Domain Registration
What is domain? Website address on internet e.g. www.yourcompany.com. Cost: .com domains ~60 RMB/year first year often discounted 30-40 RMB. .cn domains ~30 RMB/year. Recommended: Register both .com and .cn if available protects brand .cn loads faster domestic users.
Where to register: Domestic registrars recommended for 益阳 enterprises: Xinnet HiChina万网/阿里云 DNSPod腾讯云. International: Namecheap GoDaddy acceptable but domestic support/convenience inferior. Registration process: Search available name fill registrant info real-name required .cn pay receive confirmation email domain active within minutes 24 hours.
Name selection tips: Keep short under 10 chars ideal. Easy spell remember. Avoid hyphens numbers if possible. Match company name brand closely. Avoid trademark infringement check before registering. Consider SEO include relevant keyword natural but do not force it.
ICP Filing ICP备案
What is ICP filing? Internet Content Provider filing - mandatory registration all websites hosted mainland China servers. Legal requirement under Chinese internet regulations. Without ICP filing: Site may be blocked by firewall cannot use domestic CDN cannot apply .cn domain potentially faces fines.
Who needs it: Anyone operating website on Chinese server. Both commercial .com and organizational .org/.edu sites need filing. Personal blogs also need if hosted domestically.
Filing process typical timeline 10-20 working days: Step 1 Prepare materials: Business license 企业营业执照 ID scan legal representative 法人代表身份证正反面 Domain certificate 域名证书 download from registrar Hosting agreement/screenshot 服务器接入信息 Website responsibility person ID 网站负责人身份证 can be different from legal rep Responsibility person photo background blue white specific pixel requirements Mobile number verification 负责人手机号. Step 2 Submit via MIIT system 工信部备案系统 or through hosting provider filing agent service most providers offer free small fee. Step 3 Wait for review 管局审核 typically 7-15 working days. Step 4 Receive ICP filing number e.g.: 湘ICP备XXXXXXXX号-X. Step 5 Display filing number website footer legal requirement.
Common rejection reasons fixes: Materials incomplete unclear rescan better quality. Domain not registered under applicant name transfer first. Hosting provider mismatch file through correct access provider. Website content violates guidelines remove prohibited content before filing. Photo does not meet specifications retake following guidelines exactly.
Special Cases
Using overseas server Hong Kong/US/Singapore: ICP filing technically not required. Trade-offs: Faster setup no filing wait but: Slower loading speed Chinese visitors no domestic CDN potential accessibility issues some networks throttle overseas connections Lower trust Chinese users no ICP number looks less legitimate Cannot use certain Chinese services WeChat payment requires ICP filing merchant accounts. Recommendation: For 益阳 businesses targeting Chinese customers always use domestic server plus complete ICP filing. 2-week wait worth it.
Multiple domains pointing same site: Each domain needs separate filing if resolves independently. If redirects secondary domains primary only primary domain needs filing. Consult hosting provider specific guidance.
Post-Filing Obligations
Display ICP number prominently website footer usually bottom-left bottom-center. Keep filing info current if business license changes update filing. Renewal: ICP filing does not expire as long as domain server remain active. However if change domain or server re-filing may be required. Annual inspection: Some provinces require annual confirmation usually automated check filing account periodically.