What is a domain name?
What is a domain name? A domain name is defined as a name that recognizes a computer or number of computers on the Internet. Domain names are used as components in URLs to identify several webpages. For example, in URLs such as http://www.badminton.com and http://www.basketball.com, the domain names are www.badminton.com and www.basketball.com respectively. Domain names are also known as hostnames. However, web entrepreneurs and Internet marketers often colloquially (and wrongly) refer to domain names as ‘web addresses.’
Domain names are very important for every online business. The domain name, from a certain point of view, is a business name. Most successful online marketers have domain names that represent their products and services. A domain name like www.badminton.com says that the website is all about badminton, be it news, upcoming events, equipment and other things related to the sport. From a branding perspective, it is important for domain names to represent the company image as well as the purpose of the website.
There are other things one should consider aside when getting a domain name:
- If marketing a branded product, include the brand name in the domain name rather than its generic counterpart.
- The shorter the better. It’s easier to remember and faster to type. However, refrain from making obscure names such as www.gmwiw.com if what you have in mind is www.givemewhatiwant.com. Try to keep it simple yet close to home.
- Once the domain name is already up and the website running, refrain from making any changes to the name. This would result to confusion and significant loss of visitors as well as loss of links that boost your site’s power in search engine results.
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