Introduction to domain names
Every website needs a domain name, one that is unique and identifiable with the site it is assigned to. But, what is a domain name? How do you get one? How do you get a good one for your website? In our overview of domain names, we'll explain what they are, how they work, how to get one, and other factors that you need to keep in mind when reserving them.
What is a domain name?
A domain name is a unique identifier for your website. It can contain your business name, keywords for what your site is about, common words, a new catch phrase, etc. It can help you "brand" your website, for example unique catchy domain names like "Ebay.com" or "Facebook.com" are instantly associated with those sites and what they do. Domain names are also website addresses, making the ability to find those sites extremely easy for us.
TLD is short for Top Level Domain, and it's the last part of an Internet domain name. If you go to YouTube.com, the top-level domain is the three letters "com". With the expansion of the internet, there are now dozens of TLD's, like .biz, .org, .edu, and even TLD's for specific countries.
How do domain names work?
Computers across the Internet are identified by unique sets of numbers known as IP Addresses, short for Internet Protocol. These IP addresses are groups of numbers, for example "127.987.233.908". These can be compared somewhat to telephone numbers, like identifying a unique phone number to an individual; to contact a particular person, you dial their telephone number to connect to their phone. The internet has a protocol that works something like a telephone book so that IP addresses are associated to specific domain names. This is known as the Domain Name System or DNS. Since IP addresses can be difficult to remember, the DNS attaches the IP Address to it's associated domain name, so we can simply type in the domain name we want into a browser address bar, and the DNS takes us to the IP address and website it is tied to.
How do I get a domain name?
To obtain a domain name, you will need to go through a domain name registrar, a company accredited by ICANN, to register that domain in your name. Registrars are able to create and control records of who domain names are registered to, and are the only registrar that controls that domain name unless you transfer that control to another registrar. Registrars must pay fees when registering your domain name, and not all registrars will charge you the same amount, for various reasons; their pricing is not based solely on profit margins for their service. When you register a domain name, it is for a minimum of one year, and usually 10 years as a maximum; once it is registered to you, no one else can use that domain name while it is in your name. Domain names can be sold to other people, however.
When you register a domain name through a domain name registrar or hosting company, the IP address of the server that the site will be hosted on is assigned to the domain name. That information is stored in the web host's servers, and sent to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN is the organization that maintains the root servers of the entire Domain Name System. In short, when you register a domain name, and when that domain name is assigned to an IP address, ICANN is made aware of it and will store that information, along with the name of the person or company that owns the domain name, when it was registered, when it expires, and other information.
Most hosting companies offer domain name registration, and many now include it as a free feature when you sign up for a hosting account with their company. If you have the hosting company register your domain, they will do all of the backend work for you and place the domain name in your name; you will not need to do anything else. You can register domain names without obtaining a hosting account, so that the name is registered to you without having an active website for it. This is useful if you want to reserve a domain name and create a website for it in the future, or if you want to obtain a domain name and sell it in the future. There will be a registration fee through any registrar you use; if you do not purchase a hosting plan, the registrar will stil register a domain for you for a fee. You also do not have to use a hosting company to obtain a domain name.