Make Sure Its Easy To Type
Think of some of the most popular websites in the world. What comes to mind?
Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Yahoo, CNN
One big thing they have in common is that theyre all easy to spell.
Your visitors should be able to type your domain name without a problem. If you have to explain the spelling more than once for it to be understood, its too complicated!
The last thing you want is for the potential visitors to mistype your domain and end up on a different website!
Heres an easy way to test this
Tell 10 people your potential domain name and ask them to spell it. If more than a few people struggle to spell it, you need to simplify it.
Where Can You Buy A Domain Name
You will need to pay an annual fee to register a domain name. When the registration period expires, you will be given the option to renew. If you dont, the domain name will be made available to others.
There are quite a few domain name registrars out there, but godaddy.com and NameCheap are probably among the most popular ones. Shopify also offers an option to buy a domain name through them for those opening a new e-store.
So What Is A Domain Name
A domain name is your websites equivalent of a physical address. It helps users find your site easily on a browser instead of using its IP address. Domain names consisting of a name and an extension are a key part of the internet infrastructure.
Here are some facts related to the question of what a domain name is:
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Best Domain Name Registrar Bluehost
Bluehost is a hosting provider and domain name registrar specializing in WordPress sites. Since WordPress is by far the most popular website builder for businesses of all shapes and sizes, this is a good thing.
At Bluehost, you can get a .com domain for $11.99 a year and a .org domain for $8.99. However, you actually dont even need to pay a thing, because you get a free domain whenever you sign up for a basic hosting plan. At $2.95 a month, its a steal of a deal.
Despite being a cheap entry-level plan, it comes with great features like one-click WordPress installs, multiple email accounts, and domain privacy and security. Bluehost servers are also super-fast and reliable, and the companys customer service is top-ranked as well.
What Is A Domain Name
Domain names are what people use to find a website on the internet.
Without these names, it would be impossible to navigate through various pages because you would need to know a complex line of numbers and integers.
Domain names are broken up into three sections, which go from generic to specific.
The end of the domain, which is often .com or .org, is the top-level domain .
The next part to the left of the TLD is the secondary level domain , which may be the websites name.
One example would be rockcontent.com. The .com is the TLD, and rockcontent is the SLD.
To the left of the SLD is the third-level domain .
For example, a page like info.rockcontent.com could be a subdomain of the primary website.
In this case, the page would likely be information about the website, hence the info tag.
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Proposed Sale Of The Public Interest Registry
On 13 November 2019 the Internet Society announced that it was divesting of the Public Interest Registry, and that would be acquiring its assets, including its holdings of Registry Agreements. Following concerns about the elimination of price caps, Ethos Capital stated on their website, “Our plan is to live within the spirit of historic practice when it comes to pricing,” which they later clarified to mean raising prices by an average of 10% per year. This is the maximum that the Public Interest Registry was allowed to raise prices starting in 2016, though it never chose to do so.
The sale led to concern over PIR’s transition to a for-profit venture, especially in view of the removal of price caps on .org registrations. People who came out in opposition to the sale included and , the first chair of the Public Interest Registry, as well as previous Trustees along with the first Executive Director of the Internet Society. On 22 November 2019 launched a website savedotorg.org for organizations and others to express their opposition to the sale. Over 25,000 people signed a petition opposing the sale, and a demonstration was held outside ICANN’s office in Los Angeles in January 2020. On 29 November 2019, it was revealed that the purchase price is $1.135 billion.
On 30 April 2020, the ICANN Board, saying it was “the right thing to do,” withheld its consent to the transfer of control of the Public Internet Registry to Ethos Capital, effectively killing the proposed deal.
How Do I Buy A Domain Name Permanently
Unfortunately, you cant buy a domain name permanently, and name registrations happen yearly. You can purchase a domain name for up to 10 years on certain domain name registrars, but most will offer one- to three-year payment options.
To ensure that you dont forget to register year after year and risk losing your domain, many registrars like Bluehost allow you to set up automatic renewals.
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The First Org Domain Was Registered 30 Years
Yes, it’s been that long. The first .org domain, mitre.org, was registered 30 years ago this July as reported on VentureBeat.com. “To mark the 30 year anniversary, the Public Interest Registry the not-for-profit operator of the .org domain, alongside .ngo and .ong has launched a new website where users can look back at notable .org websites through the years. “You can also see how the sites have evolved using an interactive timeline,” the article says.
How To Choose A Domain Name
- Choose a name thats easy to type and pronounce. If people struggle to spell it or pronounce it correctly, it will affect the memorability of the name and hurt your brand.
- Pick a domain name that can be turned into a brand. You dont want exact and partial keyword match domain names because theyre too generic and very difficult to brand. You should also steer clear from numbers and hyphens in your domain name theyre too difficult to remember and pronounce.
- Keep it short and simple. Long, complex domain names run a huge risk of being mistyped and misspelled. Thats just an unnecessary headache.
- Avoid names that can be confused with existing brands. If you think you can piggyback on some other brands success, youre hugely mistaken. Brand confusion will be the least of your concerns when you get sued!
- Use an appropriate extension.With the new TLDs rocking the internet, youd think everyones going for something as eye-catching as .boutique. Yet the prevailing advice among marketers is to stick to the old good .com, merely because its the most recognized suffix outside the tech world. If youre targeting a local market, then ccTLDs is probably a better choice for your business.
- Choose a name that indicates what your business does.You must be careful not to get too literal. But a clever domain name that suggests to consumers what they can expect to find when they land on your site is a great advantage to any business.
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You Cant Build A Website Without A Domain Name
The most important reason for you to register a domain name for your business is that you cannot create a website without one.
As we discussed earlier, your website is the user-facing experience someone receives when they visit your domain name. Therefore, you need a domain name if you intend on creating a website which you most certainly should!
There is an endless amount of reasons to create a website for your business. Here are a few of the top reasons to build a business website.
Consumers are researching you online
Your consumers are searching for information about your business online even if youre a brick-and-mortar business. Its reported that 82 percent of consumers consult their smartphones before making an in-store purchase.
While you might not be able to control consumer reviews on Google My Business, Yelp or other review sites, you can dictate the message on your website.
Following the pandemic, business has pivoted mostly online which increases the need for a website. People are looking for you online, so what do you want them to see?
If you dont have a website, youre at the mercy of your consumer reviews assuming they are leaving reviews.
Your website is open 24/7
There are many limitations to physical stores most notably, the hours of operation. Websites dont have the same problem.
Your website is available all the time and can continue to generate leads and business long after youve locked up for the night.
Its another marketing channel
How Do I Find A Domain Name
Hostinger offers a domain name search tool to help find a suitable domain. Simply enter a domain name of your choice in the search box and press Enter. Our system will then display a list of available TLDs based on your suggestion.
If your preferred domain name is already registered, choose another extension or try coming up with different variations. Once you find an available domain name, proceed with the registration.
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What Does Com Mean
The .com top-level domain is, by far, the most popular extension, and thus the one with the highest value for professional websites. While it was originally conceived to host commercial websites, nowadays its use has extended to any type of site, despite the long list of alternatives devised for other purposes.
Ever since the phrase dot-com was used to describe the rise and subsequent fall of online start-ups in the 90s, this domain extension has become synonymous with the internet. As of today, 48% of global websites use a .com TLD and consumers perceive it as the de facto default extension for web addresses. This means that not only is .com much easier for your audience to remember, but also that they might actually type in the wrong URL if youre using a different extension.
The sheer reputation of the .com TLD means that its availability is quite limited and can significantly complicate the process of choosing a domain name. With this in mind, its important to check your domains feasibility in the first stages of starting a business and, ideally, take it into account when coming up with your business name.
That being said, not using .com is far from the end of the world and in some cases, you might even want to actively choose a different domain extension.
Short Is Better Than Long
In general, when it comes to the length of your domain, shorter is better.
According to research from Domain Registration.com, the most common name length is approximately 12 characters.
All of this data shows that you should keep your domain name concise.
Aim for 6-14 characters and remember the shorter, the better. Most likely the shorter domain names are taken a LONG time ago and sold for thousands of dollars. If you cant find something short, make it brandable.
Our own site websitesetup.org is exactly 12 characters.
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What Is The Url
A Uniform Resource Locator is a string of characters in a web browser that tells the server to display a specific resource to an end user. While a URL and domain name have similarities, the URL is much more descriptive. In fact, a URL actually encompasses the domain name.
For example, https://www.godaddy.com/help/what-is-a-url-8809.html is a URL that includes the domain name GoDaddy.com within it. In fact, lets look at the other elements of that URL. It also includes several other components which well dive into below.
The protocol
URLs include schemes or protocols that communicate how to access that specific resource. In the example above, https:// is the protocol. Most web addresses will use either HTTP or HTTPS .
The difference between HTTP and HTTPS is the S which refers to security. HTTPS websites have SSL security which is an encryption that protects the sensitive data of its users. If your site doesnt have an SSL certificate, you should strongly consider adding it because visitors are hyper-aware of their personal data online, and 85 percent of online shoppers will actively avoid an unsecure website.
Related:
The subdomain
A subdomain is an optional part of a URL that creates a completely separate section of your website. If a URL has a subdomain, it will precede the domain name with a period.
For example, Tumblr uses subdomains for each of its users.
- Example.tumblr.com
- Example2.tumblr.com
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The domain name
The path
What Are The Components Of A Domain Name
A domain name is an interesting thing. Its something we essentially need to navigate to so that we can land on the website we want.
We often own them for our own websites or even use domain names to forward to other services, like our social media channels.
Despite that its integral to our use of the Internet, we dont always understand everything about them and how they work.
In this piece, were going to help you get a better understanding of what a domain name is and all its bit and pieces.
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When To Use A Com Domain Extension
.com stands for commercial, as it was initially intended for commercial businesses. Like .org, anyone can register for a .com domain, and it is the most popular top-level domains to use. Because of its popularity, registering for a .com domain name can get competitive, so be creative with how you create your domain name.
Org: A Trusted Domain For Organisations But Not Only
.ORG is one of the oldest and most popular domain extensions out there. But are you aware of the many use cases of this trusted TLD? Here is a special selection of typical use cases and real-life examples.
The .ORG domain extension was one of the seven original top-level domains launched in the 1980s, along with .COM, .NET, .INT, .EDU, .GOV and .MIL.
Short for organisation, .ORG was initially intended for non-profit organisations. However, restrictions have since been lifted and while a .ORG domain still demonstrates altruistic ventures, it can now be registered by anyone.
Proof of its success over the years and decades, the 10th million registration was registered in June 2012. Lets discover together what makes .ORG such an attractive and trusted domain.
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