When you hear “domain name” you get a lot of questions in your head and it looks complicated to you, you even wonder why you will need it in your e-commerce journey. Don’t worry! We get you covered! We will give you all the necessary information in this article so you get as much knowledge about the domain name as needed. Let’s start with this: a domain name is your online presence and how your customers will find you. Sounds interesting right? That’s why we prepared this list for you:
- What is a domain name?
- How does the domain work?
- What are the types of domains?
- Pros and cons of a sub-domain
- The most used types of domains
- What is the difference between a domain and a hosting?
- What is the importance of having your own domain name?
- What is the domain authority of a site and how to measure it?
- How to improve the domain strength of a website (DA)?
- Tips for choosing a good domain name
- How do I get a domain name?
- Can I sell my domain name?
What is a domain name?
“ is a string that identifies a realm of administrative autonomy, authority or control. Domain names are often used to identify services provided through the Internet” In other words, your domain name can be described as the core of your digital presence, as it is the first point of contact with which your online audience interacts.
From a technical perspective, the term domain refers to the web address used to locate a specific website on the internet.
Specifically, a domain is a series of letters, numbers, or symbols representing the address of a specific website. It is the simplest alternative to typing the website's IP address into the browser window. Since the beginning of the Internet, access to different sites was done by writing the IP address of the site in this form: [192.168.34.52], and with the development of the Internet, it became more accessible after the creation of a new type of "web servers". This is the domain server, which has the task of translating IP addresses into recognized names so that the user can memorize and write them more easily.
The domain consists of two main parts: the first is called the domain name and indicates the name of the site, and the second is called the domain extension.
For example, in the address "www.example.com", "example" is the domain name, and "com" is the domain extension.
How does the domain work?
Before learning about how the domain works, you need to learn about "Domain server", which is simply the central registry or "server" that stores a database containing information about domain names, and converts them into IP addresses ( IP). Domains are registered in the Global Domain Management Center database and IP addresses are distributed to various domain servers around the world. Domain information is stored in DNS records, which include information about the IP associated with the domain and other related information such as e-mail addresses. The organization responsible for all these operations is ICANN.
ICANN, short for Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is an international non-profit organization that manages and coordinates the Domain Name System (DNS).
Therefore, when the address of a site is written on the browser, the request is sent to the domain server responsible for the specified domain, and the domain server looks up the IP associated with it and sends it to the browser, that uses this IP to reach the desired website.
What are the types of domains?
There are different types of domain names, but in summary, we can say that there are domain-general and domain-specific. Domain-general are those that end in one of the common extensions such as .com, .net, .org, .info and .biz and are commonly used in various types of websites on the Internet. These are expressed as generic top-level domains - gTLDs.
domain-specific, on the other hand, are used in websites related to specific fields, such as education, health, sports, fashion, etc., and include extensions such as .edu, .gov and .mil, which are approved by private entities.
Outside of this framework, there are international domain names (Country Code Top Level Domains - ccTLD): it symbolizes the name of the country to be targeted, and includes extensions such as .ma, .ae, .sa, .us and .uk, and is used for local sites that target a specific audience in a specific country.
Subdomain
It should also be noted that in addition to the top-level domains (TLDs), there is also sometimes a subpart or subaddress, or what is called the subdomain, which is the part that precedes the main domain name, and is used to identify specific pages within the site, or to specify a specific section of the site. Like blog.example.com or store.example.com, in the following example URL: "support.example.com", "support" is the subdomain.
This type of domain allows users to better organize their website content and allows them to create various subpages for different sections of the website, such as the homepage, product page, services page, news page, etc. The subdomain can also be used to create sub-sites for customers, partners or affiliates, which helps to provide an integrated user experience and increase brand awareness. In addition, the subdomain can be used to create a test or development area before publishing anything on the main domain, allowing free experimentation and testing of the website without affecting the existing content.
Subdomain pros and cons
The sub-domain is used to create a website address such as "ABC.example.com", with "ABC" as the name of the sub-domain. There are advantages and disadvantages to using this type of domain, including:
Pros:
- Better organization: the sub-domain allows you to organize site content and specify a particular topic for each sub-domain.
- Ease of use: Users can easily access specific parts of the site using the subdomain.
- Marketing Control: The subdomain can be used to create different marketing campaigns for specific products or services.
Cons:
- Can affect performance: if many sub-domains are used, this can affect site performance, as it can increase the number of requests the servers have to process.
- May affect search engine rankings: the use of many sub-domains may affect search engine rankings, as it may lead to PageRank and Domain Authority being dispersed among the site's pages.
- Complexity: the use of numerous sub-domains can increase the complexity of site management and maintenance.
- Browser preferences: sometimes the public prefers sites with main domains to those with sub-domains.
- Difficult to remember: websites created via sub-domains whose e-mail address is difficult to remember due to their length.
The most popular types of domains in use
.com: Short for "commercial", this is the most popular type of domain name. Mainly used for corporate and e-commerce websites.
.org: This is an abbreviation of the word "organization", and is often used for websites of non-profit organizations and charitable institutions.
.net: This is an abbreviation of the word "network" and is often used for networking sites and technical services.
.edu: This is an abbreviation of the word "education" and is often used for university and educational institution websites.
.gov: This is an abbreviation of the word "government" and is often used for the websites of governments and government institutions.
.info: This is often used for websites providing information on a specific subject.
Furthermore, several domain names can be reserved at the same time, for example by reserving the main site name and having several domain names pointing to the main site.
It should be noted that the domain does not stand alone, but needs to be linked to a "server" or web hosting.
What's the difference between domain and hosting?
While domain and hosting deal with the same subject area, they differ in the functions they fulfill. Where domain refers to the site's address on the Internet which is used to find the site, as explained previously while hosting concerns where the site's content is stored and operated. The two work together to launch your website, so you need both components to get started.
How important is it to have your own domain name?
If you own or manage a business, an online store, or a website, having a unique and easy-to-use domain name can greatly contribute to your success on the Internet. Distinctive Internet names are an essential part of the identity of businesses and individuals on the Internet and play an effective role in attracting visitors and customers to their sites. Consequently, reserving a domain name is one of the most important steps you can take to strengthen your Internet presence and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the digital world.
Here are some of the benefits of having your own domain name:
Strengthening digital identity: A domain name helps strengthen the digital identity of a person, brand, or organization on the Internet. So having the right domain name can help attract more target audiences and build trust.
Improving site access: Having a domain name that represents your company's name makes it easier for Internet users to find your website quickly, and also helps improve your position in search engines, increasing the chances of accessing the website and improving visits and sales.
Brand development: A domain name can be used as the basis for creating a strong, distinctive brand, and promoting your company through your domain name.
Professionalism: Reserving a domain name demonstrates professionalism and seriousness in running a business and communicating with customers. When a domain name is used to create a personalized e-mail message matching the company's name, communication with customers becomes more professional and reliable and increases the company's credibility and prestige on the Internet.
Create sub-sites: Having a domain name gives you the ability to create sub-domains and better organize content on the site, and is an important advantage for website owners and businesses.
Legal protection: The domain name enjoys legal protection, as you can register it as a trademark and legally defend it in the event of litigation or infringement.
Increase site power and authority with search engines: especially with Google, in what is known as Domain Authority.