What is a Domain Name?

Despite the fact that many people are using the internet today for a variety of purposes, the term “domain name” is not all that well-understood. So what then is a domain name?

Generally, when we say “domain name”, we are basically referring to a distinct or unique name that identifies a site on the web. It is a portion of the URL or address of a web site and has two major components typically separated by a dot.

Every domain name consists of two major parts. The first part of the domain name is what we call the "mid level domain" like the Ford in Ford.com, for example. The other part is the "top level domain" which is also known as the domain name extension such as .com, .net, and .org.

One common and widely identified domain name on the web is www.google.com. I am sure that you are familiar with Google. The first part of the domain name "www" stands for the host server, that is the World Wide Web where the site is found. The second part is the "google" which identifies the company or the organization name. And finally, the last part is the .com that describes the type of organization.

Some of the common top-level domain names used in the internet include the .gov which stands for government agency, .org for an organization, .edu for education institution, and .net for a network.

Many domain name experts know that one of the best and simple tricks for locating companies and organizations on the internet is to simply enter the name of the company with the appropriate top-level domain name. So, for example, if you want to locate the web site for Passion Up, just enter it with the correct domain name which is www.passionup.com, or if you want to go for the FBI’s web site, knowing it's a government site, enter www.fbi.gov.

Anyone serious about doing business on the Internet should have their own domain name!
If you are truly serious about marketing your business online, you should definitely register and get a domain name.

• It gives your business a professional and internet-established presence.
• Regardless of who hosts your site, the name will always belong to you (as long as it doesn't infringe on another company's rights) and your address remains the same even if you change servers.
• The low cost for your own domain name is a small price to pay for the positive impression you will leave with your potential customers.