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Published: December 17 2022
Ewelina Wróbel
What is a Domain? A Beginner-Friendly Guide
What is the internet domain? In a nutshell - it's a website address in the net. You enter it to visit a certain website. When it comes to domains, there are a lot of uncertainties: are they free, can you own one, what's the difference between registration and extension and so on. What are domain registrar, web server, subdomains, and web hosting? How to choose a domain name? I will answer these and other questions, related to domains, in this article.
What is a domain? Types of domain
The domain is a website address in the net. When you enter a domain name online, an internet search will display a website, which is assigned to it.
Domain services are held by DNS - Domain Name System. It translates a domain name understandable for users (like webwave.me) into IP address understandable for network devices. Usually, site address and domain name are used interchangeably and I will stick to it in the text.
Domain is made of a few elements:
-
protocol (http:// or https:// )
-
host name (www.)
-
second-level domain
-
top-level domain (.com.me).
The root domain is made of the second and top-level domain names and is the name of “the highest” in hierarchy site address. When it comes to WebWave, we have got a knowledge base under the help.webwave.me site address. On this example, “help” is a subdomain, .me a top-level domain, webwave a second-level domain and the root domain is webwave.me. Site address can contain letters, digits and “-”. Capital letters and small letters are treated the same (WeBWAve.ME = webwave.me).
Different types of domains
Top-level domain
A generic top-level domain (gTLD) is a type of top-level domain (TLD) that is used to identify a particular type of website or organization. It is the part of a domain name that comes after the final dot, such as.com.org.net, and.info. The term "generic" is used because these TLDs were initially created to contrast with country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) that were reserved for use by specific countries. A top-level domain (TLD) is the last level of every fully qualified domain name that appears in the Domain Name System (DNS) hierarchy. It is the highest level of the domain name system and is used to identify the top-level domain of a website. Every domain name must end with a TLD, and gTLDs are one of the most popular types of TLDs. Some of the most well-known gTLDs include.com.org.net, info, and .io domains, which are used by a wide variety of websites and organizations.
Second-level domain
A second-level domain (SLD) is the part of a domain name that comes before the top-level domain (TLD). In other words, it is the section of the domain name that identifies the specific and unique administrative owner. For example, in the domain name "google.com", "google" is the second-level domain and ".com" is the top-level domain. Second-level domains are the ones, which in domain structure are before TLD like .com.uk.
Third-level domain
A third-level domain is a part of a domain name or website address that comes before the second-level domain name . In other words, it is the third section of the domain name, which is separated by dots. For example, in the domain name "mail.google.com", "mail" is the third-level domain. Third-level domains are also sometimes referred to as subdomains or canonical names. It is important to note that the third-level domain is not registered anywhere because it is a part of the registered second-level domain name. Third-level domains are often used to create separate sections of a website or to provide different services under the same domain name. For example, a company may use "blog" as the third-level domain to host their blog, or "store" to host their e-commerce platform. Third-level domains can also be used to create unique email addresses for different departments or individuals within an organization, such as "sales@company.com" or "support@company.com".
Hosting provider
Imagine that a website is a house. It needs to be built somewhere - some land. This is hosting service - a bit of space on servers keeping website files. In order to find a way to this house, you need to know its address - city, street, and the number. This is the domain.
Subdomains
A subdomain is a part of a website's domain name that is added to the beginning of the main domain name. Essentially, it is like creating a new website within your existing website. Subdomains are used to organize and navigate to different sections of your website. For example, if your main domain name is "example.com," you can create a subdomain such as "blog.example.com" or "shop.example.com" to separate and organize different parts of your website. Subdomains can also help you to create a more user-friendly navigation system for your website by making it easier for users to find the specific content they are looking for [3]. Overall, subdomains are a useful tool for organizing and managing your website's content effectively.
Associated IP addresses
An IP address, or Internet Protocol address, is a unique numerical label that is assigned to devices on a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. Every device that is connected to the internet or a local network has an IP address associated with it. This address is used to identify the device and enable communication with other devices on the network. The IP address is composed of four sets of numbers, each separated by a period. For example, 192.168.1.1 is a common IP address format. The first set of numbers represents the network address, and the last set represents the device address. The term "associated IP addresses" likely refers to the various IP addresses that are used by a particular device or network. These IP addresses can be used to track online activity and help identify the source of network traffic.
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How to choose a domain name?
There are many good practices when it comes to selecting a domain name. If you run a company, the site address should be related to the company name. It's crucial when it comes to branding (connecting the brand name with its domain name). Not to mention, it's just practical: users will more likely remember a site address if it corresponds to the firm name. What doesn't change, the fact, that the number of spare domains is limited. That's why it is worth to select one, which can be associated with the company, brand, or activity (blog). You should also know, that adding “-” to site address is not the best idea, because many websites that spam use them. On the other hand, if “-” is used to separate a two-element company name (like my-dompany.com) it's okay to use it.
Can I move a domain between websites?
Yes. Domain works similar to a contact number. You can change the mobile phone (website) and operator (a firm, where the domain has been registered). The domain can also be redirected (enter a new DNS address, to which it will refer) or migrate the domain to another supplier (you need authinfo). Read more about domain services here.
Paid and free domains
Domains can be divided into paid and free. You can have a free domain for example in WebWave (under the subdomain webwavecms.com). Unfortunately, for most (top-level and second-level like .com, .org, .software) domains you need to pay. Interesting fact: some TLD based on countries are used worldwide, for example, Djibouti (.dj) domain is often used by DJs. I am sure you can guess why.
How much domain costs?
Prices vary depending on the kind of domain and the company which will register it. You should remember, that when registering a new domain sometimes you need to complete some additional formalities (for example with domains .org). Luckily for us, most domains require only some personal details of the person or company and the payment. Price for domain registration is between 0 and a few euro. The price for extending a domain is bigger, between a few and several dozens euro. Everything depends on the domain and company.
What's the difference between domain registration and extension?
First of all, the price - like I mentioned before, extending a domain is usually more expensive than its registration. It's worth to remember that registration costs are very often included in the first year of hosting (for example when you buy a Premium Plan in WebWave you get a .com registration for a year for free). After one year you need to pay for domain extension separately. Just like I said before: hosting is a land, domain is an address. Both need separate payments.
For how long can I extend domain validity?
Domain works in the annual cycle. When you register a domain, you gain a right to it for a year. At least a year. You can also make a payment for longer - for example, 5 years.
Very own e-mail address
If you have a domain, it's easier to set your own mailbox. Having a mywebsite.com domain you can set a contact@mywebsite.com mailbox. It has a good impact on company image. Mailbox is an additional service and you need to pay for it. In WebWave we give it for free to Premium Plan. In WebWave you get your own mailbox for free.
Can I own a domain?
In practice, by paying for a domain you only get a right to use a certain site address. Again, like with a phone number - as long as you pay for a phone subscription the number is “yours” (only you can use it). When you stop making payments or subscription ends - you lose the exclusiveness. It's the same story with the domain. Payments give you exclusiveness to use a certain site address. Having a domain is rather a lease.
What happens, when I stop paying for a domain?
You lose the right to use this certain domain. The domain expires. But! For a short period of time, it is “reserved” for you. In the case of .com domains, you have got 28 days to make your mind and start making payments again. Usually, you need to pay for domain reactivation. Remember about it. After this period of time, the domain is back on the market. If you think that you can avoid domain reactivation costs (by waiting 28 days until it expires and purchasing it again) you are wrong. There are companies, which automatically buy domains which return on the market - mostly to sell them again but with a higher cost. That's why, if you have a registered domain and you care about it - make sure to make payments on time.
Country-based domain– is it a necessity?
No, but most people think it is worth to use it. Country-based domains became a standard, especially for businesses that operate in a certain country in a particular language. That's why companies from the UK use top-level domain .uk. Of course, you can use any domain name. For example, in 2014 many new domain names appeared on the market and allowed webmasters to create interesting combinations like antivirus.software or dinner.today.
Domain name and SEO
There is a dependence between domain name and SEO, but times when using keywords in site address (EMD - Exact Match Domain) are long gone. Choosing a domain name corresponding to company name won't hurt. It's worth to mention that there is a connection between domain age and website position in internet search results (based on ahrefs studies).
Can I redirect a domain to another supplier?
Yes. Just like I mentioned before, domain is like a phone number - you can easily transfer it between operators. All you need is the authinfo.
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