Introduction to Domain Name, DNS(Domain Name System) and How it works?
Put Simply, Domain Name is a virtual address for your website. A domain or a domain name is the address of a website that functions as a link to the IP address. Each part of a domain name contains a specific meaning and It provides access to the website on a web browser. The high demand for domains invented a new version (IPv6) to prevent confusion between domain names and duplicate of domains also it increased the number of domains. In this article, I am going to explain to you a complete Introduction to Domain Name.
Domain Name Example: www.example.com
In this example.com is a domain name where .com stands for the first top-level domain(or we can say domain name extension) and .example. is a sub-domain.
A domain name is a combination of letters and numbers and can be used with various domain name extension combinations like .org, .gov, .com, .in, etc.
Domain Name History: Story Behind Its Existence
After the internet revolution (in 1960) when scientists extended the use of ARPANET (in 1983), everything changed and the Internet becomes an integral part of people’s lives. It started to bring changes in our life not only as technical but social as well. People started making websites and interacting with audiences. But’s accessing the website ain’t easy that time. Most people were not so technical to understand the website IP address at that time.
Then Paul Mockapetris invented Domain Name or Domain Name System in 1983 at USC’s Information Sciences Institute and introduce domain name to the world. After that, the creation of IETF (in 1986) DNS became one of the original Internet Standards. This helps people to remember their favorite website name unlike a numeric address (IP address).
Before Domain name people have to type the IP address in the browser to access the website. After Domain name was invented, it encapsulated the unfamiliar address of a website(numeric address) into a more understandable address.
What is a DNS (Domain Name System)?
Domain Name System is a classified recognition system of domains and sub-domains. All domains are somehow sub-domains of another domain. We know about TLD (Top Level Domains) which is administers by DNS.
Some Example of TLD:
- .com
- .org
- .gov
- .net
Sometimes according to Country code TLDs have a two-tier system also.
For example:
- .co.us
- .com.uk
How DNS (Domain Name System) Works?
We know that a domain name is a virtual address to your website. When a user enters a domain name in a web browser it provides access to that website. However, we don’t know what happens in the background once you enter a domain name in your browser.
For example, Let’s assume a visitor(Audience) is coming to your home(Website) but he does not have the address(IP address) of your house. You tell the visitor the address(Domain Name) of your home so the visitor can easily reach to your house. That’s how the domain works.
But how it works it the technical world? Let’s see.
When a user sent requests to access a website from browser to DNS server then the DNS server checks whether it’s available in their database or not. If yes then they provide the direction of the website to the browser and if not then they transfer the request to another DNS server until the request completed.
How to search for the desired domain name?
Before purchasing a domain name you should know how to search a domain name and where?
There are many domain service provider who provides you the domain name according to their value. Some of the top domain name providers list as follows:
- Domain.com
- Namecheap.com
- GoDaddy.com
- Blueshost.com
- HostGator.com
- Name.com
- 1&1.com
- Register.com
- In Motion Hosting
- Domains.Google
I’ve been using Namecheap for a while to purchase domains for my blogs and website. Personally, I like their services and it’s not costly and also it provides some offers which save you some money. Here’s an example on Namecheap Domain Name Registration which tells you a step-by-step procedure to search a domain name:
Step 1:- Open Google.com and Search Namecheap and hit the enter key.
Step 2:- it will show you the result on top like this, Click on Namecheap Link.
Step 3:- Now you are on the homepage of Namecheap. Enter your desired keyword or domain name to search its availability and hit the enter key.
Step 4:- Now it shows the top available domain name according to your desired domain name.
Step 5:- Scroll down to the page you will see more results and cheap also compared to the top results. You can search your domain with this easy method.
Tips to follow before Purchasing a Domain Name
A good domain name purchase is also an art and for that, you have to consider some basic but important rules before purchasing the domain. A domain name is more valuable than you may be thinking. For example, short and meaningful domain names are very expensive. You can guess that in 2009 insure.com was sold in 16 million dollars.
That’s a lot of money!!!
If you want that too you have to do some homework before you’ll go through this and I’ll help you with this.
6 Important Tips for Selecting a Domain Name
Finding a good domain name is easy and simple. You don’t need any programming or technical ability to find a good domain name for yourself. But you should also know how much it cost to buy a Domain Name? These simple tips will surely help you to search for a good domain name before purchasing:
- Be focused on Your Niche: While purchasing a domain keep your mind narrow otherwise you’ll get distracted with irrelevant domains and end up with the loss.
- Keywords in Domain Name: While Purchasing a Domain Name keep in mind that if your domain name contains the keyword in the beginning then it’s really good. Why? Keywords in the domain name provide more value to your website and also a search engine factor that helps your website to rank.
- Short Domain Name: Don’t go for that domain name who is as long as the “Great wall of China” because the short domain name is easy to remember. If it contains your keyword then nothing is more valuable than this.
- Meaningful Domain Name: Many people make mistakes that they purchase a domain name which is very slangy and not meaningful at all. You should think before buying a domain name that you are buying it for the long term. Also, keep in mind that your domain name should not approach only a particular region.
- Simple/ Generic Domain Names: Don’t purchase a domain name who is a mess of hyphens or special characters. Try to avoid this type of domain and purchase a domain with simple language.
- Trademark Domains: If you are thinking to buy a domain similar to a trademarked term you might get in trouble because it can create confusion and you’ll get reported. So, It’s better to avoid such things.
Conclusion
A domain name is the identity of a website and plays an important part in the SERP result as well. You can purchase a good domain name (which is not as hard as it looks) and increase its value later. Like us, there are billions of domain names and they can become the identity of your website like your name do for you. Use that 6 tips which help you to choose a good domain name also save your money to spend on irrelevant domains.
Tell me how much you find the Introduction to Domain Name article helpful? What do you think, Is there another technique by which you can find a good domain name? Comment…
