As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience helping beginners create their first websites, I‘ve noticed how domain names can be a major source of confusion.
What exactly is a domain name? How does it work? Why do you even need one for your website?
In this ultimate beginner‘s guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about domain names from the ground up.
My goal is to arm you with a complete understanding of this critical concept so you can choose the perfect domain for your online presence.
Let‘s get started!
Contents
- What is a Domain Name and Why Do You Need One?
- How Do Domain Names Actually Work?
- Domain Names vs Websites vs Web Hosting – What‘s the Difference?
- Types of Domain Name Extensions
- How to Choose the Right Domain Name
- How Much Does a Domain Name Cost?
- Where to Register a Domain Name
- Domains and SEO – How to Improve Search Rankings
- Managing Multiple Domain Names
- Transferring an Existing Domain To A New Registrar
- Who Manages and Oversees Domain Registration?
- Domain Names Frequency Asked Questions
What is a Domain Name and Why Do You Need One?
Simply put, a domain name is the human readable address for your website or blog. For example:
- google.com
- blogcadre.com
- mysite.com
It‘s the unique ID that web users type into their browser to access your content online.
But why is having a domain name so important for any website? There are two main reasons:
1. Mapping to an IP Address
Behind the scenes, domain names convert to numeric IP addresses that computers use to find each other on the internet.
For example, blogcadre.com might convert to the IP address 192.68.24.58 (this isn‘t the actual IP, just an example).
Domain names provide an easy to remember way for us humans to get to websites without having to memorize cryptic IP addresses.
2. Building Your Brand
Your domain name is part of your brand identity online. A good name can become a valuable asset over time.
For example, a domain like ShoesShop.com clearly communicates that it‘s a shoe store. This helps build brand association with search engines and customers.
So in summary, the two core reasons you need a domain name are:
-
To convert the name into an IP address behind the scenes
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To build your brand with a unique identity
This is why securing a domain is one of the first steps to take when starting a website.
How Do Domain Names Actually Work?
Now that you know what domain names are and why they matter, let‘s look at what happens when you type one into your web browser.
There‘s a lot happening behind the scenes during the domain resolution process:
1. Browser Cache – Your browser first checks its cache to see if it already has the IP address for that domain. If so, it skips the lookup steps below.
2. Operating System Cache – Next, your OS checks its DNS cache for a cached IP address to save a lookup.
3. Router Cache – Your router also caches DNS results and is checked before doing actual lookups.
4. ISP DNS Server – If no cache hits, your ISP‘s DNS recursive resolver kicks into action. It queries the domain‘s authoritative name servers.
5. TLD Name Servers – The Top Level Domain‘s (like .com) name servers return the domain‘s registrar name servers.
6. Domain Name Servers – The registrar‘s name servers return the IP address of the host server.
7. Host Server – Browser connects to the host server IP to retrieve the website contents.
Here is a sequence diagram summarizing this process:
You Browser ISP DNS TLD NS Registrar NS
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Type blogcadre.com | | | |
| | | |
| Check Browser | | |
Hit? |-----> Cache | | |
| | | |
| Check OS DNS | | |
Hit? |-----> Cache | | |
| | | |
| Check Router | | |
Hit? |-----> Cache | | |
| | | |
| DNS Lookup | | |
|------------------>| | |
| | Ask .com NS | |
| |------------------>| |
| | Reply with | |
| |<------------------| |
| | Registrar NS IPs | |
| | | |
| DNS Lookup | | |
| |------------------>| |
| | | Get IP |
| | |<----------------|
| Website IP |<------------------| |
| | | |
| Load | | |
| Website <------| | |This explains exactly what happens behind the scenes when you enter a domain name into your browser. The entire process takes just milliseconds to complete!
Domain Names vs Websites vs Web Hosting – What‘s the Difference?
As a beginner, it‘s easy to confuse terms like domain names, web hosting, and what a website actually is. Let‘s break it down:
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Domain Name – The human readable address that points to your website, like example.com or mysite.com.
-
Website – The actual files that make up your website, such as HTML, CSS, images, scripts, etc. This is the content.
-
Web Hosting – The server space where all your website‘s files are stored and served from. The physical location of your site.
To launch a website, you need:
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A domain name that points to your site.
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Web hosting service to host your actual website files on a server.
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A website built with code and other files that make up the content.
Your domain name points visitors to your hosting provider‘s servers where the website files are hosted.
You can get the domain name and web hosting from different companies. The domain just needs to be configured to use the hosting provider‘s name servers.
However, it‘s easiest to get your domain name and hosting together in one place. That way you can manage everything under a single login.
I always recommend beginners start with Bluehost shared hosting, which allows you to easily register domains at checkout. Their low cost hosting plans include free domain registration.
Types of Domain Name Extensions
When choosing a domain name, one decision you‘ll need to make is which domain extension to use. Some common options:
Top Level Domains (TLDs)
These are the most common generic domain extensions:
| TLD | Definition |
|---|---|
| .com | Commercial businesses. Most popular overall. |
| .net | Originally for network infra, now open use. |
| .org | Traditionally non-profits, but can be used by anyone. |
| .info | General information sites. Less popular. |
.com is the most widely recognized top level domain. I recommend using .com for most websites and blogs.
Country Code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs)
These domains correspond to countries:
| ccTLD | Country |
|---|---|
| .us | United States |
| .in | India |
| .ca | Canada |
| .au | Australia |
Best for sites targeting specific countries. Not as globally recognizable.
New Top Level Domains
ICANN introduced hundreds of new domain extensions:
| TLD | Definition |
|---|---|
| .blog | Sites related to blogging |
| .store | Online stores and ecommerce sites |
| .app | Mobile or web applications |
| .site | Generic websites |
However, most of the new TLDs haven‘t gained significant traction. .com remains the most versatile and recommended option.
How to Choose the Right Domain Name
Choosing that perfect domain name is part art and part science. Here are my tips as a webmaster for over 15 years:
✅ Keep it short – Short and memorable is best. The shorter the better.
✅ Relevant to your brand – Choose something related to your business or website topic when possible.
✅ Easy to type – Ensure people can type it easily without errors.
✅ Unique and brandable – Come up with something unique if you want a brandable name.
✅ Use .com – Stick with .com which is the most popular and trusted.
❌ Avoid hyphens or numbers – Those are harder to remember and type.
❌ No trademark violations – Don‘t use trademarked terms like Apple, Nike, etc.
Start by brainstorming keyword ideas related to your niche. Combine words in different ways until you have some potential names.
You can also use online domain name generators to suggest available names for inspiration.
Once you have a few candidates, check domain name availability using a tool like Instant Domain Search. See if your desired .com domain is available to register.
How Much Does a Domain Name Cost?
A domain name registration typically costs $15 per year. However, many web hosts offer free domain registration when you buy shared hosting from them.
For example, Bluehost provides a free domain name when you sign up for one of their shared web hosting plans. Their starter plan is $2.75 per month with a free domain included.
Domain extensions like .store, .app, and .blog may have higher registration costs. .com domains remain very affordable at around $15 per year.
However, the main costs involve web hosting service to actually host your website and content online.
Where to Register a Domain Name
To register a domain, you‘ll need to use a domain name registrar accredited by ICANN. Some popular registrars include:
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GoDaddy – The world‘s largest registrar with over 20 million domains.
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Namecheap – Ranks high in customer satisfaction with great prices.
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Bluehost – My recommended registrar for their ease of use and free year with hosting plans.
Checking domain availability is free at all major registrars. Once it‘s available, you‘ll need to purchase registration to secure the domain name.
The registration process only takes a few minutes. You‘ll need to provide your contact details and payment information.
I suggest enabling automatic renewal so you don‘t forget to manually renew the domain before it expires each year.
With your domain registered, it‘s time to connect it with web hosting and build your website!
Domains and SEO – How to Improve Search Rankings
As a webmaster, one topic I get asked about a lot is how your domain name impacts SEO and search rankings.
While not the most critical ranking factor, your domain can influence SEO in a few ways:
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Keywords – Domains containing relevant keywords can improve relevancy.
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Trust – Older domains with history can appear more trustworthy vs new domains.
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Branding – A brandable name makes your site more memorable and recognizable.
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Extensions – Certain TLDs like .org or .edu were treated as reputable in the past.
From an on-page SEO perspective, make sure to:
✅ Use keywords in your domain name if possible.
✅ Include your brand name and URL on every page.
✅ Get quality backlinks pointing to your domain.
But don‘t obsess over it too much. The most important SEO ranking factors involve creating high quality content that solves searcher intent.
Managing Multiple Domain Names
As your online presence grows, you may want to register multiple domain names for different sites and projects.
Here are some tips for managing multiple domains smoothly:
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Register related domains under one account to consolidate billing and renewals.
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Point new domains to existing hosting accounts rather than separate hosting for each.
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Use email forwarding to send emails from new domains to your primary email.
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Implement 301 redirects from alternate domains to your preferred domain.
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Document all domains, logins, renewal dates, and other details in a spreadsheet or domain manager app.
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Enable auto-renewal and private registration for all domains for convenience and security.
Consolidating as much as possible under a single registrar account makes the process of managing many domains much easier.
Transferring an Existing Domain To A New Registrar
Already own domains registered elsewhere but want to move them? Domain transfers allow this, with a few caveats:
-
There is typically a 60-day lock period after initial registration before a domain can be transferred.
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Most registrars charge a $10 – $15 transfer fee per domain.
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The existing registration period moves over, so you won‘t gain any extra time by transferring a domain.
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You must have access to update the domain‘s contact information and "unlock" it for transfers at the current registrar.
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Point your domain to the new hosting account before requesting the transfer.
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The new registrar handles requesting and processing the domain transfer behind the scenes.
Overall, transfers are straightforward. Just make sure 60+ days have passed and you have access to the administrative details to avoid issues.
Who Manages and Oversees Domain Registration?
The organization responsible for overseeing domain name registration globally is ICANN – Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
ICANN is a non-profit organization that:
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Coordinates domain policies.
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Approves domain name registries and registrars.
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Ensures universal resolvability across the internet.
They provide accreditation to domain registries like Verisign (.com registry) that manage specific TLDs.
ICANN also accredits the domain registrars like GoDaddy and Bluehost who register domains to the public.
So in summary:
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ICANN – Overall domain name policies.
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Registries – Manages top level extension databases.
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Registrars – Sells domains to consumers and businesses.
This system keeps domain registration standardized globally while enabling virtually unlimited registrations.
Domain Names Frequency Asked Questions
Let‘s wrap up by going over some of the most common domain name questions I see from beginners:
What is a subdomain?
A subdomain is a domain that‘s part of a parent domain. For example, blog.example.com is a subdomain of example.com. You can create unlimited subdomains.
How does transferring a domain work?
The new registrar initiates the transfer request. You‘ll need to unlock it at the current registrar. There is typically a 60 day wait period before transfers can occur.
What happens when my registration expires?
When a domain expires, it enters a grace period where the name servers stop working. Then it goes into a redemption period before becoming available for re-registration.
Should I use www in my domain?
The www subdomain was traditionally used to designate sites. But modern browsers work fine without www, so it‘s no longer necessary.
Can I buy multiple domain names?
Yes, you can register as many domains as you want! No limits on how many someone can purchase.
What‘s the difference between a domain and URL?
A domain name like example.com is the base address that points to a site. A URL like example.com/page is the full path including additional pages or files.
I hope this ultimate beginner‘s guide to domain names was helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions.
