Overview
Internet Protocol Address
Internet Protocol (IP) address, IP is a set of numbers and characters that is assigned to a device that is connected to the Internet1. There are two types of IP addresses that are widely used today, version 4 (ipv4) and version 6 (ipv6). All devices that connect to the internet have an IP address, this includes websites. With approximately 1.34 billion websites on the Internet today 2, how do we remember every website IP address? We don’t. We remember their domain name – and only those that we need to remember.
How Domain Names Work
The domain name is a name that is entered into a web-browser for a user to locate your website in lieu of an IP address. Your domain name is not your website, rather it is the address for your website3. When a domain name is entered into a browser for the website to be retrieved, the Domain Name System (DNS) is searched. The DNS knows the IP address to web server pair and routes each search request to the requested web server that is paired with the requested domain. The DNS system effectively does the remembering for us.
Where to Purchase a Domain
Domain names are governed by the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Domain names are and are managed by the registrar4. Domain names are also purchased through a registrar or an authorized reseller of a registrar. Shameless plug, 9o9Domains is an authorized reseller for Enom/Tucows (registrar), we encourage you to check us out.
Domain Name Rules
Not all domain types are available to the public, but for those that are, there is a certain set of general rules that must be adhered to when creating a domain name. The rules are:
- Minimum character length is two
- The domain name cannot begin with a character
- The domain name cannot contain punctuation, with the exception of the hyphen (-). It can only contain letters [A-Z], numbers [0-9], and/or the hyphen.
- The hyphen placement cannot appear at the beginning or end of the name and consecutive hyphens in the third and fourth positions are reserved for specific technical purposes.
- The domain name cannot be longer than 63 characters between the dots with a maximum character length of 253 (including the TLD).
Choosing a domain name may arguably be difficult because thousands of domain names are registered daily, which decreases the name pool. Difficult isn’t impossible – it is still possible to find the right name that will work best for you. To select a name that works best for you, some good practices can include:
- Shorter is better, choose a name that is as short as possible. It is usually easier for people to remember shorter names. If your company or organization is known by an acronym, try that route, especially if your company or organization’s name is long.
- Connect to your brand identity – choose a name that is connected to your brand identity such as your business name, industry or trade. One of my favorite domain names is runchickenrun.com. This domain name belongs to the restaurant Yard Bird. While the domain name does not contain the brand name, it clearly connects to the brand identity using an unforgettable popular phrase. It’s a domain name that I never forget!
- Avoid names that are ambiguous and would confuse your audience like using a number in place of a letter unintentionally. Let’s say your name is Sherry and you’re registering a domain name called Sherry.name, and you spell Sherry as Sh3rry.name. While that is unique, it may confuse your audience. If you will provide direct links to your domain name that may not be an issue, but it may not be memorable or easy to find by potential customers.
In conclusion, domain names serve the purpose of making your website easier to locate on the Internet in addition to other key functions (tabled for a future blog). Your choice of the right domain will at minimum help you to be easy to find on the Internet. Remember, keep your name as simple as possible and you will be in good shape.