Domain Names

Choosing a domain name is one of the most important parts of setting up a website. When it comes to domain names, a little knowledge can go a long way. This collection of links can help you avoid common pitfalls to save time and money.

Cybersquatting Won’t Save the World

Last November, according to Reuters, after Donald Trump won the presidential election, the editor-in-chief of the far-right Breitbart News Network announced that the outlet would expand into Germany and France, hoping to “monetize the anger and anti-immigrant sentiment unleashed by Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign.” Some on the left in France are not keen to […]

Which New gTLDs Matter?

There’s no denying the power of a domain ending in .com. When someone searches for your website, there’s no question they’re going to assume a .com domain first. Anyone who’s registered a domain before knows that .com is the preferred choice. If your .com idea is taken, it’s often too risky to purchase the same […]

Are These Million Dollar Domains Being Sold Short?

Are These Million Dollar Domains Being Sold Short?

Are all the best domains already taken? Hundreds of millions of top-level domains are now registered, and you’d better believe that includes all the short, snappy, easily-brandable one-word domains. Having a short and memorable domain comes with a lot of perks. For one, your users are much more likely to remember a domain like “www.photo.com” […]

Will Google Domains Kill GoDaddy?

Remember the web before Google, when we surfed using Yahoo’s directory, AltaVista’s web portal, or AskJeeves’ answers? While Google may profess to do no evil, even its CEO admits they’ve outgrown that slogan. And whether or not you consider it to be evil or just the cost of doing business, Google does have a habit […]

Beginner’s Guide to Dropped Domains

In the beginning of the World Wide Web era, not many people realized the potential of this new technology. The first six domain names in history were registered in 1985, but it took another ten years after that for domain registrations to really start to pick up. Many of the world’s first dot com websites […]

The Future of Domain Names

“Dot com” is more than a web address; it’s a symbol. Synonymous with the World Wide Web, “dot com” has been a common term since the Dot Com Bubble of last century, and it’s even defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It’s no surprise, then, that .com is the most popular top-level domain (TLD) by far. […]

Beginner's Guide to Domain Auctions

A Beginner’s Guide to Domain Auctions

Finding the perfect domain name might be getting easier thanks to hundreds of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) rolling out in 2014, but if you’ve ever set up a website for personal or commercial use, you’re probably familiar with the frustrating feeling that comes with finding out the domain name you want isn’t available. There’s […]

Domain name license agreement

New gTLDs Offer a Glimpse of Tomorrow’s Internet

Even if they’re not well-versed in the precise terminology of domain hierarchies, almost everyone who’s ever been online recognizes generic top-level domains. Also known as gTLDs, these extensions add the familiar “.com,” “.net,” etc. to the URLs we enter while browsing. This once-modest pool of “after the dot” domains is about to undergo a major […]

Domain Squatting: How to Reclaim Your Name

Domain Squatting: How to Reclaim Your Name

Wait a minute. Does domain squatting (sometimes called cybersquatting) still exist in 2015? Indeed it does. Once a touted online money-making strategy back in the days when keyword stuffing was an optimization tactic and “made-for-AdSense” websites were considered a form of digital marketing, domain squatting is now not only annoying – it may even be illegal. […]

How to Get a Free Domain Name

How to Get a Free Domain Name

The English language has some interesting, not to mention contradictory sayings. You may have heard “the best things in life are free,” although that really depends on what you consider to be the “best things.” But you may have also heard, “nothing in life comes for free,” which is a little more realistic. While it […]

How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Business

How to Choose a Domain Name

By the end of 2012, the Internet held nearly a quarter of a billion registered domain names, many of which did their owners no particular favors. Choosing the right domain name is a critical part of defining your business online, and just as important as choosing the right host (if not more so). While “TedSmithMotorPartsManufacturing.com” […]

How to Buy a Domain that's Already Registered

How to Buy a Domain Name That’s Already Registered

Selecting the right domain name for your website is one of the most critical aspects of establishing yourself online. Your domain name has to be engaging enough to catch the eye, evoke your business in the mind’s eye of anyone who sees it, and memorable (and pithy) enough for easy recall. What do you do […]

Basically, a domain name links a web page to an IP Address. The anatomy of a domain name consists of at least two parts: a Second Level Domain (SLD) and a Top Level Domain(TLD). Take the domain name, bestexample.com, as an example. It has a SLD (bestexample), and a TLD (com).

The way a domain name relates to an IP Address is similar to the way the name of a restaurant relates to its street address. Names are much easier for people to remember than street addresses. Suppose someone asked you where you ate lunch. You are much more likely to reply, “I ate lunch at Joe’s Place,” than something like, “I ate lunch at 101 Dalmatian Street, Anytown, USA 10038.”

The example above is a good place to begin, but there is much more to the story. The links below provide you a wealth of information on the subject.

Learn About Domain Names

This set of resources covers everything from the basics such as registering and managing domain names, to more advanced topics — like registering multiple domain names to a single IP Address, domain name privacy, and technical details behind the Domain Name System (DNS). There is enough helpful information here to fill a book, but don”t worry, they are all easy reads.

Domain Name Web Hosting

If you feel like you are ready to purchase a domain name, the next step is to find a web host. The set of links below take you to articles that allow you to compare hosting plans based on criteria. Get the good, the bad, and the ugly. See what we recommend and read reviews on hosting companies from thousands of consumers.

Pick the Right Domain Name

Choosing a domain name is a big decision. It can affect how well your personal or business website is received. Hopefully, you now have a clearer understanding of how domain names work so you can read the rest of our content with greater insight. Best of luck!