{"id":13893,"date":"2018-12-13T10:22:53","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T09:22:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/names.co.uk\/blog\/?p=13893"},"modified":"2021-02-05T16:12:23","modified_gmt":"2021-02-05T16:12:23","slug":"domain-names-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.names.co.uk\/blog\/domain-names-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Domain names explained…"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is a domain name?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A domain name is the address that you type into a web-browser to get to a website. When you type a domain into the browser bar, your computer looks to find an IP address of where the website is located. Domain names were created because IP addresses are made up of a string of numbers\u2026 who can remember that?<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

DOMAIN NAME\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 >\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 IP ADDRESS<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 names.co.uk\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 >\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 85.233.160.210<\/p>\n

It\u2019s much easier to remember the domain, right?<\/p>\n

How are domain names broken down?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

So how do domains work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Think of it like a sat nav \u2013 you type in where you want to go, and in the background, your sat nav searches for the coordinates and returns the route to you.<\/p>\n

In the internet world, the \u2018coordinates\u2019 are called DNS (Domain Name System). This tells your computer where to pick up the website from and takes you to your destination.<\/p>\n

As you can see above,\u00a0names.co.uk\u00a0is on the IP address\u00a085.233.160.210. When searching for names.co.uk, your computer knows to go to 85.233.160.210.<\/p>\n

What makes a good domain?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sit back and think about what you plan to do with your domain name, before making a purchase. There are many things to consider when searching for your perfect domain.<\/p>\n

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    Is your domain memorable? <\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If potential visitors can remember your domain name, there\u2019s a high chance they\u2019ll skip a search engine and type your domain directly. Bonus points to you, as your visitor misses the opportunity of spotting one of your competitors!<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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      Think about your suffix<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      (the bit after the dot) <\/em>\u2013 This is one of the most important things to consider when looking for your domain name.<\/p>\n

      \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The Big One\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

      The .com suffix is by far the most popular and most recognised globally with over 135.6million registrations worldwide. As it\u2019s so popular, many people will automatically type .com and hope to find what they\u2019re looking for. If your domain name is available in .com, grab it! You can always set up forwarding to an alternative domain, if .com is not your first choice.<\/p>\n

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Go Local\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

      A country code domain can help with protecting your brand and helps with localising your brand to potential visitors. Local visitors like to see familiarity. For example, .uk for United Kingdom, .de for Germany, .fr for France and .pt for Portugal. International domains are perfect for localising your brand to your customers and make them feel at home. Check out the country code domain names here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

      \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Niche\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

      Not only are there country code domain names, but there is a vast array of new domain name suffixes. Some of these include .online, .ninja and .holiday. There are even geo-location domains, such as .london, .tokyo and .berlin. Use your domain to showcase your business or idea, whether you\u2019re a photographer, dentist or a blogger, there\u2019s a suffix for you \u2013 why not take a look at the new domains here<\/a>?<\/p>\n

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        How does your domain read? <\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Have a look at these domain names… what do you see?<\/p>\n