Domain and Web Hosting FAQ

My domain has been registered to a previous developer. Can I change this?

Yes. Some unscrupulous people register your domain in their name (ie they are listed as the owner/registrant). There is usually always a work round to get it back in your name but it usually involves paperwork and administration which can be  pain. Sometimes this is straightforward but sometimes it isn’t. If in doubt get the right advice from a trustworthy company such as Toltech.

Can I register my own domain?

Yes you can. However things are not always what they seem. On the surface registering a domain with one of the big “pile ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap” online agencies seems a  nice idea but there can be many pitfalls. Registering the domain may cost £5 – £10 or so but if you transfer your domain away you may get charged upwards of £50 per domain! You may also be stuck with administering your own domain which can be messy if you don’t fully understand the full domain name system on the internet.

Why would I get Toltech to register my domain?

In addition to registering your domain we manage it for you. We ensure that it automatically gets renewed each time. Sometimes we have to modify some technical parameters associated with your domain and if we manage the domain this is fairly seamless. However if you manage your own domain we sometimes have to get involved in a ‘mission to get access to your domain name company account, get technical support and authorisation etc all of which adds to your expense and prevents us using the time to do our core job: helping you grow your business on the web.

What are the implications of transferring my domain name?

Sometimes this can be straightforward ad sometimes this can be messy. Sometimes it can affect your email services. Ultimately it is dependent on the existing circumstances. Some big domain registrars (the business who are authorised to sell domains) have different rules and processes (especially .com and .net domains) and can make transferring domains a real arduous process. There is no standard configuration for managing domains with email, websites, admin access etc so you really need to get the right advice.

Notwithstanding that .co.uk domains are handled by Nominet who are effectively the UK domain authority and they are pretty efficient and helpful with fairly simple procedures for transfers in most circumstances.

Can I use a .biz domain for my business?

Yes. The .biz extension if a perfectly legitimate domain extension and is useful if you cant get the .co.uk or .com version of your preferred name.

Can I use a .org or a org.uk domain for my business?

Technically you can use this for a business. However the initial intentions for these domains was for ‘not-for-profit-organisations so using them in commercial situations can look a bit odd. But if you feel that you must use them there is nothing to stop you.

What are .uk.com or .gb.com domain names all about?

These are slightly unusual variants on a .com domain which technically don’t conform with the overall domain name system and they are generally more expensive to register. Again though there is no reason you can’t use it if you really want to.