If you are interested in establishing your company's online presence, one of the first steps you'll need to take is registering a domain name. In other words, you must stake your claim on an Internet address that current and potential customers can use to visit your site (e.g., www.YourCompanyName.com).

Choose a Name
First, come up with a list of possible domain names for your site, including the extension (e.g., .com, .net, .biz, .coop, .info, .org, or .pro).

Check Availability
Before you can register your chosen domain name, you have to make sure someone else hasn't already registered it. A number of different sites allow you to search a registry of domain names, including Network Solutions and CheckDomain.com.

Reserve Your Domain
Once you choose a domain name that's available, you should register it as soon as possible. Even if you're not yet ready to put up a website, it's better to have the domain reserved—in case anyone else decides to stake a claim on it first!

Many companies offer domain registration services. You'll find an updated list of accredited registrars on InterNIC, a public information site from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Some of the more popular registrars include:

•  Register.com
•  Dotster
•  NO-IP.com
•  Yahoo! Domains

What to Expect
Registration costs vary depending on the company and the length of time you want the site registered to you (usually from one to 10 years). The registrar will ask you for contact and technical information, some of which is made public in a domain registry. You will also need to provide information about your site's host (Mpower). Visit the Transferring Your Domain to Mpower page for details.