A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority or control within the Internet. This is the dictionary definition for a domain name. What does a domain name mean in real life? That’s the question we’d like to dig a bit.
A domain is a digital address in the online world and that address includes 3 parts:
- WWW (World Wide Web): This is a standard for all the domain names and can’t be changed. This is also called “sub-domain”.
- Name: This is the middle part of the domain and you can use anything you can imagine here. Arif, Secret, 1234, hotel360 etc.
- Extension: This is the last part of the domain name and most common extensions are .COM, .NET and .ORG. However, it includes 3 different types.
- Generic extensions (gTLD): These are meant to be general-purpose extensions. Some of the most common gTLDs are .COM, .NET, .BIZ, .INFO etc.
- Country code extensions (ccTLD): These are the extensions mostly for national use of the domains. Some of the popular extensions are .UK, .DE, .NL, .CA, .TR etc.
- New generic extensions: There are more than 1000 of extensions in this group such as .TATTOO, .GAME, .LINK, .ISTANBUL etc.
Domain names are mostly known and explained as digital real estate. Once you register/purchase domain name, you have your place in the online world which we are currently living. Domains are not limited like buildings are. Once you have a domain name, the number of your potential reach equals the population of the world.
There are two simple ways to get your own domain name:
- Domain Registration: It is the fastest and the cheapest option. You just need to visit one of the domain registrars’ website and type the domain name you’d like to register. If it’s available, checkout within a minute and you get your digital identity in a few minutes. If it’s not available for registration (Already registered), then you need to come up with a new name, similar names. It costs around 10 USD/year and you need to pay that amount to your registrar every year as long as you want to keep the domain name.
- Aftermarket purchase: When your desired domain is already registered by another person/company, it might be for sale in the aftermarket. This one is a bit tricky. Because, when it comes to the aftermarket, prices start from a few hundred USD to a few million USD. It mostly depends on the quality of the domain name you’d like to have. Even a single letter can significantly change the price.
