If you want to have a website it will need an address. Similarly, if you want to send and receive email, you will need an email address.
Unless you register a domain name, you will have to use addresses offered by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). For example, your ISP might let you use the website address ourcompany.ispname.com and email addresses like yourname@ourcompany.ispname.com. However, addresses like these have several disadvantages:
- They do not give you a professional image. Usually, only very small businesses and individuals use addresses of this kind.
- If you change your ISP, you have to change your website and email addresses.
- Customers will not be able to find your website by simply guessing its Internet address.
Registering a domain name, such as ourcompany.co.uk, helps overcomes these disadvantages. Choosing the right domain names can also help establish your rights to your trading names or trade marks (see question three) and prevent other businesses from using that domain name.
