What is a domain name?
Domain name is the web address or the Uniform Resource Locator of a website which uniquely identifies a web site over the internet. Domain names are used in URL’s to identify particular web pages. For example, in the URL http://www.etrix.ie, the domain name is “etrix.ie” where .ie is the TLD (Top-Level Domain) extension. Domain names are important for recognition and admission in the online business world.
The Internet is actually based on IP addresses but domain names are alphabetic and thus they are easier to remember so they provide recognizable names to the numerically addressed Internet resources. Domain names are used through an Internet service called Domain Name System or DNS which translates domain names into IP addresses. When you use a domain name, a DNS service translates that name into the corresponding IP address.
Domain names can appear as a part of your site’s URL or Web-address, e.g., www.etrix.ie, e-mail addresses after the usual ‘@’ separator or as any other part of syntax that describes an access method to a device or service in an IP network. By allowing the use of distinctive alphabetical addresses, domain names let web surfers locate web addresses more easily.
A common misconception about domain names is that they are “web addresses”; whereas they are not. A web address is actually a World Wide Web resource locator, i.e., it points to a web site or web page on the internet.
Domain names are limited to the alphabetical letters “a through z” (case-insensitive), the digits “0 through 9″, and the hyphen. However, there are some restrictions in the case of name length and positioning of hyphens.
Every domain name has a suffix to indicate the top level domain it belongs to. There are only a limited number of top level domains (the last part of the Internet Domain Name), e.g.
- .gov - Government Agencies
- .biz - Business
- .info - Information
- .edu - Educational Institutions
- .org - Organizations (Non-profit)
- .mil - Military
- .com - Commercial Business
- .net - Network Organizations
- .ie - Ireland (Country Code TLD’s)
And many more regional TLDs like .co.uk, .jp, .com.pk for the different countries.
How to choose a Domain Name
Getting the right domain name for your business website can prove to be very difficult and complex. You must think out carefully about the probable names you would like your business to have. For this purpose, you need to do plenty of research to check whether those particular names are available or not. The issue of brand names and trademarks is quite intricate and extensive when it comes to business names.
Your brand can be greatly affected by your ability or inability to obtain a harmonizing domain name. If a company fails to get a domain name similar to that of its brand name, it would be in problem since the company can end up directing traffic and potential customers to another domain owner’s site which might also be a competitor.
Domain Name Companies and Registrars
The only way to get listed and start using a unique domain name is to use the services of a domain name registrar. There was a time when only one domain name registrar - Network Solutions, Inc. - worked to register domain names. But today there are innumerable domain name registration companies working online which offer remarkable service with a wide choice of different domain types, being reliable and offering great value for money. These name registrars are authorized and approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization which oversees the name and number systems of the Internet.
ICANN-accredited registrars have the authority to assign domain names for the top level domains of .com, .biz. .info, .net, and .org, etc. However these registrars cannot provide registration services for country code top level domains.
You would have to provide some contact and technical information to the registrar for record when registering a domain. This information would be stored in a registry, which other computers can access to find information about your site. This service is popularly knows as a “WHOIS” Lookup.
New domain names are generally registered for annual terms. The minimum term of registration is usually one year. The maximum length varies depending on the policies of the concerning registry under which the domain name has been listed. However, no registration company has the authority to sell more than a 10-year contract for any domain name. Registration periods may be extended when the registration expires. Domain names may also be transferred between parties or advertised for ’sale’.
Once the domain name has been bought, your business will have the right of exclusive use and the authority to that particular name space. Once assigned, a domain name is no longer available for use by anyone else.
How to Look for a Domain Name?
More than 100 million domains have already been registered, and the trend is on-going. So it can be quite hard to get a suitable domain name for your business.
You can start your search by consulting the Open Directory which can provide a list of Name Generators which will allow you to come up with different variations of a domain name and tell you if they’re available.
Some of the Name Generators are listed here for your benefit:
- DomainsBot - This search engine is used specifically to find a domain name.
- Bust A Name - This is a powerful domain name search tool.
- NameBoy - It generates available names and domain names for sale.
- 123Finder - Allows you to search for available domain names by entering a keyword.
- Dislexicon - This site is great for finding short domain names. It takes common words, adds suffixes and prefixes and gives you the meaning.
- JustDropped - This site lets you search for domain names that have recently expired.
- Picky Domains - They take a fee to find the right domain name for you.
- Word Mixer - This one lets you enter a no. of words which are then mixed up to get new words.
- EyeOnDomain - This one combines domains from user keywords and checks them for availability.
Some others include:
- DomainLot
- Dotster.com
- Namecheap
- TotalRegistrations
Sometimes it’s better to get a domain that has already been registered and expired. For this purpose, a great resource is DeletedDomains.com which lists many .com, .net and .org names when they expire or when they are soon to expire.
You can also search for pre-owned domain names at Afternic.com, Sedo.com and BuyDomains.com.
When you have found a name you want, you can open an account at any domain registration site of your liking so that you can purchase the name affordably. It is advisable to get the .com extension because if you get a .net or hyphenated version of the name, it might lead to customer confusion and loss of potential clients.
Here is a list of some popular registrars that are working prominently in the field.
- GoDaddy
- RegisterFly
- V1Servers
- Hostway
- Stargate
- NetFirms
- Yahoo
- Web.com
- AITDomains
If you want to build a significant online presence, your name must illustrate what you believe in. Instead of creating just a domain name, create an entire brand identity that helps your business grow successfully. Get a unique, distinguishable and memorable name with a .com extension. Your domain will help you make a name for yourself.
August 25th, 2008 at 9:54 am
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