & http://yourcompany.co.uk are acceptable... Whatever you prefer. Do you offer dialup internet access? No, you will need local Internet access in order to maintain your web site and retrieve email addressed to your site. - We can arrange this for you if you wish. Can I transfer an existing domain to your servers? Yes. We'll allocate you a numerical address so you can dump all your files there and in about 3 or 4 days the DNS settings will be updated so the domain becomes active with your name. Just ask the people who registered your domain name to point it to our servers. Details How long is it before my domain is active? Once Nominet announces that your domain name has been registered (or transferred, if applicable), it usually takes about 72-hours before it is active. All Internet providers must update their records (DNS tables) to reflect the new site's location. You don't have to do anything - we take care of this for you. Can I pay by credit card? Yes you can...