What is a Domain Name?

What is a Domain Name?

A domain name is your website name, the name of your business, your pages, and you online. A domain name is the address where people from around the country or around the world can access you site. Consider your domain name similar to that of your name. What do people call you, how do they address your mail to send you postal mail? A domain name is similar to the address and name in that respect. A domain name could be any combination of letters, and numbers, and then it will be used in combination of .com, .net, .biz and more so that readers can be directed to the correct domain name.

Every domain name must be unique, just as no two people can have the same name and address to receive postal mail offline. The .com, .net, .org, .info and so on allow for many similar names to be used but will allow readers to find a particular business with a unique address.

The .com or such is known as the top-level domain. Your choices are becoming limitless as the Internet continues to grow. The best thing about domain names is that you can have the same name, as a company across the country, but with another top-level domain extension so readers can find your business or web site.

A few of the most used top level domains include those of:

.com - one of the most common and familiar of all websites around the world

.biz - generally provided for businesses and commercial sites

.info - generally provided for information, such as news, libraries and similar

.org - generally provided for non profit type web sites and organizations

.net - generally provided for online businesses such as hosting companies, domain name resellers and similar online providers

.name - generally provided for personal websites and web spaces

Additionally most every country is provided their own top domain name, such as UK for the United Kingdom, and FR for France and so on.

Currently there is no enforcement of the generally accepted uses of the top domain names, but if you have a name that is already used on a .com you could purchase a .name or a .net domain name and have your web site online under the name you want.

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