Domain name is the address of your website that people input in the browser URL bar when they want visit your website. In simple English, if your website was a house, then your domain name will be your home address.
HOW DOMAIN NAMES WORK?
To understand how domain names actually work, let’s take a look at what happens when you enter a website your browser.
When you enter a domain name in your web browser, it first sends a request to a global network of servers that form the Domain Name System (DNS).
These servers then look up for the name servers associated with the domain and forward the request to those name servers.
For example, if your website is hosted on Bluehost, then its name server information will be like this:
ns1.bluehost.com
ns2.bluehost.com
These name servers are computers managed by your hosting company. Your hosting company will forward your request to the computer where your website is stored.
This computer is called a web server. It has special software installed (Apache, Nginx are two popular web server software). The web server now fetches the web page and pieces of information associated with it.
Finally, it then sends this data back to the browser.
HOW IS DOMAIN NAME DIFFERENT FROM A WEBSITE AND WEB HOSTING?
A website is made up of files like HTML pages, images, and more. Since we know the domain name is the web address of your website, then web hosting is the place where your website lives.
Web hosting is the actual computer where your website’s files are stored. These computers are called servers and they are offered as a service by companies called hosting companies.
To create a website, you need both domain name and web hosting. These are two services and they can be bought from two different companies, but it is advisable to buy from the same company.
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DIFFERENT TYPES OF DOMAIN NAMES
Domain names are available in many different extensions. The most popular among them is .com. There are many other options of extensions like .org, .net, .tv, .info, .io, and lots more.
Let’s take a more detailed look at different types of domain names available.
1. TOP LEVEL DOMAIN (TLD)
Top level domain also known as TLD are generic domain extensions that are listed at the highest level of the domain name system. There are hundreds of TLDs, but the ones that are very popular are .com, .org, and .net. Other TLDs are not well known and we don’t recommend you use them. Some of them are, .biz, .club, .info, .agency, and many more.
2. Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD)
Country code top-level domain also known as ccTLD are Top Level Domain name specific to a country and ends with the country’s code extension like .uk for the United Kingdom, .de for Germany, .ng for Nigeria.
They are used by websites that their target audience is located in a specific country.
3. Sponsored Top Level Domain – (STLD)
Sponsored top-level domain also known as STLD are categories of TLDs that has a sponsor that represents a specific sector or community served by the domain extension.
For example, .edu are used for education-related organizations, while .gov is used by the United States government, and .mil is used by the United States military, and etc.
Who is Responsible for Domain Name System?
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) directs the domain names system. It is a non-profit organization that is in-charge of creating and implementing the policies for domain names.
Some companies are given the permission to sell domain names by ICANN. They are allowed to make changes to domain names registry on your behalf. They can sell domain names, manage its records, renewals, and transfers to other registrars.
When you own a domain name, you can tell the registrar where to your send requests. You are also responsible for renewing your domain registration.
How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Website?
There are currently over 350 Million registered domain names and thousands are registered daily.
This means that all the good ones are already registered or will be registered very soon. This puts a lot of pressure on new users to come up with a domain idea for their website.
Here are some tips to assist you in selecting a domain name when creating your next website.
1. Try to stick to the .com domain name as it is the very popular, very easy to remember, and easy promote.
2. Ensure it is short and something you can’t forget.
3. Make it easy to pronounce and spell.
4. Try not to use numbers and hyphens.
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