The exclusive address for a website is its domain name. It typically consists of a domain name extension and a website name. A distinctive domain will improve your identity and make your website easier to find for your audience.
What is a Domain Name?
When someone types your website’s domain name into their browser’s URL bar, they are accessing it. Your domain name will serve as the address for your website, to put it simply. It provides the location of your site to the web browser. Similar to a physical address, a domain is how online users may find your website. A domain name also contributes to the professional appearance of your website, similar to having a sign in front of your shop.
The Internet is a vast network of computers interconnected by a worldwide system of cables. This network’s computers can all communicate with one another. Each machine receives an IP address that serves as a means of identification. A specific computer on the internet is identified by a set of numbers.
This kind of IP address is really challenging to memorize. Consider using such numbers to access your favourite websites. In order to address this issue, domain names were created.
You no longer need to input a lengthy string of numbers in order to view a website. Instead, you can access it by entering a simple-to-remember domain name in the address bar of your browser. wpbeginner.com, as an illustration.
How does a Domain Name work?
All domain names point to the distinct web servers that house the websites and are associated with their corresponding IP addresses. When a user enters a domain name into a browser, it searches for the associated IP address via a global network of Domain Name System (DNS) servers.
The server returns the IP address information to the web browser, which requests site data from the domain’s hosting service. The website’s files, database, and HTML code are all kept on this web server.
These name servers are machines that are under your hosting provider’s control. Your request will be forwarded to the computer hosting your website by your hosting company.
These computers are called web servers. They are equipped with unique software (Apache and Nginx are two popular web server software). The website and any associated data are now fetched by the web server.
Types of Domains
Top-level Domains (TLDs)
Top-level domains or TLDs are generic domain extensions that are listed at the highest level in the domain name system.
There are many TLDs available online, but more than 54% of all websites use the most prevalent one, the.com domain. Because users frequently write it by default, a popular extension generates a lot of organic traffic. Other popular TLDs include .net, and.org. We don’t advise utilizing other TLDs because they are less popular. For instance, .biz, .club, .info, .agency, and numerous others.
Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD)
Country code top-level domains or ccTLDs are country-specific domain names which end with country code extensions like .uk for the United Kingdom, .gh for Ghana, .de for Germany, and .in for India.
A business that concentrates on a particular nation can benefit from using a ccTLD. International businesses might differentiate their content for several locations in this way. The BBC, for instance, utilizes bbc.com for their global audience and bbc.co.uk for locals in the UK.
Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD)
There are no set requirements to be granted a gTLD. However, some extensions are supported by specific groups or authorities. However, because some domains have particular associations, you must be cautious to avoid confusing your visitors.
Certain generic TLDs are only available to certain kinds of registrants. An academic institution might use.edu, whereas a government organization might use.gov. You won’t be allowed to utilize the generic TLDs associated with that category for your business or project if it doesn’t fit, but you can use popular extensions in its place.
Choosing a Domain Name
Currently, there are more than 350 million domain names registered, and hundreds more are added every day. This indicates that all the excellent candidates have already registered or will do so very soon. New users are under a lot of pressure because of this to think of a domain name for their website. Here are some tips to choose a domain name
Domain Name Registrar
A domain name registrar is a company that makes it possible for individuals and organizations to register domain names. Numerous businesses with various pricing structures, feature sets, and security procedures have been given permission by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to function as domain name registrars.
A single database called registry houses all domain name records. A domain name must be entered into the database along with all pertinent details for it to be recognized.
ICANN has authorized a domain name registrar to alter the data associated with your domain name in the database on your behalf. Additionally, a domain name registrar offers simple tools that you can utilize in your web browser to make those modifications.
Things to Consider when Choosing a Domain Name Registrar
Pricing
Pricing is always an important consideration for any firm when making purchases. Examine the pricing structure thoroughly before selecting a domain registrar.
The price of domain names varies depending on the domain extension, such as.com,.org,.net, or.io. You’re not required to choose the most expensive registrar. Instead, examine a few reputable registrars and find out how much they are willing to charge for your top domain names. Choose a business with a reputation for providing excellent service and a fair price for the domain.
Add-ons Pricing
When you buy a domain name, some domain name registrars can automatically pre-check add-on services. Unchecking those boxes would dramatically raise your bill if you don’t. A.com domain name shouldn’t typically cost you more than $14.99 per year. If it happens, that should send up a warning sign.
User Experience
The most critical factor to take into account while choosing a registrar may be the user experience. The website of a registrar should be simple to use and navigate. It should be simple to perform tasks like moving domains and modifying DNS information.
The registrar should also offer friendly customer service. Before registering a domain, a potential customer ought to be allowed to open a support request and gauge the turnaround time.
Security
The security of the domain name must be your primary concern. Domain name hijacking. This is a method of fraudulently acquiring control of a domain name, usually with the intention of selling the domain back to the victim or a rival.
Choose a reputable domain registrar that will take the necessary precautions to stop domain hijacking. In order to prevent domain hijacking, you should also review a registrar’s authentication and security procedures.
Additional Services
Your requirements for domains don’t end with domain registration. Services like site hosting, email hosting, security, email marketing, and many others are essential. You might also want to look over the additional services your domain registrar provides. Even though you might not require these services right now, it is still a good idea to know that they exist.
As a result, you ought to compare the bundle package pricing offered by various registrars and get several services at a reasonable cost.
Top Domain Name Registrars in 2022
Domain.com
Domain.com, founded in 2000, is one of the world’s most popular domain name registrars. They permit the registration of all top-level domain name extensions (TLDs) as well as hundreds of country code top-level domains (ccTLDs). Domain.com provides a rapid domain search tool for domain name research. Their search returns premium domains as well.
Domain transfers are simple with Domain.com, however, the company’s fee is not listed on its website. Before you can see how much it will cost, you must first enter the domain you wish to transfer.
Domain privacy is critical. It enables you to keep your personal information hidden from prying eyes, preventing identity theft and unwanted access. You’ll also get frequent virus scans and blocklist protection with the inclusion of Domain.com’s SiteLock.
When compared to other providers, the company’s costs and renewal rates are quite fair. A.com domain, for example, costs $9.99 for the first year and $15.99 to renew. If you register your domain for five years, you may lock in the pricing of around $10.80 at checkout.
Namecheap
Namecheap is another website that began as a simple domain registrar and has since expanded to provide a choice of web hosting plans and other web services. They also provide domain add-ons such as domain privacy and premium DNS. Their domain management interface is neat and user-friendly
NameCheap has a good feature in that they provide free WHOIS privacy with all of their domain names. It’s a privacy safeguard that keeps your personal contact information from being displayed in the WHOIS database, which is open to the public. You will never have to pay for WhoisGuard as long as your domain is registered with Namecheap.
Transferring a domain name away from Namecheap is as simple as it gets. It’s a fairly common procedure—as long as your domain is more than 60 days old and hasn’t been moved within 60 days, you can leave Namecheap. Transferring a domain to Namecheap is quick (between 30 minutes and six days) and inexpensive. Simply enter the domain you wish to transfer into the search field to discover if it’s qualified, and then transfer it.
Namecheap may not have as many highly specialized extensions, but they do have some of the cheapest prices on .com, .net, and.org domains.
GoDaddy
GoDaddy is one of the most established and well-known domain registration companies. They manage over 84 million domain names on behalf of over 20 million clients.
Basic domain privacy and protection are included with every GoDaddy domain at no extra charge. Your address, email, name, and phone number are therefore kept private from the general public. It’s good to have something for free from GoDaddy, as opposed to other domain registrars that charge more for domain privacy.
You may transfer your domain name, change name servers, update your contact information, handle bulk domain renewals, and configure a number of other domain settings using GoDaddy’s robust yet user-friendly domain management interface.
One of the greatest initial bargains is also provided by GoDaddy. A domain name with a two-year registration costs just £1.99 for the first year. A better offer from such a reputed domain registrar is difficult to find.
Bluehost
Bluehost is one of the top web hosting companies and domain registrars for beginners. It’s the service we recommend if you’re starting a new website or if this is your first website ever, especially if you intend to utilize WordPress, which Bluehost offers as a one-click installation.
Their UI is user-friendly for novices, it has WordPress pre-installed, and their chat assistance is really helpful when needed.
They also include numerous services that website owners want, such as the option to create an infinite number of subdomains, virus protection for websites, professional emails via G Suite (Google Workspace), and much more.
All of their hosting plans include a free domain. You won’t find a better value anywhere else, with shared hosting options beginning as little as $2.75 per month (subject to vary due to promotional promotions). At least not from a reputable provider of excellent hosting and domains. However, A .com domain name costs $12.99 per year and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and free SSL certification.
Hover
Hover is a domain registrar that promotes itself as the “site where the internet’s finest ideas become named.” That argument is fairly subjective, but Hover’s appeal cannot be denied: they are a basic firm that does one thing exceptionally well: selling domains and related email accounts.
This is an excellent alternative if all you need is to register a domain without all the bells and whistles. Hover Link enables you to connect vital services such as Etsy, Facebook, and Shopify.
Hover is particularly noteworthy for its search tool, which delivers an enormous list of similar names combined with your desired top-level domain and additional domain extensions if you can’t find the precise domain you’re looking for. You can also restrict your domain search by filtering Hover’s choices by company category.
Hover provides phone, email, and live chat assistance to consumers. However, their customer support personnel are only available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. (all times are EST). If you reside in a different time zone, this may be an issue.
Pricing starts at $12.99/year for .com domains, and renewals at $14.99/year with WHOIS protection included with all top-level eligible domains.
Naturally, there is no one optimal domain registrar for everyone. Some firms will always be superior to others, based on your specific wants and requirements.
We hope this article helped you learn how to choose the best domain registrar for your business. Read this article on how to buy and register domain names. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments!
