Other Domain Name Types
We focused on the different extension types above. The following are the other available structures of domain names:
Second-Level Domain
A second-level domain is below TLDs in the domain name hierarchy. An SLD is the section of a domain name located to the left of the last dot. Take www.hostinger.com, for example hostinger is the SLD, and .com is the TLD.
Some domain name registries use an second-level domain to indicate a specific entity registering. For example, academic institutions in the United Kingdom mostly register websites under .ac.uk.
Subdomain
A subdomain indicates a separate division from a parent domain that still shares the same servers. There is no need to register a subdomain. Technically, the www of most URLs is a subdomain that shows that a site is part of the world wide web.
The most common reason to create subdomains is to organize and divide web content into separate sections. For example, Google uses developers.google.com to provide specific information for developers.
Another use of a subdomain is to create another website with the same name but in different languages. Take Wikipedia as an example it has a separate subdomain for each language. It uses en.wikipedia.org for the English version and es.wikipedia.org for the Spanish one.
Free Domain
A free web address often follows the same structure as subdomains. For example, instead of hostingertutorials.com, the domain would be hostingertutorials.wordpress.com or hostingertutorials.blogspot.com.
What Comes After Picking The Right Domain Name
Understanding domain names and the ancillary components are important steps when deciding on the perfect domain name.
Its not enough to know what a domain name is you need to understand why the domain name can help you grow your business and how to register that domain name.
The detailed guide above should provide the clarity you need to differentiate between the domain name and your website or URL.
In addition, you should now know the unique levels of a domain name and the meaning of various domain extensions.
Finally, you should have a better understanding of the domain name system , the differences between the registry, registrar and registrant, as well as the legal components associated with domains and websites, and the importance of domain names for businesses.
If youre ready to take the next steps with choosing and registering your domain name, see below:
Guidelines For Choosing A Domain Name
Here are some domain name guidelines to follow:
With all of that, there are a few dos and donts that are important to keep in mind when finding the right domain name. Lets start with the donts, since that list is shorter.
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Build Your Business By Registering Your Domain
After weighing the benefits and drawbacks of free or paid domains, you should get started on your search for the perfect domain name. Domain names can go quickly and there’s a little more competition than Symbolics had in 1985 so it is important to register the one you want before it is too late.
Registering a domain name is quick and easy, but it does take some time to brainstorm the right name, select the optimal suffix, and find the right domain registrar for you. As such, there’s no better time than now to get started on registering your domain name.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in February 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
What Are The Best Domain Name Registrars
There are a number of great ways to register a domain, including web hosting providers, such as DreamHost or GoDaddy and all-in-one website builders, such as Squarespace or Wix. However, if youre looking to solely register a new domain, the best domain name registrars include Namecheap, Domain.com and Google Domains. Learn more about the best domain name registrars.
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Research Social Media Handles
If you have plans to engage with your visitors or customers, chances are youll want to create social media accounts that are linked to your domain name and website. Therefore, its wise to check your preferred social media sites to see if your domain name is available in handle form.
Alternatively, you can check to see if a variation of your domain name is available. This is a common practice.
If youre not planning to use too many different social media networks, you can easily do this manually. However, if you want a bit of help, is a great way to see all available social media handles at a glance.
This handy tool can provide you with useful information about trademarks. It can also help you manage dozens of social media accounts.
Find Your Domain Name On Your Chosen Domain Registrar Website
Weve already covered choosing your domain registrar. Once you do, look up your chosen domain name to see if its already taken. If it is, the domain registrar will present alternatives either for the domain itself or for the TLD.
It may offer choices such as .net, .org, and .info. Generally, we recommend sticking with a .com TLD because its highly recognizable.
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What Is A Domain Name And Why Is It Important
A domain name is the physical name of a website, and its arguably the most important part of your website. Much like your physical address or a phone number, there cannot be two identical domain names.
The backend of domain names can only be accessed and used by the domain name owner known as the domain name registrant . Domain names can also be bought and sold like assets in domain name auctions.
A domain name is the combination of letters, number and symbols someone types in their browser to access a specific web address directly.
For example, if you wanted to visit GoDaddys website, you couldnt access it by typing GoDaddy in your browser that would simply provide you search results for GoDaddy and would not render the actual website. Instead, you need to type the domain name GoDaddy.com in the browser to navigate to GoDaddys website.
A domain name is an easier way to browse the internet and access a specific website instead of using an IP address, which is the convoluted strings of numbers and letters computers use to recognize a website.
Because a domain name is meant to make it easier for people to visit your website, its important to keep it simple and memorable.
Picking the perfect domain name can have a critical role in how well your website performs.
Try For A Different Top Level Domain
If your domain name is not available in the .com extension, try to get a different TLD instead. As long as the current .com domain isnt trademarked or in a similar niche, you could register using .co, .shop, .biz, or other trustworthy TLDs.
To check for trending TLDs, head to NameStat. You can check the biggest selling and fastest growing TLDs to help decide your domain extension.
To see which TLDs to avoid, check Spamhaus, a tool that analyzes the TLDs with the worst reputations, so you can create a trustworthy domain.
Once you find some great ideas, youll want to take the final step in choosing a domain.
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Check For Trademark Infringement
Both major and minor brands alike take issue with others using their trademarked names. Even if youve just made an innocent mistake, the legal hassle involved in a lawsuit and having to rearrange your web presence could be costly.
You can avoid these situations by using a trademark lookup tool before you finalize your choice.
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Try To Buy It From The Owner
Sometimes people buy domain names to sell to companies like yours in the future. If someone already owns the exact domain you want, try getting in touch with the owner and make an attractive offer. Find their details on the WHOIS database and contact them to discuss buying the domain. You can also do additional research by looking up the brand on social media, and noting how often the site is updated. If a domain hasnt been updated in years, theres a chance the owner might be willing to strike a deal.
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S And Types Of Domain Names
Domain names are read from right to left, just like normal text .
To the right, youll find a general description of the domain name, this is the Top Level Domain. And to the left, youll find a specific description of the domain name, the Second Level Domain.
Think of it like a persons name their family name to the right/at the end, their personal name to the left/first.
Stay Unique And On Brand
A unique domain name can help your website stand out and potentially help you avoid legal trouble. It can also contribute to your marketing efforts. In fact, if your site represents a larger brand, you would be wise to consider your domain name as youre creating the brand name itself.
If youre a self-employed individual, you can still consider your body of work and your website as part of your personal brand. For instance, if you run a private therapy practice, an original yet branded domain name might include your full name and field. In this scenario, a strong URL might read something like: janesmithpsychology.com.
Another powerful way for businesses to reach a local audience is by including geolocation within the domain name .
Related: How to Tell Your Brand Story
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Add The Domain To Your Cart And Complete The Registration Process
If your chosen domain is available, congrats! All you have to do now is add it to your cart and complete the registration process. If you dont yet have an account with the registrar, youll be prompted to sign up.
Be sure to follow the steps we outlined in the How to Register Your Domain Name section to ensure youve successfully registered your domain name.
What Is A Trademark
In order to fully understand how trademark rights and domain name ownership affect one another and differ, it helps to start with a basic understanding of both. In general terms, a trademark is any name, logo/design, or slogan used to promote a business. A business does not need to register the trademark to have rights . Rather, trademark rights arise whenever a mark is used in commerce -whenever the name, logo, or slogan is used in connection with the products or services offered by the company in such a way as to create an association in the minds of consumers connecting the mark with the company. Every time a can of Coca-Cola® is placed on a grocers shelves, or every time a box of french fries displaying the McDonalds® golden arches logo is handed to a hungry child, those famous trademarks are being used in commerce. Accordingly, a trademark is something that makes a connection in the minds of consumers between a particular product or service and the company that provides that product or service.
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What To Expect After Registering Your New Domain
Once you register your domain name with either a free plan, hosting service or website builder, it typically takes 24 to 72 hours to become active. This is the length of time the DNS takes to replicate the name worldwide. After 48 hours your domain will be included in the Whois database, which is a public record of all domain registrations. The database allows anyone to search the IP owner information of every registered website on the internet. It also gives new website owners the ability to find out if their idea of a domain name is available for registration and, if not, when the current registration for that name expires.
Generally, you cannot transfer a domain name during the first 60 days after registration. This is the length of time the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers requires domain providers to lock most domains after registration. Freenom is the worlds only free domain provider.
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How To Buy And Sell Domain Names And Make A Profit
While most people are familiar with the term house flipping, they may not be as well-versed on the phrase domain flipping. In laymans terms, domain flipping means the buying and selling of a website domain for a profit. Done right, buying and selling domain names can be a lucrative side hustle or small business.
The most expensive domain name ever was business.com, purchased by RH Donnelly for $345 million. While you can guess that this is far from the norm, there are ways to make a profit buying and selling domains. Here are some domain flipping tips to get you off to a successful start.
Understand the value
A domain name is much more than just the website address for a company, organization, group or individual. It is an important part of a business or personal brand. Domain names help people remember websites and serve as representations of a person or company online. A web address can be as important as the website it is associated with it’s a highly valuable asset.
Manage expectations
Buying and selling domain names can be fun and profitable but you should know the risks of domain investing. Keep things in perspective and have the right mindset. People are making a living buying and selling domain names but the selling of high-priced domains is rare. Don’t expect to make a lot of easy money.
Narrow your focus
Think big, start small
Do your homework
Rely on proven resources
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Why You Need A Business Email Address
Here are the important reasons for using the business email address:
- It is a custom business email address and thereby is more professional.
- Business email address is short and can be remembered easily.
- You can ensure that every email you send has a standard format and therefore maintain consistency.
- Sending emails with a business name enables you to promote your brand.
- Professional email addresses are less unlikely to be marked as spam by customers.
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Create A Standalone Landing Page
We, here at DigitalGYD, dont believe in one size fits all rule.
If you dont want a blog and are still wondering I bought a domain now what?, we have 9 more options for you!
Read on to discover more ideas
If you arent ready for a blog yet, you can create a simple one page website and convert visitors into leads/sales or customers.
Sometimes, you simply want a landing page .
A landing page differs from a website as in you dont need to update it with content often and it will have no additional attached pages too. The aim of landing pages are to get visitors to land on that page and make them do what is expected of them .
What You Can Do With A Landing Page?
1) Get customers for your offline business
Do you have an existing business ?
You can create an online landing page and optimize it to rank so that you appear whenever anyone near your city searches for your business .
Now they click to your page and get information about reaching to you . Boom you got your customer who would otherwise never know you.
Same goes for any offline business like a beauty parlor, a pet grooming store, a spa.
The landing page technique works well if you offer services too.
2) Get leads and sales for your courses, products
If youre already working online and have something to sell you could use a landing page as a lead generation funnel.
How to Create a Landing Page With Your Domain?
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Get A Web Hosting Plan
The first thing you need to do after buying a domain name is, buy a web hosting plan to host your site. Its especially important when youve bought the domain name from domain registrars like GoDaddy or Namecheap.
Though most domain registrars offer web hosting at a cheap rate, its not a good idea to buy a web hosting plan from a domain registrar. You should always keep your domain and web hosting place separately.
What we recommend is buying a web hosting package from a top web hosting provider like HostGator.
HostGator is a leading web hosting provider which has been in business since 2002. Till now, over 10 million domains are hosted on HostGator.
If youre just starting a new site, you can start with the shared hosting plan. Shared hosting is the most affordable plan. HostGator has three . Among them, the Baby Plan is the most popular one.