You Name It Reserving a domain name, gear up for e-commerce

So you've finally decided on the perfect domain name foryour Web site. That's great, but nothing's going to beofficial--or usable--until you take the time to register andreserve that carefully selected Internet address.

Fortunately for you, when it comes to domain name registration,you've got several options right at your fingertips. Just goonline: There you can register your domain name for free atInterNIC (http://www.networksolutions.com),which handles the majority of the Internet's domain nameregistrations. Another option is to let an ISP service do it foryou for an extra fee. (The cost is usually about $10 to $20.) Ortry logging on to the Web sites of Internet hosting companies suchas Sage Networks (http://www.domainsforfree.com)or Internet Communications (http://www.domainsarefree.com),which also offer free registration.

What if you've got a great business idea, but you aren'tquite ready to launch your company? No problem: For $119, you canuse either of these services to "park" your domain nameuntil you're ready to use it, whether you've got a businessto back up the name or not. This way, you can keep someone elsefrom beating you to the punch.