What is a domain name? (10 Important Tips Before You Buy)

With so many domains available and new ones being created every day, choosing the perfect domain name can be daunting.

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of choosing a name that fits your company perfectly.

And, of course, you want it to be short and memorable so people can quickly type it into their browser and find what they’re looking for with ease.

But you also want it to be unique, so there isn’t any confusion about your site or who owns it.

Building a website and finding the best domain name to fit can be overwhelming, especially for beginners. That’s why I put together this guide.

Hence, we will discuss how the domain works, choosing the right name, steps to buying, and more.

Let’s get started.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, check my affiliate disclosure.

What Is A Domain Name?

A domain name, also called a URL, is a unique name created in 1984 to provide an individual address for every website. It’s the address that users type in the browser to visit your website.

For example, “www.example.com” or “www.google.com.”

Every computer has an IP address to identify it on the web, mainly consisting of numbers, e.g., 79.192.0.956, which is difficult for users to remember.

Hence, the primary purpose of a domain is to make it easier for people to remember the name and reach the exact location of a website quickly.

How Does Domain Work?

A domain, also known as the site’s URL, works by linking your webserver to your web host with the top-level domain you choose—for example, www.example.com or example.com.

While we get information on the web through domain names, the browser cannot do the same. Instead, it works through the IP protocol address.

So, when you type in a domain name to visit a website, the browser links to the IP address through the DNS.

In essence, the Domain name system (DNS) manages the domain names’ database and translates them into IP addresses.

Who Manages Domain Name System?

Domain name system (DNS) is one of the essential features that identify the server to which a network resource is connected.

With the DNS, you can be sure that when you type in a word on the internet, it takes you to the right website every time, no matter where you are in the world or what language you speak.

The DNS has been managed by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) since 1998.

ICANN, a non-profit organization, provides stability and security to ensure that this system is always available, making it a vital component in any business.

It also gives power to registries to manage extensions like .com or .org, .edu, which usually define the type of content on the domain.

What Are The Different Types of Domains?

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) manages the TLDs through IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority).

You might encounter various extensions when browsing the internet, but the internet assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) recognizes mainly three of them.

1. Generic Top-Level Domain – gTLD

Generic Top Level Domains, also called gTLD, are the last bit of a domain name at the end of a URL address. They are for creating more personalized web addresses for brands, individuals, and organizations.

gTLDs are not restricted to any specific industry or service, which means that anyone can use them for any purpose.

If you have a brand name or trademark that you want to protect, registering your own will make it hard for someone else to register their domain with the same name.

The most common extensions are .com, .net and .org.

Here are the top 10 TLDs based on domain registrations, with .com taking the lead.

Source Versign

2. Country Code Top Level Domain – ccTLD

A ccTLD is an initialism for Country Code Top Level Domain used in internet protocol addresses. The code of every country on the internet has its own ccTLD. For example, .ca is Canada’s code, and .us is United States’ code.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) maintains a list of all ccTLDs on its website. It includes information about when each ccTLD was created and who manages it, contact address, and phone.

Company, organizations or national entities use country-code domains to represent themselves online to their customers in that country.

Here are the top 10 ccTLD based on domain registration

Source Versign

3. Sponsored Top-Level Domain – sTLD

This type of domain has sponsors behind them representing specific communities.

They served by domain extensions like .gov, .edu, .mil etc.

There are other types of domain

Second-Level Domains

Second-level domains are a form of domain hack consisting of two parts, the second one being a gTLD.

Domains with second-level domains follow a format similar to “example.com.net” or “example.com.org.” Second-level domains are often used for marketing purposes because they are memorable and create a sense of trustworthiness due to their similarity to the original domain name.

Second-level domains usually consist of one top level domain (.com, .net, .org, etc.), followed by any number of other characters (.aero, .biz, .info).

Subdomains

Subdomains are often used when the company is enormous and has many departments for a better organization.

An excellent example of this would be Google, which has many subdomains, such as Maps and Images.

Many companies use subdomains to organize their content better. For example, they may have a separate subdomain for each product, such as Apple’s website, apple.com/iphone.

Free Domains

Free domain names are great if you are just getting started because you don’t have to pay anything to get your site up and running.

However, buying a domain of your own is still the best.

How To Choose The Right Domain Name?

A domain name, or website address, is your digital storefront. It’s the first thing that people see when they go to your website.

Choosing a perfect domain name is vital to the success of your website.

There are many ways you can go about finding a domain name that works for your business, but here are tips to help you avoid common mistakes:

1. Make sure your chosen domain name has not been taken by somebody else

It’s essential to choose a unique domain name. If many other people use the same domain name, it could be difficult for your website to rank well on search engine results pages.

2. Be aware of any trademarks or copyright issues with your desired name.

If you plan to start a blog, it’s important to be mindful of any trademarks or copyright issues with your desired domain name. For example, if you wanted to start a blog about baking, “bakespace.com” may already be taken.

You could try incorporating your personal name into your domain name instead of just using the same.

3. Don’t include words too long or difficult to pronounce, even with a high search volume.

The goal of a domain name is to be memorable, easy to spell, and catchy. Including too long or difficult to pronounce words will make it difficult for users to remember.

An excellent way to find out how easy the domain is on the human ear is by using tools like Wordle or Textbroker.

4. Include words related to what you do or sell

Your domain name should be the first impression a customer sees when they visit your site. It’s an opportunity to let them know what you do and what makes you different from your competitors.

Choosing a domain name that includes words related to your business makes it easy for people visiting to find precisely what they’re looking for.

5. Keep your domain name unique, short, and easy to remember.

Choosing a domain name is a big decision. It’s essential to choose one that’s not only memorable but also unique. This way, your domain name will be the only one of its kind on the internet, and you will avoid any legal or marketing problems that can arise from using a similar domain as someone else.

6. Stick to one word if possible or use variations of words like “dot-com.”

Phrases like “dot-com” are catchy and memorable enough to be effective, but you can always use variations of words if the word “dot-com” doesn’t work for you—for example, google.com.

The more numbers in the domain name, the more difficult it may be to locate.

7. Use mostly letters and avoid numbers and hyphen if possible.

8. Be honest about what you want the site to be about.

9. Consider using .com as it’s the most popular.

10. Experiment with the tips, be creative, and choose the one that’s the best fit for you.

How To Buy A Domain Name

Here’s a step-by-step guide to buying a domain;

The first step is to decide on a domain name for your site and conduct an availability search.

You can use a domain name generator. But, if you can’t find any suitable one, you may consider using your name.

Just ensure you keep it simple.

Then register your domain name. There are many domain registrars; GoDaddy, Bluehost, Namecheap, Wealthy Affiliate.

But, when choosing, try to get a reliable one and be sure they have 24/7 customer support in case of any issue.

I prefer Wealthy Affiliate because of the 24/7 live chat, email support, and prompt response to any technical. In addition, you won’t pay extra money to get it resolved.

You can purchase your domain name and as well host with them.

Now, pick a domain name and search for its availability. 

Then register your domain name straight with Wealthy Affiliate. 

But if you are just starting with website building, you may begin with a free one below to get an experience of how it works.