What is a Domain Name and How Do Domains Work

What is a Domain Name?

When you use a domain name, you create an address for your website on the Internet. Then, people can visit your website by typing in your domain name (e.g., scorank.com) into their web browser instead of using its internet protocol (IP) address.

The Internet is composed of multiple computers or servers connected through a global network of cables. Each computer or server has an IP address assigned to be able to identify them.

When you visit a website, your computer will use the IP address of the website to determine which web server it should connect to.

An IP address is a series of numbers ex. 192.168.0.2, and you need to use those numbers to access a website. It is not so easy to remember an IP address. In order to fix this problem, Domain names were invented. If you want to visit a website, you don't need to enter a long string of numbers. Instead, you can see it by typing an easy-to-remember domain name in your browser's address bar—for example, scohostings.com.

How do Domain Names Work?

Domain names work by assigning a name to the IP address of the website.

A domain name is a sequence of letters and numbers that is used to identify a website or an email server on the Internet. Domain names are used in place of IP addresses, which are long strings of numbers.

What is a website?

A website is a collection of information stored and organized on one or more servers (web hosting) that are accessible by the public via the Internet and with the help of the DNS system.

A website is composed of files like HTML pages, website builder software, images, and more.

What is a Domain Name System (DNS)

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a system that translates domain names into numerical IP addresses. The DNS system also provides the ability to resolve names into IP addresses. That's why it is so important to have a functional DNS system.

Why Do I Need a Domain Name?

You will need a domain name for your business to look more professional, to build creditability, to protect copyrights and trademarks, and increase brand awareness and search engine positioning.

Different Types of Domain Names

Domain names are like email addresses, but they're not the same. You can use a domain name that's easy to remember, such as yourname.com, or something a little more complicated, such as yourname.net or yourname.org. There are many different types of domain names, and they come in multiple different extensions. The most popular one is .com, but there are other options like .org, .net, .tv. .info and many more.

If you want to buy a domain name for your business, you should only purchase the top level domain extensions.

• A ccTLD is a country code top-level domain. It is a top-level domain used by websites that want to target audiences in a specific country. If you're building a website that targets a particular country, you will need to register a ccTLD to match your audience.
• A gTLD is a generic top level domain. gTLD is a generic top-level domain that indicates the domain namespace that doesn't follow the country-specific top level domain, such as .com and .tv. Any company or individual can register and purchase an available gTLD. The first gTLD, .com, was created by Jon Postel in 1984 to provide a space for organizations and people to develop unique names for their Internet presence. The other most popular gTLDs are .gov, .edu, and .org. There are nearly 1,400 different gTLDs available today.
• An sTLD is a sponsored top level domain name. A sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) is a type of top-level domain (TLD) that is managed by a sponsoring organization rather than an ICANN-accredited registry operator. An sTLD is often used to brand a website or service associated with a particular community.
• Subdomains are a part of the domain name. A subdomain is the part of your domain name which appears to the right of "www (opens in a new tab).". It's a way to do something different with just one domain, like have separate blogs or store different content types that might be relevant for people in different countries.

How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Website?

You can’t have a website without a domain name. This is how people will be able to access your website by typing your domain name into their browser. It is the first thing they will see when they visit your site. So it is important that you choose a good domain name address. One that is catchy, easy to remember, and conveys the message you want to communicate to your visitors.

How to Register a Domain Name

You can use our tool domain name generator (opens in a new tab) to generate your desired domain name based on your keyword input.

Domain Name Checker

Use our tool domain name search (opens in a new tab) to check if your desired domain name is still available for you to register.

How to Transfer a Domain Name

All you need to transfer your domain name is to contact the company where you registered your domain name, provide them with the information of the new owner and agree on some terms and conditions.

This process will take from 4 to 7 days.

Domain names are expensive, but transferring a domain name is FREE!