Domain names are the internet addresses that point people to your website. "Just as postcodes are used for particular street names, computers connected to the internet have unique numerical addresses so that electronic information is delivered to the right place," according to the UK domain name registry, Nominet UK.

"The Domain Name System [DNS] translates the numerical IP addresses of computers into more user friendly names. Domain names are easier to recall than IP addresses and help people to find information on the internet."

Most domain names start with www. followed by your chosen name, and have a variety of endings, but the most common are .co.uk, .com, .net, .org and .ltd.uk.

Many ISPs will offer you a certain amount of free web space as part of your subscription package and you can use this space to build and host a website of your very own.

However, it's possible that the standard address provided by your ISP might be a little longwinded and complicated. If you want a catchy, easy to remember or personalised address for your website, then purchasing your own domain name is the answer.

There are a number of companies in the UK that can register a domain name for you. You can then set up your site so that anybody who types in the address will be sent to your homepage.

You can also set up email accounts for your domain name for personalised email addresses and mail that pertains to your website.

In this feature we'll show you where to get your domain name from, how to register it and how to set up your site to work with it. Registration
There is a vast assortment of organisations willing to register your domain name for you - for a small fee, naturally.

You might want to check with your ISP or the organisation that hosts your website first to see if they offer domain name registration; it may be cheaper or even free if you have already signed up to a particular package.

Registration of a domain name generally lasts for one or two years. Prices vary depending on which company you register the domain name with and the type of domain name you choose. A .com domain name, for example, is usually more expensive than a .co.uk address because of its worldwide status.

While the price of registering a domain name doesn't usually include the cost of hosting a website, several organisations provide all-in-one or discounted packages that offer both services.

Bargainhost, for instance, charges £49 for 100Mb of web space with a free UK domain name. Fasthosts offers a variety of hosting packages from £1.99 per month or £19.99 per year. Register a .co.uk domain name with them and it will cost £6.93 for two years.

You could also try the popular Easyspace, which offers a range of different domain registration, hosting and email management services. Flick through the pages of Webactive or search for 'domain name registration' on the internet and you'll find plenty of further offers.

The steps involved in buying and setting up a domain name are actually quite straightforward but first, you'll need to ascertain whether the domain name you want to use has already been taken by another user.

Checkdomain has an independent domain name search facility, but most domain name registration sites, like the ones mentioned above, will also provide you with a search facility to check if a domain name has already been used before you attempt to register it.

All you need to do is type in the domain name you would like to use and hit return to see what's available. In some cases you will also need to enter the extensions you would like to search for.

Dot what?
There are several different extensions for domain names, ranging from the familiar worldwide .com to the UK-specific .co.uk. The final part of the extension is known as the Top Level Domain (TLD).

This can be a country code (.uk or .fr) or it can be a non-country specific extension such as .com or .org. For extensions that include a country code, there is usually also a subcategory such as .co or .ltd followed by the country code itself.

This sub-category is called the Second Level Domain (SLD). The main section of the domain name, which you choose (after www.) is known simply as the name.

If you find that a domain name you would like to use has already been registered, you may be able to try an alternative extension. If the .com or .co.uk version of your domain is already taken, the .net or .org name might still be free.

Some restrictions apply, however. Domain names ending with .ltd.uk or .plc.uk are registered with Nominet UK, and only company names that have been registered with Companies House can use these with their own company name. Similarly, domain names ending in .net.uk are for internet service providers and .sch.uk domains are reserved for schools.

What's in a name?
There are also several restrictions concerning the main name part of a domain name. The name must be between three and 63 characters in length and should be lower case.

Letters, numbers and hyphens can be used, but spaces are not allowed, and a name cannot start or end with a hyphen. The use of a hyphen is helpful when dividing a long name. Hyphenation also makes it easier for search engines to find your website.

Jonathan Robinson, director of business development at NetBenefit advises keeping a domain name short and simple. "Users do not like to type lengthy names into their browser's address bar," he says.

"Also, they may only see your domain name briefly and not have the opportunity to write it down. It should be recognisable, easy to remember and relate directly to your family, business or club name."

Robinson also advises that, if at all possible, a number of domain names should be registered at the same time. "Instead of browsing the internet by business name, many people browse by product or service name," he explains.

"To increase the chances of them remembering your web address or finding your site, register extra domain names relating to your core business or products. For example, a vineyard may choose wine.com or grapes.net as well as its company name."

Extending your reach
You might also want to consider registering several different extensions for your domain name. If they are available, you could pick up both the .com and the .co.uk domains to make sure that visitors are sent to your site, whichever extension they use.

It's not essential to do this but bear in mind that, if you don't, people looking for your site could end up somewhere completely different if they type in a different extension.

This can be particularly awkward if you are using your domain name for business purposes. Take Apple, for example. Type in www.apple.com and you'll get to the computer company's US homepage. But if you assumed that www.apple.co.uk would take you to the UK version of Apple's site you would be mistaken.