Once Network Services E-mail: register@once.com.au Tel: 0412 61 8558 How to have your own Australian Internet name without it costing the Earth.

In general, there are two types of Internet names. The most common is a sub-name of the Internet provider's name with which you have your account. Such web addresses are usually styled as www.providersname.com.au/~yourname and the corresponding e-mail address is yourname@providersname.com.au 
Memory space on your Internet provider's system is usually included in your account.

The other naming convention is to register and own your own "domain name" on the Internet naming system. These are styled www.yourname.com.au and the corresponding e-mail address is everything@yourname.com.au 
The "everything" in the e-mail address can be any number of combinations of any letters. Because you own the domain name, you also own every address to the left of the "@" symbol.

The first method has the benefit of being cheap and easy to implement. There are major drawbacks to this easy route however, particularly for those doing business on the Internet. Firstly, your name is tied absolutely to the name of your account provider. Should that provider become uncompetitive, you cannot change without changing your addresses. Even worse, should your provider cease trading then your names simply vanish. As you have no control over the primary part of the name, it would be virtually impossible to even arrange a re-direction facility.
Additionally, there is the fact that sub-names are difficult to remember and almost impossible to guess. If you want to reach Telstra or the Trading Post for example, then www.telstra.com.au or www.tradingpost.com.au will connect you instantly. The chance of remembering or guessing a sub-name is, at best, remote.
A further benefit of owning your own domain name is the flexibility it affords your e-mail facility. Because anything to the left of the "@" symbol will be sent to you, it is possible to use this to provide marketing feedback, as well as separating different functions. As an example, an advertising campaign in a particular area could contain the reply address inquiries@yourname.com.au 
Advertisements from another area could invite responses to replies@yourname.com.au
Even if e-mail only accounts for a small percentage of respondents, the respective number of replies would allow you to measure the effectiveness of the campaign as a whole.

So, why doesn't everyone in business have their own domain name?
Mainly higher cost, difficulty in the technical part of setting up the name and a general reluctance on the part of the Internet industry to help. After all, the Internet provider is quite happy to have you locked into their system and even if a private domain service is offered, it is usually at a substantially higher tariff. Many providers who are happy to maintain standard accounts for only a few dollars monthly, will charge a thousand dollars or more annually to host a private domain name. Others simply refuse.

Is there another way? Yes. It is possible to register a domain name and have it "addressed" to any computer on the Internet, anywhere in the world. Your own registered Internet name can be linked to a special computer service that redirects your visitors to one of the common, low-cost sub-name services that most businesses own already. Should the need arise to change your Internet Service Provider, you simply advise the redirection service of the new details. Your registered domain name never changes and your customers continue to contact you without interruption.

Currently, the cost of registering and maintaining a commercial domain name at the official Australian registry is $125, which covers the first two years registration. The same fee is payable every two years thereafter to retain the chosen name. This is the Internet equivalent of the Business Name facility provided by the Government. This gives you rights to the name only; the official Internet Registry does not provide access to the Internet or e-mail facilities etc..

The redirection service referred to above, instantly sends visitors who call your registered domain name to the correct address and forwards all e-mail to your chosen destination. Alterations to the service are free and the service charge is $150, payable every two years.

Once registered, your name must be "delegated", which refers to the process of setting up your electronic address on the world's Internet naming system so that anyone, anywhere can find your website and send you e-mail. The once-only fee to search, register, setup and "delegate" the entire facility is just $75. Therefore the total cost, including your first two years registration and your first two years redirection is just $350. Maintaining the facility costs $275 every two years thereafter. That's less than $11.50 a month for a valuable business asset.

Remember, once a name on the Internet is taken, it could be gone forever. Just as you wouldn't consider using someone else's telephone number for your business ~ you shouldn't use any Internet address other than the one that you own and control yourself.

Once Networking Services can do this for you now and in just a few days you can own your own space on the world wide Internet. Call 0412 61 8558 or fill in the form on this website.