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General FAQs
For more details, please visit the appropriate sections below:
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A domain name is used to find your website on the Internet. Each domain name is assigned to a numerical IP (Internet Protocol) address by your host provider. Since people remember names (e.g. nic.lc) better than numbers (e.g. 203.212.23.34), the domain name translates this number into words: www.yourdomain.com.
What is a Top Level Domain (TLD)? A top level domain (TLD) is the suffix that is attached to the end of a domain name. For instance, in the domain name niclc.com, ".com" is the generic TLD, and in nic.lc, "lc" is the country code TLD. There are two types of top-level domains: global and country code. Generic Top Level Domains (gTLD) were created to be used by the Internet public, while country code Top Level Domains (ccTLD) were created to be used by each individual country, as they deem necessary. The generic Top Level Domains are as follows: ICANN accredited registrars offers the .com, .net and .org generic Top Level Domains in addition to various ccTLDs for registration. Country Code Top Level Domains are numerous (about 243), and include:
What Top Level Domains (TLDs) does Nic.LC offer for registration? Nic.LC offers the following top and secondary level domains: The following domains can be registered by anyone from anywhere in the world: .lc, .com.lc, .org.lc, .net.lc, co.lc. The following domains are restricted to qualified Saint Lucian organizations: .edu.lc, .gov.lc.
Why do I need to register a domain name? Registering a domain name for your business or organization is essential to your marketing efforts. A domain name gives your business a unique identity on the world wide web. Many Internet providers offer you a directory on their own domain. These hosted pages would look like this: http://www.providerdomain.com/~yourname.This is not only difficult to remember, but it does not reflect the unique nature of your business or homepage. In addition, your provider gains valuable advertisement from your site since its name always shows up when people visit your site. Finally, if your host goes down, then so does your site and maybe your business! How will I be able to tell if my desired domain name is already taken? You can use our friendly domain name search engine above to find out if a domain name has already been registered by another individual or company. If the domain request comes up with "no match" you will then be able to register that domain name.
Once I have a domain name secured, how long may I use it? If there are no trademark disputes, your secured domain name will be yours for as long as you maintain the yearly renewal fees.
What if my domain name is the same as a trademarked name? Generally, if you've registered the name in good faith, if the domain is not a name belonging to an internationally known company, and you can show that you have a legitimate reason to use that name, then you are likely to be able to keep that name. If it can be shown that you purchased the name for the express purpose of re-selling it to a company with a legitimate claim to the name, for exorbitant fees, you may not be able to keep the name. Please see the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy for details.
How do I choose a good domain name? It is best to choose a name that reflects the intent and purpose of your web site or business. Try to keep it short and snappy, and try to see how closely the name matches your business name, products or services or main focus. Keep in mind the image that the name portrays and remember that your domain name will be one of the ways people recognize or evaluate sites of interests when they are searching. Always remember that you should choose a name that is easy to remember and that is 16 or less characters if possible. What are the valid characters for a domain name and how long can it be? The only valid characters for a domain name are letters, numbers and a hyphen "-". Other special characters like the underscore "_" or an exclamation mark "!" are NOT permitted. A domain name cannot begin or end with a "-". Example: yourcompany name.com (incorrect, No spaces allowed) A domain name can be up to 63 characters long -- not including the characters used to identify the Top Level Domain (.lc, .NET.lc, .COM.lc, or .ORG.lc). Do not type the www. before your domain name when registering.
What does it mean to "park" a domain name? To register a domain name you need a Domain Name System (DNS) server to host it. When you register a domain name with us, we provide the authoritative entry for the domain, and may also provide the actual hosting of your domain name on our DNS. In that latter case, we would hold or "park" the domain name for you. You have the option to move your domain name off of our servers to another Internet Service Provider (ISP) or Host provider at any time.
I have an e-mail which says that my domain has been registered, but I can't go to it with my web browser. Why? Even after you have submitted the registration for your new domain, there are many more steps still to be done. Your domain will be entered into the domain database, and your registration must travel to all the ISPs in the world. Your web host must also insert the domain name into the primary DNS given on the application form, and set up a website for you. It may take up to 3 days after you submit your registration before you will be able to go to your domain with your web browser.
How much does registering a domain name cost? Please click here to view the most up to date pricing for .lc, .com.lc, .net.lc, co.lc and .org.lc domain names.
What do I need in order to register a domain name? To register a domain name, you need to specify the contact information and billing information associated with your domain name. You do not need to specify a NIC handle, DNS server information or an IP Address; unless you wish the domain to be active and you have the information from your service provider. Nic.LC will supply default DNS Information for your domain name, which can be modified at any time after the registration is completed. You can change your DNS or contact information at any time after registration.
How long does the registration process take? Nic.LC's registration process should only take a few minutes to complete. All domain names registered through Nic.LC may take from 24-72 hours, which is considered normal Internet propagation time, until they are accessible.
Is it possible for another person to register my domain name after I have registered it? All .lc domain name availability is verified by Nic.LC through a central database of available .lc domain names. This system prevents a domain name that is successfully registered through Nic.LC, either directly or through another registrar or reseller, from being registered through another domain name registration site. Domain names are registered on a first-come first-serve basis. However, in the event that the registry has not yet updated the sources used to verify .lc availability and an attempt was made to register a recently registered domain name, the attempted registration will be rejected by the registry. Please contact your registrar or reseller for a refund of the registration fees for registrations rejected by the registry if the domain name is taken.
What methods of payment does Nic.LC accept? A valid MasterCard or Visa card can be used to pay for domains registered via the Nic.LC website. Wire transfers, money orders, company check or bank drafts can also be used for payment, but must be in US dollars and drawn on a US bank. Please see our payment section for more details.
Once a domain name is registered, who is the legal registrant of the domain name? When a domain name is registered, the "registrant" contracts the use of the domain name. However, there is no permanent registrant for any domain name. The "registrant" of a domain name is the original contact listed under Organization Using Domain Name (Registrant) at the time of registration, regardless of whether the other contact information has been changed since that time. Please note that the Administrative contact is not automatically the registrant. Nic.LC recognizes the registrant as the final authority on a domain name, so please make sure that you have entered the correct registrant information at the time of registration. Changing a registrant associated with a domain name is a longer and more involved process and requires fax authorization.
Where can I get contact information related to domain names that are already registered? Please send an email request to billing@nic.lc. A public WHOIS is also available or will be shortly.
Simply go to our modification form and fill out the information on the forms exactly the same way that you registered your domain in the first place, replacing the primary and secondary server names and IP addresses with your new provider's information. You may need to contact your new service or host provider to get the necessay DNS information. Under status, just indicate modify. Please note that you are allowed free domain name modifications each year, including domain transfers, but Nic.LC, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to charge for excessive modifications.
Who do I contact for additional assistance? Please see our contact section to contact Nic.LC for more information.
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