{"id":5053,"date":"2018-12-13T09:31:34","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T09:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.register365.com\/blog\/?p=5053"},"modified":"2019-11-14T15:33:15","modified_gmt":"2019-11-14T15:33:15","slug":"domain-names-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.register365.com\/blog\/domain-names-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Domain names explained…"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is a domain?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A domain name is the address that you type into a web-browser to get to a website. When you type a domain into the browser bar, your computer looks to find an IP address of where the website is located. Domain names were created because IP addresses are made up of a string of numbers\u2026 who can remember that?<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

DOMAIN NAME            >                  IP ADDRESS<\/strong><\/p>\n

 register365.com           >                  195.7.226.13<\/p>\n

It\u2019s much easier to remember the domain, right?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How are domain names broken down?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

 <\/strong><\/p>\n

So how do domains work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Think of it like a sat nav \u2013 you type in where you want to go and, in the background, your sat nav searches for the coordinates and returns the route to you.<\/p>\n

In the internet world, the \u2018coordinates\u2019 are called DNS (Domain Name System) and this tells your computer where to pick up the website from and takes you to your destination.<\/p>\n

As you can see above, register365.com is on the IP address 195.7.226.13. When searching for register365.com, your computer knows to go to 195.7.226.13.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What makes a good domain?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s best to sit back and think about what you plan to do with your domain name, before making a purchase. There are many things to consider when searching for your perfect domain name.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    1.Is your domain memorable? <\/strong><\/h3>\n

If potential visitors can remember your domain name, there\u2019s a high chance they\u2019ll skip a search engine and type your domain name directly. Bonus points to you, as your visitor misses the opportunity of spotting one of your competitors!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

     2. Think about your suffix<\/strong><\/h3>\n

(the bit after the dot) <\/em>\u2013 This is one of the most important things to consider when looking for your domain name.<\/p>\n

 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    The Big One\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

The .com suffix is by far the most popular and most recognised globally with over 135.6million registrations worldwide. It\u2019s so popular, many people will automatically type .com and hope to find what they\u2019re looking for. If your domain name is available in .com, we would recommend registering this \u2013 you can always set up forwarding to an alternative domain, if .com is not your first choice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    Go Local\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

A country code domain can help with protecting your brand and helps with localising your brand to potential visitors. Local visitors like to see familiarity. For example, .ie for Ireland, .uk for United Kingdom, .fr for France and .pt for Portugal \u2013 International domains are comperfect for localising your brand to your customers and make them feel at home. Check out the country code domain names here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/strong><\/p>\n

    Niche\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Not only are there country code domain names, but there is a vast array of new domain name suffixes. Some of these include .online, .ninja and .website. There are even geo-location domains, such as .irish, .london and .tokyo \u2013 Use your domain to showcase your business or idea, whether you\u2019re a photographer, dentist or a blogger, there\u2019s a suffix for you \u2013 why not take a look at the new domains here<\/a>?<\/p>\n

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   3. How does your domain read?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Have a look at these domain names… what do you see?<\/p>\n