What is a Domain?
Your domain name (web address) is key to establishing your online identity. When choosing a domain name, always try to find short, simple, unique, and catchy domain names corresponding to your keyword, business name or brand.
You can register your domain names through accredited registrars or resellers. Options to buy expired and dropped domains are also available. Before domain registration, it is essential to find out whether your chosen domain name is available or else reserved for someone.
What is the Relationship Between Domains and IP Addresses?
The Internet Protocol (IP) address is a machine readable numerical address assigned to every computer for communication on the Internet. The IP address is represented in 32-bit dotted decimal format, which contains a value between 0 and 255. A domain name is an IP address assigned in a human-readable form, composed of letters, digits and hyphens. All domain names have corresponding IP addresses. Both of them are administered by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority.
What is the Relationship Between Domain Names and URLs?
If you want to set up a website or want to create an e-mail id, then you require a domain name for representing yourself, your business, or brand on the Internet. Domain name is a part of the URL of a website. For example, URL is represented in the http://www.xyz.com format. The domain part of this URL is xyz.com.
Certain character limitations/restrictions are applicable to domain names. The permitted length of a particular domain name is restricted to 63 characters and the minimum length allowed is two. In some countries, domain names up to 67 characters are permitted. Most countries allow the use of hyphens, numerals, and special characters in their domain names, but it is not recommended to begin or end the domain name with a hyphen symbol.
What Are Top Level, Second Level and Third Level Domains?
Domains are divided into top level, second level and third level. The last part of the domain is called top level domain or TLD which is mainly classified into generic and country code top level domains. There is also a special top level domain called .apra which is only used for Internet infrastructure purposes. The most commonly used generic top level domain extensions are .com, .org, .net, and .info. Other popular top level domains are .edu, .gov, .mil, .biz, and .coop. Second-level domains are domains such as co.uk, .org.uk, .plc.uk, .ltd.uk, .edu.au and net.uk that come directly to the left of the dot in the top-level domains. Third level domains are sub domains which come below the second level domains.
Finally, domain names must ideally reflect your business or brand name and have to be registered through an authorized registry of ICANN. By following best practices for selecting a domain name, your online marketing efforts will have an excellent foundation.
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