Internet Intro: What is a Domain Name?
Having provided the Comox Valley with Web Development, Marketing, and Branding services for over 10 years we can confidently say that choosing the right domain name is as important as your business name!
What does a domain name cost?
It’s important to remember that you must renew your domain name. The initial cost of your domain depends on the type of domain you’ve selected. Generally, a .com or .ca domain is approximately $30 to register and $30 annually for renewal, while other domains such as .org or .biz are more expensive to register and renew. Some companies allow you to register your domains for longer than a year, even up to 5 years, but at a premium cost.
What is a Domain Name
A domain name is the address of your website that people type into the URL bar of their browser so they can visit your website. (Click here to learn about the difference between a URL and a domain.) For a second, imagine your website is your home. Your physical house, all the stuff in it, how it looks, etc. is your website hosting. The address of your house is your domain name. If you want to invite a friend over to your house they need your address to get there.
The Internet is a giant network of computers connected to each other through a global network of cables. Each computer on this network can communicate with other computers.
To identify them, each computer is assigned an IP address. It is a series of numbers that identify a particular computer on the internet. A typical IP address looks like this: 66.249.66.1
Now an IP address like this is quite difficult to remember. Imagine if you had to use such numbers to visit your favorite websites, sounds awful, doesn’t it? It’s much easier to type in youtube.com rather than 123.45.678.9. The domain name references and takes the place of the IP address if you will. Typing your website’s domain name into a search bar is like typing in an address on Google Maps, it gets you where you need to go!
Important side note:
We cannot stress this enough, make sure you renew your domain! If you do not renew your domain it will be available for others to purchase 30 days after your annual renewal date. Once it’s up for sale it is no longer your intellectual property. If someone purchases your domain, well, you’re kinda hooped.
Why Domain Names are important
Aside from being intellectual property (which is always an asset to a business), domain names are pretty important. The right domain name can be catchy, leading to brand recognition and repeat customers (think Nike, Google, Airbnb etc). As well, domain names determine your company’s domain-related email address. There is a pretty big difference between hannah@podcreative.ca and hannah@bestbusiness2022everomg.com.
When choosing a domain name we recommend sticking as close to your company business name as possible. The best part? You don’t have to stick to just one domain name! You can register as many domains as you want.
One of our previous clients who has grown beyond the services we at Pod Creative offer has purchased 5 supporting domain names based upon keywords their clientele use the most. These domain names have helped validate their company as an authority in their field, as well as helped them grow their website traffic and business.
A word of caution. Another of our clients had to change their domain and company name due to intellectual property issues. This is rather unusual but can happen. It’s wise to do a quick Google search on the domain name and/or business name before you decide on anything or you might end up in some hot water.
Types of Domain Names
There are three different types of domain names, each with numerous domain extensions available. To clarify, extensions are the ending of your domain such as .ca or .com.
Top Level Domains (TLD)
Top-level domain(s) are generic extensions and are listed at the highest level of the domain name system. These are the most common ones, and there are hundreds of them! They include .com, .org, .net and many more. We tend to recommend using the common ones like .com or .org.
Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD)
Country-code top-level domain or ccTLD are country-specific domain names that end with country-code extensions like .ca for Canada, .uk for the United Kingdom, .de for Germany, .in for India.
They are used by websites that want to target audiences in a specific country.
Sponsored Top Level Domain (sTLD)
Sponsored top-level domain or sTLD is a category of TLDs that has a sponsor representing a specific community served by the domain extension.
For example, .edu for education-related organizations, .gov for the United States government, .mil for the United States military, and more.
wrapping this all up
Domains are an integral part of any business, even if the business doesn’t have a website! Domain names are considered intellectual property and are a fantastic way to generate brand recognition and familiarity amongst clients. There are many types of domains you can register, however, we tend to recommend sticking with the classics of .ca and .com for the majority of our clients. Don’t forget to renew your domain yearly, if you don’t you could permanently lose your domain!
