Getting Started with Domain Names

Let’s Get Started with Domain Names

With the process of digitalization in recent years, the number of websites, including for commercial purposes has increased at a significant rate. As a result, you might have heard of domain names. Some people still misunderstand the definition and use of domain names.

In this article, we will explain briefly about the domain names and the importance of it. If you want to get started with your website, or you just want to know about domain names, then this article will be beneficial for you.

Quick overview of what will be discussed:

1. What is a domain name and how does it work?
2. Why domain name is important for your website or business?
3. How do you pick a domain name?
4. Where do you find and purchase a domain name?
5. What is Who/is?
6. How much does a domain name cost?
7. How do you choose between .com, .co, .jp, .gov, etc.?
8. Have ever heard of domainers?

What is a domain name and how does it work?

In a simple term, a domain name is the name of the website or referred to the address of the website that people search in the URL bar. Originally, computers process IP addresses which are in the form of numbers. When searching for a certain website, people type the domain name, and it will be looked up by the DNS (Domain Name System) and processed in the form of IP addresses. Then, it will be processed back and the website will be opened.

Why domain name is important for your website or business?

A domain name is important not only because it is a must to start a website, but it also ensures an easier use of the internet.

Without a domain name, people will need to remember and type IP addresses to go to websites which is very inconvenient. Rather than this, people simply need to type the domain name. Since domain name also acts as the identity of the website, many businesses also use it as a way to brand their products/services.

In addition to this, together with web hosting, a domain name is needed to start a website. Web hosting makes the websites accessible and maintains these domain names with its database, bandwidth, and security system.

How do you pick a domain name?

Picking a domain name involves a lot of considerations related to registrars, TLD (Top Level Domain), and the name itself.

A domain name is suggested to be unique, short, and understandable. A good example of a good domain name would be gloture.jp. The name is short and thus, easy to remember. It is also understandable in comparison to a domain name that uses double letters (difficult to understand & typos possibility). More importantly, the name of gloture that stands for global adventure is brandable & unique in a way that it directly conveys the message and intention to its customers.

Other than the name, TLD is also important and it is suggested to use common ones such as .com, .net, or use country TLD such as .jp, or .id. However, in some cases, using unique TLD such as .coffee could also make a business more brandable. Do not forget, picking the right registrars and plans is also essential.

Where do you find and purchase a domain name?

People find and purchase a domain name from domain registrars, or accredited companies by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) that has the responsibility to manage domain names. Most of these companies also provide web hosting services. The most used and common domain registrars are domain.com, Bluehost, Godaddy, and Shopify. In the case of Shopify, it does not only sell domain names but also provides other services as well such as web hosting, website themes, etc.

What is (“Who / is “)?

WHOIS (who is responsible for) is a public search directory where people can look for the status and details (owner information and expiry date) for domain names. The information that they put before registering domain names is called WHOIS information.

How much does a domain name cost?

Domain names cost from $9-$20 in general. However, it really depends on other factors as well such as registrars, TLD, and the availability of the domain names.

Different registrars have different price plans (registration, renewal costs, and TLD). For example, for .com, Godaddy offers $ 0.99 for the first year, and $18.17 for the second year, while Hostgator offers $12.95 for the first year and $ 17.99 for the second year. The price also varies for other TLD such as .org, or .net. There are also optional costs such as domain privacy costs (usually an additional $9.99).

Moreover, the availability of the name matters as well. Pre-registered domain names are more expensive as it is more brandable and it could cost a lot. The three most expensive domain names are Business.com ($345 million), LasVegas.com ($ 90 million), and CarInsurance.com ($ 49.7 million).

How do you choose between .com, .co, .jp, .gov, etc.?

It is called TLD, or an extension of a domain name. TLD has different types which are the original TLD, Country Code TLD, and generic TLD.

The original TLD consists of .com, .net, .org, .mil, .edu, etc. It is usually suggested to use .com as it is the most common and trustworthy TLD especially for businesses (as it stands for. commercial). While .net is not as common as .com, it is used for networking websites (as it stands for. Network). On the other hand, .edu, or .gov are used for specific purposes like education, governments, or non-profit organizations. Also, .co is usually used for a company that goes global (ex: gloture.co.jp).

Country Code TLD distinguishes one country to another (ex: .id for Indonesia, .jp for Japan, .au for Australia). In recent years, the number of generic TLDs has increased significantly and they are used for specific purposes as well (ex: io, coffee, .aero, etc.).

Have ever heard of domainers?

Domainers are also called domain investors. Just like normal investors, domainers buy domain names at a lower price and then sell them later at a higher price. A good way to find domain names at a lower price would be to buy from the expired domain names and the new domain names. Usually, since domain investors need to hold the domain for a long time before selling them, they could sell domains 10 times more than their original price.

We hope you understand more about domain names after reading this article.