Yes, if you want a richer color, sometimes you need a second coat of stain. I'm a big fan of Minwax stains, and there are directions right on the can about drying times and recoating times. I like to polyurethane the wood for a finish coat, but there is no rule about it. Bare or stained wood can be waxed instead. You don't want the wood to dry out over time, so some sort of finish coat is recommended. you can get a color chart for stains and compare them to other wood finishes in your home if you are looking to match them. or you can buy a few small cans of stain and apply them side-by-side on a piece of scrap wood to see which you prefer. You can even mix stains to get a specific tint (don't mix different brands!) but there are plenty of stock colors so you probably won't have to. If you have picked a stain already, try it on scrap wood, let it dry and then see if a second coat is needed. Also remember that the finish coat ( ie. poly) may affect the final color so you may want to test that on scrap too.