The term domain name has been around since the beginning of the internet.

A domain name is the unique identifier given to a website or a server. The domain name points to the exact location that a website’s files are located. Without domain names, we would be typing addresses like “99.99.99.99” rather than “www.HostandStore.com” or “Google.com” every time we needed to navigate to a particular website.

Convenience & Marketability

Domain names give webmasters the ability to have a unique site. Not only is it convenient for users to remember, it’s great for establishing a brand as well. It would be pretty hard to associate an address like 99.99.99.99 with HostandStore.com. Domain names that represent brands are, obviously, much easier to remember!

Top Level Domains

The term top-level domain, also known as “tld”, refers to what is the extension of an address. For example – .com, .biz, .org, and .edu are all different top-level domains for different purposes which extend from businesses to charities to education institutions.

In the past, .com was the most desirable and widely-used domain. It was long considered the standard for domains. As a result, people started purchasing any and every .com address they could in hopes of one day selling the domain for a profit. Whether it was for personal use or personal gain, the .com has been virtually depleted. It is still possible to find .com addresses, but it is difficult. That’s why other domains, such as .info, .net, and even .me are becoming more and more commonplace.

There are actually hundreds of top-level domains. More continue to be released all the time. Some of the newer ones are very unique, for example, .tech. Since more and more businesses and industries are getting themselves online, we are beginning to see more specialized tlds being used.

The Importance

A domain can represent a brand or even become a brand. A domain can be a joke. A domain can be whatever you make it, as long as it’s memorable. Domains are important because they are generally the first impression made by a website. A memorable domain name can be the difference between a user going to your site vs. a competitor’s site.

What’s the most interesting domain you’ve come across? Share yours in the comments below.