A domain name - its importance and why it exists

A domain name is a website’s unique name that is easy to remember. It helps in identifying and accessing a certain website online. It comprises a name and a top-level domain (hotmail.com for instance). 

Domain names make it easier for the layman to find websites easily. It does not make them remember long IP addresses that are numerical. Not everyone can remember a web address in the form of binary digits.

A domain name is a website’s core and crucial element. It is also a key part of the whole internet infrastructure. It looks like a small part of the entire World Wide Web system but it is the real reason why people get to visit their favorite websites with ease.

Without a proper domain name name, browsing the internet would be the equivalent of navigational hell. It would feel like a complicated algebra class. Moreover creating an online presence that way would be next to impossible.

Practical importance of a domain name

Those who are planning to create a robust online presence (an online store, a portfolio, a professional site, a blog, etc.) should become familiar with every nook and corner of domain names. It not only impacts how people find a website but also affects how their business is perceived before they even see what it has to offer.

As it is said, only one chance is available to make a very good first impression. This post will hence be able to explain Briefly what a domain name is, why it is important, what is their role, and best practices involving them.

Just what exactly is a domain name?

A domain name is the address of people use to look for a website (say lycos.co.uk). They type it into a browser to reach a website. It is like a fingerprint of sorts. Each domain name is unique to a certain website.  

They were created as a user-friendly method of accessing both the internet and the internet protocol (IP). The IP represents a website’s online locator.

Professionals of website design Dubai reveal the IP Address comprises a series of numbers in a string assigned to each computer. The addresses consist of four decimal numbers between 0 and 255. Each number is separated by a full stop. These numbers seemingly look like a random series of numbers and they are great for computers. 

The process is similar to Saving a number on a cell phone. Domain names allow users to save 72.32.2.43 as Yahoo’s domain name Yahoo.com. They have labels separated by periods.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the global authority controlling domain names and URLs. It oversees all activities about the following: 

• Domain registrations.

• Allocation and assignment of IP addresses.

• Runs accreditation systems for domain registrars.

• Maintaining a central repository of all domain names plus their IPs.

The ICANN also has the authority for the following:

• Approval and rejection of new domain extensions (TLDs).

• Management of TLDs and shutting them down in case they violate the rules.

• Approval of domain registrars for managing domain extensions and registrations.

What is the difference between a domain name and a URL?

People often mistakenly think of a domain name as a URL. URL means Universal Resource Locator which acts as a website’s web address. Domain names are actually a key part of a website’s URL. A domain name in its elementary form comprises the following:

• Name.

• Extension.

But if users look at the browser’s address bar they will notice more parts to it. All these parts come together to make up the web page’s web address. That is what you call a URL. URL generation and AI in web development will now have a very good role to play.

The modus operandi of domain names

Domain names are user-friendly versions of IP addresses. They are connected to specific websites. Computers can find the right pages by converting the word names into numbers through the Domain Name System (DNS). The DNS translates each website’s domain name into a computer-readable IP address.

Over to You

A domain name is indeed important. It is the word form of complicated IP addresses based on binary digits and numbers. Dennis Ritchie is to be thanked for helping create the space for generic text to be used in many areas (especially Domain names).