A domain is a name that identifies IP addresses on the internet. Domain names are used to identify web pages. For example, in the URL https://n3rd.meda/portfolio, the domain name is n3rd.media.
You register a domain name by registering with a domain name services registrar. The domain name industry is regulated and overseen by ICANN, which is an organization responsible for providing standards and procedures for certifying companies as domain name registrars.
Domain name registration has grown over the years. Network Solutions was the first domain name registrar to ever provide such a service. That was over ten years ago but today there are many accredited registrars. Only a domain name registrar is permitted to access and modify the master database domains that are on InterNIC servers. The fee is determined by the registrar as far as getting a domain name and some registers have special domain name packages.
Do You Really Need a Domain Name?
You use a domain name to create an identity on the World Wide Web and domain names can also be used for branding purposes, such as Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc. In picking a domain name, the title shouldn’t stray far from what your company is all about. This will allow you to market your website as a subsidiary of your business and put your domain name on business cards and advertisements.
Once you select a domain name, you must register it with a domain name registrar. This is a task you can do easily. N3RD Media can offer a complete package that includes hosting and the registering of the domain name for you.
We have competent online tools to help you get your domain name and hosting site up and running.
Identify With Your Domain Name
Use common sense when choosing a domain name because your domain name, or URL, can have an impact in both the online and offline marketing of your wwebsite Long or difficult to spell domain names can make people ignore your website and it has to be pretty good for them to stick with it. Short domain names register better with people’s memory and are easy to remember.
Obtain a domain name that will help you in your marketing niche and strategy. Like I stated before, you can use your business name as your URL. If your business name is already taken by someone else then get a URL name close to what you are doing. Purchasing a business name domain name isn’t the only way to go, and when a keyword domain name could do just fine.
If you plan on using the .net extension, you may want to wait on deciding your name until after you have found an available domain name that is suitable to your type of business. If you follow the steps below, you should be okay in identifying your name brand to the internet community.
Structure Your Brand Name – Put your domain name on your letterhead, business card, printed materials; put it on your phone recording, the side of your car; don’t forget to include it with your email.
Keep it Short & Memorable – Don’t get a URL that uses all 26 letters of the alphabet.
Secure a .com URL – I strongly recommend purchasing a .com domain name as opposed to a .net, .info, .biz or anything else. If your chosen domain name is not available in a .com, keep looking until you find one that isn’t taken. There is nothing wrong with the other extensions but when you have a .com extension, it sounds like you’ve been on the net a long time.
Remember, your domain name is an extension of your business and your brand of product or service.
The Mystery Behind Domain Names
There are approximately 99 million, yes that’s 99 MILLION .COM domains registered. That’s a lot of domain names out on the Internet that is either already taken or just parked in some obsolete spot gathering dust and all kinds of age.
There are 900 possible combinations for two letter sequences. If you’re looking for “ET” then you just won’t find it! Even allowing for digits, again every single web address is taken. Of course, that’s ignoring the fact that .COM registrars now mandate a 3-character minimum length, so it wouldn’t be an option.
Many of the three-letter sequences are taken. Adding digits to a domain name creates a number of garbage domain entries. If you’re dying to acquire great domains and unique domain names, they’ll free up sometimes only to be auctioned off through unique domain name sales.
The longer the domain name that you choose, the more that the possibilities are that it could be available presuming that you’re willing to accept an arbitrary sequence of letters and/or digits. For example, most organizations have 4 letter acronyms (WQAM.com and AFTA.org) so you may have a chance using over 4 letters to get the domain name that you want in acronym style!
Of course, many of the registered domains are ever, visited, with a huge percentage having nothing more than a “parked page” (users pay domain registrars to put up ads for themselves on these type of parked pages). There are so many combinations and backdoor tricks to domain name cataloging and classification until the possibilities are endless.
The rule is to obtain a domain name that closely resembles who you are about which gives you an identity and brand on the internet.
