A domain name is the address people type into a browser to reach a site. Much like a fingerprint, each domain name is unique to a specific website. Domains were created as a human-friendly way to access the Internet Protocol (IP), which represents a website’s online locator.
The internet is a massive worldwide network of computers connected to each other through a global, submarine grid of cables. Every computer—whether it's a personal device or a server—has an IP address that allows it to communicate with the rest of the network to send, find and retrieve web data.
To create a website, you need both a domain name and web hosting. Because of their codependent nature and the fact that—more often than not—the same company provides both, and their both essentially a part of what makes up a website's infrastructure, many confuse their purpose and relationship.
The DNS uses an inverted-tree hierarchy to manage its distributed database system. On this structure, a dot serves as the root domain and sits at the top of the framework. Below the dot, the domain name space is divided into different levels depending on their position in reference from the root domain. This results in different types of domains, all of which serve a different purpose: Top-level domains (TLD), including new top-level domains Second-level domains (SLD) Third-level domains
According to Verisign’s late 2022 industry report, there are 349.9 million domain names registered across all top-level domains, with thousands more registered every day. To find an available domain name that perfectly represents your brand or concept, you’ll need a combination of creativity, SEO knowledge, foresight, luck and extensive knowledge of best practices. This guide to how to choose a domain name will help you cover your bases. Here are three of the most important steps to get you started.
