When you are about to create a website for your brand or company, thinking about a good domain name is key to boost and strengthen your presence on the net. For this reason, in this article, we will talk about domain names and how to find the right domain name for your company.
What is a domain name
The domain name is the equivalent of a physical address for your website. In the same way that a satellite navigation system requires an address or postal code, a web page needs a domain name to be identified and consequently directed to its files on a physical server. It is worth clarifying that the domain name is unique for each site in the world.
A domain name is made up of two main elements: the domain name and the domain extension. The domain name Youtube.com is made up of the website name (Youtube) and the name of the domain extension (.com). When a company or a person buys a domain name, they must make decisions regarding both elements.
Besides, when acquiring the domain it must be available, that is to say, free and it must also be specified to which server to point it; This process is called delegation, and normally requires two domain server names, primary and secondary, in this case, corresponding to the server where we will host our site.
Domain registrations are supervised by an organization called Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This entity specifies what domain extensions are available (.com, .net, .org, etc., and over time many new ones were added) and maintains a central database of where the domains point.
What is a domain extension (.com, .net, etc.)
An essential factor within domain names is the different types of a web domain that exist, in particular, what are known as domain extensions.
Extensions are those letters at the end of a website address, such as .com, .org, or .net. These endings determine either the geographic location or the nature of such sites.
Domain extensions are mainly divided into a top-level domain (TLD) or extension, and a second-level domain (SLD) or domain name.
Within the domain extensions, you can identify two main ones: the generic top-level, or gTLD, and the country code, or ccTLD.
Generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs)
As its name implies, generic extensions are those that are used in a general way and anyone who wants to buy a domain for their website can request them in their registration.
The three most popular gTLDs that can easily be adapted to your brand or company are:
· .com (commercial). It is the most common extension of the internet and, therefore, the one that inspires the most confidence.
· .net (network, red). Although originally intended for information technology-related sites, users turn to this extension as an alternative to .com when the domain name is already busy.
· .org (organizations). It is the extension most used by non-governmental or non-profit organizations. It is also used by companies with social or cultural or scientific dissemination activities.
To these are added other well-known gTLDs such as:
· .biz (business)
· .info (information)
· .name (name)
This without forgetting the .gob and .edu, which are exclusive to government and educational institutions, respectively, and for whose registration more stringent requirements must be met, as they are two important sectors of society.
Domains by country (ccTLD)
In addition to generic extensions, country code or ccTLD extensions are primarily used to identify the geographic area of a website.
These extensions are formed with the two letters representing the country of origin of the site. The global top 3 currently make it up:
· .cn: China
· .tk: Tokelau (New Zealand territory)
· .from Germany
What domain extension should you use
Once you know the different types of domains, you must know how to correctly choose a domain name for my business. This step may seem like a superficial decision, but choosing a suitable name is very important, with the correct domain extension you can make your users perceive what your digital proposal is, by transmitting an image that is by the products or services offered by your business.
You can decide it based on these three hypotheses or situations:
When it comes to an individual website:
The name of the creator of the web is one of the most considered options when it comes to a personal site. I am referring to the creation of a website to present a portfolio of works, projects, or curriculum format. It is also an option for an ego blogger-style website.
When it comes to a corporate website:
Choosing the domain for a company’s corporate website It may seem very simple. But it is best to match the name of your business or company.. And the same is true when it comes to a brand.
For a business or an online store:
Experts assure that in these cases three lines can be followed. The first will be to base the domain name on the business keywords. For example, if it is a sunglasses store, the ideal could be to use the domain gafasdesol.com. The second is to use the brand name of the business. For example, www.nattion.es, a brand of sunglasses. The third is to make a mix. Mix the name of the store or brand with the keywords of the items sold or the concepts for which you want to position.
How / where to get a domain name
To obtain a domain name we will have to register the name on the internet. And for this, we will only have to follow the following steps.
- Choose the platform from where you are going to register the domain
- Check availability
- Choose the type of domain
- Add the name of the domain owner
- Select the duration
- Pay for the domain
Once the payment has been made, the domain owner must wait a while for the domain to be recognized across the Internet servers. For .com and .net domains, The delay usually lasts between 4 and 8 hours, and for others., it is generally between 24 and 48 hours.
During this period the registrar contacts Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and carries out the process in a transparent manner.
Once this period has passed, the registrant is notified that the domain has been registered.
Some of the websites where we can register domains are:
- Name Cheap (our #1 choice)
- Google Domains
- Hover
- GoDaddy
