What Is Domain
Posted onA common question we hear from beginners is: what is a domain name? To make a website, you will need a domain name. A domain name is often confused with a website or a web hosting service by beginners. If you're just getting started, all these terms may seem too technical.
Here is our beginner's guide in which we will explain what a domain name is and how it works. The goal of this article is to help you understand and choose the right domain name for your website.
We will cover the following topics in this guide.
- Do you know what a domain name is?
- Domains: how do they work?
- What is the difference between a domain name and a website?
- Domain names of various types
- Are domain names under the control of anyone?
- The best way to choose a domain name
- Buying a domain name
- Frequently asked questions about domain names
Domains: how do they work?
You can visit your website by typing in the address bar in the URL bar of your browser. If your website is like a house, then your domain name will be its address. An explanation in more detail:Globally, the Internet consists of a large network of computers connected by cables. During this network, all computers are capable of communicating with one another.
IP addresses allow computers to be identified. An IP address is a series of numbers that identifies a particular computer on the internet. An IP address typically looks like this:
655.103.56.34
How Domain Names Actually Work?
We will look at what happens when we enter a domain name into our browser in order to understand what domain names actually do
network of servers that makes up the Domain Name System (DNS).
After that, they look up the name servers associated with the domain and forward the request to those name servers.
If your website is hosted on Bluehost, then its name server information will be as follows:
ns1.bluehost.com
ns2.bluehost.com
A name server is a computer that is controlled by a hosting company. If you submit a request to your hosting company, the request will be forwarded to your website's host.
This computer is known as a web server. It has popular web server software installed (such as Apache and Nginx). Now, the web server retrieves the web page and its associated information.
Finally, it then sends this data back to the browser.
What is the difference between a domain name and a website?
Hosting refers to the physical location of your website. When the domain name is the address for your website, then web hosting is its physical home.
Essentially, this is the actual computer where your site's files are kept. Computers like these are called servers, and they are provided by hosting companies.
To create your website, you need both domain name and web hosting. Nevertheless, both services are separate, and they are offered by different companies.
You might ask, how would it work if you bought them from two separate companies?
The name server information provided by your host company needs to be entered into your domain name settings. The Name Server information determines where users will receive requests for your domain name.
Domain names and hosting should be purchased from the same provider. This allows you to easily manage them under the same account.
Domain names of various types
There are many types of domain extensions available. .com is the most popular. In addition, you can also register a site under .org, .net, .tv, .info, .io, and other options. However, we always recommend using the .com domain extension.In order to better understand the different types of domain names available, let's examine them in detail.
TLD - Top Level Domain
The top level domain, or TLD, is the highest level of the domain name system.
There are hundreds of TLDs, but .com, .org, and .net are the most popular ones. It isn't recommended to use other TLDs because they are less well-known. .biz, .club, .info, .agency, etc.
TLDs with country codes - ccTLDs
CcTLDs, or country code top-level domains, are country-specific domain names with country code extensions such as .uk for the United Kingdom, .de for Germany, and .in for India.
A website using them will target its audience based on where they are located.
sTLD - Sponsored Top Level Domain
sTLDs, or sponsored top-level domains, are domain extensions sponsored by organizations representing a specific community.
.edu is for education-related organizations, .gov is for the government, .mil is for the military, and so on.
Are domain names under the control of anyone?
Domain names are managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). It is a non-profit organization that develops and implements domain name policies.For the sale of domain names, ICANN gives permission to companies called Domain Name Registrars. Domain registrars are permitted to make changes to domain name registry on your behalf.
Registering domain names, maintaining records, renewing them, and transferring them to other companies are all services provided by domain name registrars.
Registrars need to know where to send requests from domain name owners. You are also responsible for renewing the registration of your domain.
The best way to choose a domain name
The number of domain names registered currently stands at over 350 Million, and thousands of new ones are registered daily.All the good ones have already been registered or will be registered soon. There is a lot of pressure on new users to come up with a domain idea for their website.
Listed below are some tips to help you choose the perfect domain name for your next website.
- It is easy to remember and promote a .com domain name, as it is the most popular.
- Make it short and easy to remember
- Spell and pronounce it easily
- Please do not use numbers or hyphens
- Create clever domain names with domain name generators
Buying a domain name
There are numerous domain name registrars where you can purchase domain names. Domain names typically cost $9.99 per year. The following companies sell domain names:Domain.com (Get a discount with this Domain.com coupon)
Network Solutions (get 25% off with our Network Solutions coupon code).
GoDaddy
You do not automatically get hosting when you purchase a domain. It is necessary that you also have a web hosting account for that.
Domain registration is also offered by many WordPress hosting companies. The benefits are that you can easily manage both services from the same account, and name server settings for the domain won't have to be modified.
How to add custom domain to eStoreApp Store
If your store is on eStoreApp, you need follow below basic steps to add custom domain to your store.In your eStoreApp Admin, navigate to domain menu, click on create domain button to add new custom domain or click on edit button to update existing domain.
Enter you custom domain name and save. that's it.
Make sure your domain or subdomain has an A record pointing to XXX.XX.XX.XXX IP or CNAME record pointing to eStoreApp.in.