You’ve probably heard the word domain before, but what does it mean? A domain (sometimes called a website address) is the location at which your site can be found online, and you can use different types of domains depending on what kind of site you’re building. This guide will explain all of the different types of domains, along with their benefits and drawbacks so that you can select the best one for your project.
Who Is ICANN and What Is the Domain Name System (DNS)?
It's like with phone numbers-- domain names are also put into an address book, in this case, the Domain Name System (DNS). It is composed of servers around the world.
In computer lingo, the DNS is what takes you to the website you want to go to when you type in the website's address. The DNS uses IP addresses to identify a particular site that you are trying to access. It takes that IP and converts it into a format that we humans can read: the domain name.
Who is in charge of managing the Domain Name System (DNS)? The answer to that question is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a nonprofit.
Country Code Top Level Domains (ccTLD)
Websites URLs can be divided into different parts, with Top-Level Domains, sometimes called domain name extensions, at the end.
Aside from .com, there are many other domain names you can use such as .net, .blog, or .io (which started out as a country code but has since been co-opted by the tech community).
Chances are, you're used to seeing .com, .net, and a few other basic TLDs. But as the internet expands, the need for different domain names also grows. That's why the ICANN began introducing new domain options, to provide a unique domain for sites that were unavailable.
With IDN (International Domain Name), domains are no longer limited to using Latin characters. Some IDN domains may be written in languages such as Chinese, Arabic, and Cyrillic. Other TLDs are focused on a specific type of site, such as .biz for business sites.
We should also mention that certain domain suffixes are restricted, as we'll explain in the next section. For example, only government websites can use .gov. However, the vast majority of workrooms are open to the public, so you are free to create something as imaginative as you would like.
Country Code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD)
I already mentioned that there are multiple types of Top Level Domains. For example, Country Code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) are reserved for use by only one country.
Just to give you an example, take Ireland. Its country code TLD is .ie and it's one of the safest countries to access. That's not to say, of course, that there's not other great domain names that could work. Canada, for example, uses .ca and the United States of America is .us. Both of these are options that can make great names just as .com can, assuming that you wanted .com to begin with.
For example, if you're marketing to an international audience, this might be limiting.
Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD)
Next up are top-level domains, such as .gov, .edu, and .ca. In fact, even if you don't know what a gTLD is, you're using one when you go to sites like .gov or .edu. These are the old classics that most of us recognize, like .com, .edu, .info, .org, and .net.
Originally, gTLDs were set in opposition to ccTLDs since there weren't many domain name options. However, today, there are lots of domain name options, known as new TLDs.
In other words, we have looked at a few of these new domains such as .blog and .io, but there are a great many more. For instance, if you operate a yoga studio, you might prefer the new .yoga domain instead of .com. People can also purchase domain names such as .tech, .space, .shop, and even .art.
Accordingly, when deciding on a domain, you'll want to pick something that will work well for your brand and your audience, as you want people to remember your website so they can return to it again and again.
Second-Level Domain (SLD)
As we mentioned earlier, in this section, we covered the domain name section of your site's URL. But what about the rest of the URL? And that's where second-level domains come into play.
This reminds me of the way in which I like to compare URLs. You see, .com is the TLD (top-level domain). The SLD (second-level domain) is what immediately precedes it, in this case dreamhost.
People will think of your website's SLD for a long time. You want it to be meaningful and it's crucial that you make a careful decision. It's wise to select a brandable domain name, one that indicates your site's focus and style.
Normally it's best to start by selecting an SLD and then experiment with different TLDs. You can also use our domain checker to see what's currently available.
Third-Level Domain
Up until now, we've explored two of the three main parts of any domain name. The last, or third-level domain, can't be mixed up with the top-level domain.
As we've previously talked about, within the web page, the Top Level Domain is .com, and the Secondary Domain is dreamhost. That leaves us with the third-level domain, or the www section.
Your third-level domain name is set as www by default, but this doesn't work for some companies that need more than one website. So sometimes you will see www1 or even www2 before the SLD in a domain name.
Premium Domain
Sometimes, when you're searching for a domain name, you'll discover that it is already in use. This makes it a premium domain— one that is in the possession of someone else.
The good news is that you can often find domain names and try them out. A lot of times, people buy domain names but don't use them. He may even be willing to sell his domain, for the right price.
Domain reselling is the act of buying a domain that someone else privately owns, even if the cost may be a little more. But, in some cases, the top web domains may go for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Such domains may have been purchased because they're short, they're attached to a popular top-level domain (like .com), or the owners expected someone to want to buy them in the future.
How to Decide Which Domain Name Is Best For Your Website
Choosing a domain name is one of the most important decisions a website owner can make. Choosing the right domain name will shape your brand, for better or worse.
For these reasons, it's a good idea to take the following into account.
This would be especially wise for when registering your domain name. For example, if you're an art company, you might want to include a targeted keyword that's relevant to your line of business (such as pastel or events). The Google Keyword Planner can be of help in your keyword research.
So it's just as important to keep your domain name short and simple because it needs to be memorable. Generally, it's easier to remember one or two words than a whole phrase.
Furthermore, it's important that the domain name you select is not likely to conflict with any other trademarks. Research other businesses or websites with very similar names and this can help ensure that you get off to a good start with your own site.
If you have an idea for what you want your domain name to be, you'll need to check its availability. This can be done with our domain search tool, which we just mentioned earlier. It will provide both suggestions for the SLD and the TLD.
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