There are millions of published blogs — over 570 million, and that number keeps growing. And nowadays, it’s easy to start a blog with no technical knowledge. 

If you have a passion for beauty, skincare, and appearance, then creating a beauty blog is a great outlet for you. With a blog, you can share your passion with the world, earn income, and potentially make a name for yourself in the industry. 

The beauty business is booming and is anticipated to grow annually at 5.1%. The sooner you get started and make your mark, the better your chances of establishing yourself as an essential part of the industry. 

Today, we’re talking about how to create a beauty blog. From planning, creating, branding, building, marketing, and best practices — we’ve got you covered. 

Keep reading to learn how to start a beauty blog step-by-step. 

Start a Beauty Blog

Beauty blogs are popular and there are quite a few out there you can look to for inspiration before starting your own. 

Why do people start beauty blogs? There are many reasons, but here are some of the common ones:

• Connect with a wide audience of other beauty aficionados.
• Provide tutorials on how to achieve the perfect look.
• Build a brand.
• Become an authority in the beauty industry.
• Earn an income doing something you love.
• Inspire confidence in others.
• Access to exclusive or limited edition merchandise and samples.

What is your motivation to start a blog? Your reasons and motivations will help inform the type of blog you ultimately create and the audience you target. 

How to Create a Beauty Blog

You wouldn’t build a house without a framework, and the same thing is true for your blog. Now that you’ve had some time to think about your motivations and reasons for starting a blog, it’s time to plan. 

There’s no right way to plan your blog — some prefer good ol’ pencil and paper and others prefer to keep their plans online. If you choose the latter, consider using a tool like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Both offer the ability to create, edit, and track documents from wherever you have an internet connection. Your plans are your blog’s roadmap, so you’ll want to keep a record of them to refer back to and make adjustments as your blog grows. 

What kind of planning is needed to start your beauty blog? Let’s look at what it takes. 

Decide on Your Audience and Niche

We see a lot of first-time bloggers fall into the trap of thinking that they’ll make waves and draw lots of visitors by creating a broadly generic blog that “appeals to everyone.”

But here’s the thing… nothing appeals to everyone. 

If you want to establish a well-known and trusted beauty blog, start small and identify your niche. Doing this allows you to define your target market and create content for your blog that resonates with your readers.

Let’s work on defining your niche. Your niche is “the industry or genre that you specialize in and the types of products or services you offer.” 

Beauty is a great place to start, but it isn’t your final niche. Think of beauty as a large, overarching category comprised of many subgroups. 

Are you an expert on eye makeup? Is your take on beauty inspired by your culture or how you identify?

Representation is important, so for example, your blog could focus on “Indian beauty” or “Trans beauty.” Even those niches could be further refined. Perhaps your beauty blog isn’t about everyday looks and instead focuses on extreme makeup tutorials. The more you narrow your niche, the more your blog will benefit. 

What Are Your Goals?

What do you hope to accomplish with your beauty blog? Take some time to think about your goals and how your blog can support them. 

Want to make revenue? That means you’ll need a hosting plan that offers eCommerce functionality. Just hoping to make connections in the biz? A more basic hosting plan could do the trick. 

At this point, it’s okay to keep your goals high-level. However, as you work on your blog you’ll want to create smaller S.M.A.R.T. goals to keep you on track. 

Building Your Beauty Blog

So, are you ready to turn this blog idea into a reality? 

To create a tangible blog you need two core things:

1. A Domain Name.
2. Blog Hosting and Building. 

Domain Names for Your Beauty Blog

Ever heard the saying, “The first impression is the last impression?” Your domain name is the first impression someone will have of your blog, well before they ever land on one of your posts or makeup guides. 

Now, we’re going to hazard a guess and say that, as a beauty aficionado, you understand a thing or two about appearances and impressions. Don’t you want your first one to be good?

With that said, let’s explore some domain name options. 

You really have two choices when it comes to a domain name for your beauty blog:

1. Purchase and own your domain name. 
   1. Example: yourblog.com or beauty.blog
2. Use a free subdomain that belongs to a larger business. 
   1. Example: yourblog.othercompanyname.com

Of those two options, which do you think is the better choice for making a good impression? The one that emphasizes your blog and your brand — or the one that advertises for another company in the domain name? 

Obviously, we think the first option is the better choice for anyone looking to establish themselves as an authority in the beauty blogging sphere. 

When you register your domain name, you’re its sole owner for the duration of your registration period. Domain name registrars offer multiple-year registration lengths, and good domain registrars offer a way to auto-renew so you never lose your domain name. 

Getting a free domain name sounds too good to be true… because it is. 

If you run a quick online search for “free blogging platforms” you’ll see a plethora of results. These services are great for the casual blogger who doesn’t intend on growing their blog into their own business or brand. When you create an account with one of these services they offer a free domain name, but be aware that what they’re giving you is really a subdomain. It’ll look something like this: yourblog.bloggingservice.com. 

Why is that an issue? Well, if you want to move your blog to another service, you don’t get to take that domain name with you. That means you’ll have to start from square one all over again. 

And what if you want to monetize your blog by running ads? Most free blogging platforms don’t give you an option to do that or they might give you a small percentage of the profits from the ads that they run on your blog. Doesn’t sound like a fair deal to us. 

Tips to Choose a Domain Name

When it comes to choosing a domain name, you can get as creative with it as you can with your makeup. 

While it’s true that .com is the most popular domain name, it’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the wide array of available domains. It’s also notoriously difficult to get the .com you want because it’s been around so long that many highly desirable .coms have already been registered. 

So what are these other domains you should consider? For starters, there’s .blog. That one seems pretty straightforward. Is your blog going to focus on tutorials and makeup guides? There’s .academy, .camp, .expert, .guru, and .info, and we’re only just beginning. 

No matter what domain name you choose, keep the following things in mind:

• Make it memorable. 
  • Keep it short and don’t get unique with your spelling. 
• Think about keywords.
  • Your readers will likely find your blog via an online search. Help those search engines know you exist by targeting the keywords your desired audience would use.
• Pass the radio test. 
  • If someone were to hear your domain name on the radio and never see it written down, could they make it to your blog? Keep the hyphens and irrelevant numbers out of your domain name. 

Your blog is an investment in your future. While searching for the perfect domain name, you might come across some domains that are more expensive than others. Those domains are probably premium domain names. Premium domain names have already been registered, but whoever owns them has made them available for purchase.

Premium domain names are often short, memorable, and keyword-rich, and are perfect for brand-building. While they may cost more upfront, they’ll renew at regular rates, just like the average domain name, and they’ll only grow in value. 

Once you’ve selected your domain name go ahead and register it. There’s no “holding” or “dibs” on domain names — what’s available today may not be available tomorrow. 

Blog Hosting and Building Options

You can build and host your blog without any technical knowledge, we promise! If you want to build your blog by coding it, that’s an option, too. 

WordPress

WordPress is an immensely popular choice for building websites and blogs. It’s a free open-source software that can be used and edited to build your site, and it powers 39.5% of all websites. 

Depending on your skill level and technical know-how, you can either work directly with the WordPress code to build your site, or you can customize a WordPress theme. WordPress offers a great deal of flexibility and customization options, so even if you use a popular theme, your blog can differentiate itself from the rest. 

At Domain.com, we offer a few different WordPress hosting plans for your beauty blog. 

WP Live

If you’d like in-depth guidance and one-on-one support while working on your WordPress blog, our WP Live plans are the perfect fit. With WP Live, you get unbeatable WordPress help from experts who customize sessions based on your needs. Live screenshares and step-by-step walkthroughs make it easy to follow along and solve issues fast.

And we don’t stop with set-up assistance. When you use WP Live, you’ll receive the following features:

WordPress Hosting Plans

Want to use WordPress but don’t need as much assistance as our WP Live plan offers? We’ve got you covered. 

Domain.com offers two WordPress hosting plans: WP Starter and WP Essential, both of which offer unlimited bandwidth, unlimited storage, a customized control panel, and a plethora of pre-installed themes and plugins. 

Our hand-picked selection of popular WordPress themes are sure to start your blog off right. With a multitude of customizable options, you can edit these themes to build a beauty blog that reflects your brand. And to optimize your initial setup, we automatically install and configure your WordPress website with some of the most helpful and widely-used plugins.

WebsiteBuilder

Getting your beauty blog online has never been easier. With Domain.com’s WebsiteBuilder, you can build your blog in minutes. 

How does it work? 

No time to waste wading through hundreds of templates? WebsiteBuilder has you taken care of. Our intelligent technology starts your blog design for you. Answer a few quick questions and our AI-powered builder will select the right layout, including images and initial content, for your site.

There’s no need to fret with code when you use WebsiteBuilder. Its mobile-responsive templates offer built-in design protection to help ensure your blog’s look stays consistent and professional across desktop and mobile devices. 

Did we mention that it’s just fun to use? Our drag-and-drop functionality and image library (over 550,000 images for you to freely use!) make editing enjoyable. Or you can also upload your own images and logos to make your site completely personalized. We’re pretty serious about security though, which is why every WebsiteBuilder plan includes an SSL certificate to ensure your data stays safe. 

And if you want to grow your beauty blog into an eCommerce site where you can sell your own makeup line (dream big, amirite?), WebsiteBuilder is there for you, offering everything you need to scale your online business. 

Beauty Blog Content and Marketing

Once you’ve built your beauty blog, it’ll need some content. 

Content is what engages your audience and keeps them on-site and interacting with you. As a beauty blogger, your content opportunities are as endless as your creativity. 

It’s a best practice to create a content calendar, somewhere you can track all created and upcoming content to help you stick to a schedule. When you post consistently, your readers take note and will come back to your blog time and time again. Search engines are also fond of a regular content cadence or content updates. 

Consider using cloud-based software, like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, to create and maintain your content calendar. This way, you’ll have access to view and edit it wherever you are and can share it with others if need be. 

Beauty Content Ideas

What type of content should you create? 

Blog posts are essential to success, but don’t stop there. Multimedia content is your best friend in such a visually-driven niche. Videos, infographics, GIFs, tutorials, and guides all appeal to your audience. 

Here are some suggestions to spur your imagination:

• Product Hauls
  • What are you shopping for? Share your latest finds with your audience and give them all the deets — where’d you get it? Why? What does it do?
  • There are many ways to frame your haul, from seasonal hauls to specific-look hauls, your options are endless. 
• “Get the Look”
  • “Get the Look” type makeup tutorials are immensely popular! How many times have you seen a celebrity or influencer and thought, “I wish I could do my makeup like that,” or “I wonder how they get such clear skin”? If you haven’t, your audience certainly has!
  • Not sure what looks to cover? Engage your audience by asking them and give the people what they want. 
• Product Reviews
  • Pretty self-explanatory. Buy a product, use it, and review it. 
  • Be helpful above all else. Sure, you can take two seconds to tell someone you did or didn’t like a product, but how does that help them? Tell them the why behind it. Did it make your skin super oily? Did it cause a breakout? Hard to blend? As you provide more information, your audience can make more informed decisions about what they purchase, and they’ll thank you for not wasting their time or money. 
• “Empties”
  • Okay, so why on earth would you want to share empty and used-up products with your followers? Because there’s no better testament to how much you loved that product! 
• Recurring features
  • Monthly favorites
  • Weekly steals
  • Recurring features lead to recurring visitors, so give them something to expect and look forward to on a regular basis.

Content Marketing

There’s one thing to always keep in mind when marketing your beauty blog: You are your biggest champion. 

Want people to share your posts and tutorials? Ask them. Need subscribers? Ask them.

Your beauty blog is only part of your brand. We recommend supporting it with social media accounts where you can share your content, connect with like-minded individuals, and grow a larger audience. You don’t need to have a social media presence on every platform, but make sure you’re present in the channels that your audience uses. Instagram immediately comes to mind as a great option since it’s such a visually-forward platform. 

Pro tip: Your social media handles should match your domain name for branding consistency. 

Email marketing is another great way to keep your audience engaged. Include an email sign-up form on your blog so that you can share new blog posts or recently-published content with your subscribers. 

And last, but certainly not least, focus on your SEO!

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and it’s essential if you want to be found via online search engines. Now, it may sound counterintuitive, but SEO isn’t about optimizing search engines. Instead, it’s about optimizing your site so that it performs well in search results. We put together an SEO cheat sheet so you can create perfectly optimized posts, check it out here. 

Monetize Your Beauty Blog

You’re putting a tremendous amount of thought and hard work into starting a beauty blog — why not make some money from it?

Remember, this isn’t usually possible when using large, “free” blogging services. If you’re hosting your blog and own your domain name, it’ll be a lot easier to monetize your blog.

To start, consider including ads on your blog. You can do this either by working directly with advertisers or by creating an account with Google AdSense. 

If you choose the former and want to work directly with advertisers, then make it easy for them to contact you. Create an Ads Page on your blog that details important information for advertisers like your site traffic, views, and demographics, and mention what ad spots you have available. Don’t forget to include your contact information. You can then share this page with your desired advertisers while pitching your blog. 

Start Your Beauty Blog Today

Ready to create your beauty blog? We’re excited to see it.

Once you’ve created your blog, drop a link to it in the comments below. We’d love to hear about your process and learn more about your experience. Don’t hesitate to share any tips or tricks you learned along the way, too. 

While every website needs a domain name, not every person who registers a domain name actually builds a site and uses their domain. So, it’s safe to say that there are far more than 1.74 billion registered domain names. 

It’s been over 35 years since the first domain name was registered in March of ‘85, and it’s become harder and harder for people to find the exact domain name they want. Many have already been registered, especially if they’re composed of words found in the dictionary and popular extensions.

So what’s a person to do?

First things first, just because a domain name is already registered doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to be unavailable for your use. There’s a big market of people who buy, sell, and invest in domain names that have already been registered, and more specifically, in premium domains. 

Premium domains have already been registered and are considered valuable — they’re shorter and keyword-rich, and that’s often reflected in their cost. Despite the initial investment, they could end up saving you marketing dollars over time as you won’t need to spend money slinging a second-rate domain name. 

But what other advantages do premium domain names offer? 

The benefits of using a premium domain name for business

Premium domain names give your business an advantage over the competition. Let’s explore how and why that is. 

Branding & Recognition

Branding your business is essential, and there’s a lot to a brand, including your domain name. Consistency is essential to your brand, and that includes having a domain name that speaks to what your business and site are all about. Premium domain names like food.com, cars.com, and vacation.com are all great examples of this, and put your business’s specialty and focus front and center. 

Marketing 

A great premium domain name gives your marketing efforts a boost. Since premium domains are often shorter and contain keywords, they’re easier to remember than a subpar domain name that’s riddled with hyphens and numbers. 

This all works in your favor when it comes to marketing, like word-of-mouth marketing, because your customers will have an easier time recalling your domain and sharing it with others. It also helps people retain and remember your domain name when they see it printed on materials, like business cards or flyers. In the long run, a premium domain name can save you money because people are wont to remember it — you won’t waste funds on constantly getting your mediocre domain name in front of peoples’ faces to try and cajole them into visiting your site. 

Credibility & Authority

In business, credibility is vital. In today’s digital age, a domain name is oftentimes the first interaction someone has with a brand. Your domain name can make or break someone’s first impression of your business and site. 

Let’s set the scenario: You’re looking to buy a new car and want to take out a loan, but you’re not sure who to work with so you hop over to Google and run an online search. Now, you’re going to see a TON of results — but what will you click on — a search result with a domain of loans.com, or a search result with a domain like car-loans1135s.com? 

When it comes to first impressions, premium domain names give you credibility and authority over the competition. 

Website Traffic

Premium domain names are more likely to get you direct, type-in traffic on your website. 

What this means is that people are typing your (short & keyword-friendly) premium domain name into the URL bar to search those keywords instead of using a dedicated search engine. And voila! They land on your site because your premium domain matches their search terms. Direct website traffic is a boon for your business — in fact, direct traffic is known to have high conversion rates. 

SEO Benefits

SEO can seem mystifying — is it a science? Is it some kind of wizardry? SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of optimizing your website so that it performs better in online search results. 

The whole point of SEO is to make sure that the sites that are most useful and relevant to the end user’s query surface first in the results. 

If your domain name is shorter and key-word rich, like with premium domains, it’s more likely to appear higher in the search results. Now, granted, you have to actually have a relevant website, too. Long gone are the days when just a keyword could grant you top placement. But if you have those keywords in your domain name and have a good website, your SEO potential grows drastically. 

How to purchase a premium domain name

Ready to make an investment in your business and website with a premium domain name?

You’ve come to the right place. You can purchase a premium domain through a domain name search on Domain.com, and we also recommend our sister company, BuyDomains.com, that specializes in premium domains. 

When you purchase a premium domain name you’re investing in so many aspects of your business: marketing, branding, SEO, and more. So what are you waiting for? Get a leg up on your online competition with a premium domain name today. 

More and more shoppers are looking online to fulfill all of their needs, and if your business isn’t there, you could be missing out on revenue and repeat customers.  Simply registering a domain name is no guarantee of success. It helps to instead understand website domain names are, how they work, the different types of domain names available, and how this technology  plays into your decision of selecting that perfect domain name.

Let’s begin with the question, “What is a top-level domain?”

Online success starts with a great domain; get yours today at Domain.com.

The early days of computers

To understand Top-Level Domains (TLDs), you first need to know how domains function with IP addresses. Think of it like this: every device that connects to the web has an IP address, or a unique electronic signature that distinguishes one device from another. A domain name is the specific text entered after the protocol sign (http://) of a web address. For example, in http://google.com/search/, the domain name is “Google.”

While you’re probably familiar with more prominent domain names, many don’t realize that those names denote the website’s IP address. In fact, each device that connects to the web has an IP signature. When computers were first created, computer scientists invented an ingenious method of communication using numerical strings of 32-bit or 128-bit digits, known as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. These IP addresses served two purposes:

1. Network or host identification.
2. Computer terminal location.

Computers were programmed to follow these sets of protocols in order to locate and communicate with another computer, or to connect to the web. These protocols facilitate this communication, and make it easier for computers to find each other, and send or request information.

The DNS

In the early days, this numerical system was passable, since there were few computers present on the network. However, as you might imagine, tracking which IP address went to which computer became exponentially more difficult as more computers and systems were added. Organizing and managing these IP addresses wasn’t a feasible or efficient method, since you had to know the exact IP address of any desired website or computer. To simplify this complicated system, computer scientists created the Domain Name System (DNS).

While computers work great with numbers, humans tend to prefer words. We are infinitely better at remembering and categorizing names, as opposed to seemingly random digital sequences. Knowing this, the Domain Name System was proposed as a remedy for the IP address dilemma. This system allows the owner of an IP address to link that numerical string to an unique domain name. So, instead of having to remember, “74.125.224.72,” you can simply type in Google.com.

This system was met with resounding enthusiasm. In one fell swoop it improved the following:

• Made the system easier to navigate.
• Helped distinguish, organize, track, and monitor IP addresses.
• Increased the ability to browse and use  the internet.

As a result, in less than three decades the DNS database added billions of names.

How the DNS works:

The DNS database lists all domain names and their corresponding IP addresses. Any time a domain name is entered, the DNS converts that domain name via the DNS server. This server is not one single megaserver, but rather, a sea of servers all over the world, which act in harmony to distinguish one IP address from another.

When a search occurs it filters through the following:

• The DNS recursor
• The root name server
• The top-level domain name server
• The authoritative name server

As this occurs, there is a system hierarchy and protocol order that facilitates a search through the servers. A top-level domain (TLD) is the highest level in this hierarchical Domain Name System.

The original top-level domains

At their essence, a TLD, also known as a domain extension, is what follows the domain name in a query. The .com in google.com is the top-level domain. These extensions were proposed as methods to help further distinguish and categorize domains. In the early days of the internet, the system was much more rigidly categorized according to these TLDs.

A top-level domain was intended to help classify a feature of a website, such as its purpose, the owner, or the geographical origin. It also multiplied the number of available domain names, since cars.com is not the same as cars.org. To this effect, six original top-level domain names were created. Now that you understand what domain name extensions are, and know how they work, here are some of the most common options available:

• .com – Short for commercial, dot-coms are the most popular top-level domain in use today. As their names imply, they were initially intended to distinguish commercial organizations. The first three .coms were:
  • Symbolics.com
  • BBN.com
  • Thnk.com

In the early days, .coms were restricted to commercial entities, but by the 90’s these restrictions were lifted, opening the registration floodgates. As the internet continued to grow in use and popularity, dot-coms quickly became the most commonly used top-level domain.

• .net – Short for network, dot-nets were made for network technology companies like infrastructure companies or internet service providers (ISPs). When they were first introduced, only one domain used the dot-net TLD, Nordu.net, which connected Nordic national research and educational networks. Similar to .coms, the restrictions on .net was not rigidly imposed, which led it to eventually morph into a “general purpose namespace.”

• .edu – As you likely know, .edu  is a top-level domain meant for American educational institutions, such as colleges or secondary schools. The first three .edus were:
  • University of California Berkeley – Berkeley.edu
  • Carnegie Mellon University – Cmu.edu
  • Purdue University – Purdue.edu

Unlike dot-nets or dot-coms, the dot-edu TLD restriction has been rigidly upheld, meaning you have to be an accredited and registered educational body. While it used to be simply four-year post-secondary institutions, it is now limited to accredited American postsecondary educational institutions.

• .org – Originally created for organizations which served as nonprofits, with the first being the Mitre Corporation at Mitre.org. This too became a general namespace TLD used by both nonprofit and for-profit organizations.

• .mil – Created and used by the American military. Dot-mils are top-level domain extensions that are restricted to U.S. military branches:
  • United States Army
  • United States Navy
  • United States Marine Corps
  • United States Air Force
  • United States Coast Guard

As a note, countries outside of America that wish to use .mil, first have to use their country code to distinguish them from the American military branches.

• .gov – Short for the government, dot-govs, similar to dot-mils, are restricted to American federal governmental agencies and personal use. Dot-govs are used by federal governmental agencies, programs, cities, states, counties, and towns.

Country code top-level domains

Although the internet was created for American governmental use, it was quickly opened to the public, as well as the rest of the world. Since many of these top-level domains were restricted to the American government or military, country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) were added to help distinguish one country from another. Such two-letter country codes are:

• .au – Australia
• .ca – Canada
• .mx – Mexico
• .uk – Great Britain

Generic top-level domain

Over time, more top-level domains were added to the original list. Presently, there are 21 generic top-level domains at the peak of the domain name system hierarchy. These 21 generic TLDs can be split into four categories:

• Generic – Domains that are used for general reasons.
  • .com
  • .info
  • .net
  • .org
• Generic restricted – Domains that must be used for their intended purposes
  • .biz
  • .name
  • .pro
• Infrastructure – Meant solely for aiding the DNS infrastructure. The only TLD within this subcategory is .arpa.
• Sponsored domains – These can only be utilized by companies or entities tied to these industries including:
  • .aero
  • .asia
  • .cat
  • .coop
  • .edu
  • .gov
  • .int
  • .jobs
  • .mil
  • .mobi
  • .tel
  • .travel
  • .xxx

Generic TLDs

Today, there are more than 1,500 generic extensions available for purchase and worthy of consideration. While your first inclination may be to try and use a .com, such a TLD can sometimes be costly, and many of the domain names linked to that TLD are already taken. The market is oversaturated with millions upon millions of websites. Finding a domain name with a popular TLD that is relevant and helpful to your business can be quite difficult.

Because of this, it may be wise to consider purchasing a newer generic TLD. Benefits of this include:

• Availability – New domain extensions allow you the opportunity to use your company’s name, or use a word or phrase linked to your industry that would have been taken decades ago with the original TLDs.
• Cost – If a popular domain name is available, it may cost a lot of money. That same name with a generic TLD extension can cost considerably less money.
• Creative Names – New domain extensions allow you to be creative with your domain naming process. The domain name can be combined with the generic extension to create a full name, or a clever play on words, that helps the target audience remember the name.
• Rank on SERPs – Google’s search algorithm has been updated so that domains that do not use a main TLD are not ranked lower for that reason. You don’t need to worry about your rankings on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) being affected by this newer gTLD.

Registering a top-level domain

In order to register a domain name with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), you must do so through a registrar, such as Domain.com. You can check if if your perfect domain name and domain extension is available through domain search. You will need to submit the following information when registering:

• Your domain name
• Your top-level domain extension
• Your contact info: first name, last name, email address, phone number, and physical address
• Your billing info

After receiving this information, Domain.com submits this info to ICANN and the DNS. Once confirmed, you can quickly setup your domain and build a website.

Top-level domains help customers find your business online

The creation of the DNS opened the internet to the world, increasing its accessibility and usability. Top-level domains helped to further simplify and categorize the various domain names, and newer generic TLDs increased the number of possible domains. As a result, you can be assured that the perfect domain and top-level domain combination is out there, just waiting for you.

Online success starts with a great domain; get yours today at Domain.com.

Long gone are the days of consumers shopping only at physical stores.

Thanks to the internet, many retailers do most of their business online, and businesses not utilizing eCommerce are being left scrambling to create an online presence.

By year’s end, American eCommerce sales are expected to surpass a half-trillion dollars with approximately three in four Americans making at least one online purchase per year. It would appear that the continued growth of e-commerce won’t be slowing down any time in the near future.

As more businesses make the move to get online, there could naturally be more competition for domain names. Your domain name represents and brands your online business, so let’s learn more about them so you can choose the best domain for your needs.

Understanding various types of domain names

So, if you are building a website, one of the toughest and most crucial choices you will eventually have to make involves selecting the ideal website domain name.

Picking the proper name — one that is available, within your budget, SEO friendly, and that helps to build your brand can make or break your business’s online performance.

Did you know that there’s more than one type of domain name? Before you go about finding a domain name and domain name extension that are available and suit your brand, it’s important that you discover all the different types and understand their application as a whole.

Domain.com has the tools you need to continue building your business into a success.

What are domains?

So, let’s start with what a website domain name is. At its essence, a domain name is what goes in between the protocol sign (HTTP://) and the first slash in a URL or web address.

For the URL: https://www.domain.com/hosting/, the domain name would be: domain.com. What you might not realize is that this domain is a stand-in that represents the computer or website’s IP address.

Every single device that uses the internet is given an IP address. That IP address is a distinctive identifier ascribed to the device that cannot be used by a different device simultaneously.

In order to form a rudimentary virtual address book, computer scientists created the Internet Protocol Address System. They assigned both computers and websites a unique 32-bit or 128-bit string of digits known as the IP Address that could distinguish them from others.

While this initial system did work, it was still complicated for computer scientists to communicate effectively, let alone for a less computer-savvy person. Computer scientists then created the domain name system, whereby website owners could register a unique name that acted as a synonym or stand-in for the IP address.

The Domain Name System (DNS)

The Domain Name System functions by converting the domain name into an IP address character set, via a Domain Name System server. This system is situated on millions of servers the world over but acts as a single unified database.

When you type a domain name in your search browser, the browser then communicates with a name server in order to find the IP address that is matched to that name.

If you have not specified a domain extension, that request will go through a server that sorts by the Domain Name System hierarchy, starting with top-level extensions and then moving on down the line. Unsurprisingly, this made the worldwide web infinitely easier to navigate, which encouraged more people to utilize its services.

Domain names accomplish three things:

• Create a lasting first impression: A domain name is the very first thing a prospective customer will see of your site and it’s their initial interaction with your brand. A unique or memorable domain name will speak to what they want and stick in their head. An unfitting domain, on the other hand, can turn off prospective customers.
• Define your brand: A domain name can be used to instantly speak to your brand, letting the customers know who you are and what you are selling. A relevant domain name can help key your customers in on your product, or a unique domain name can create a link that associates your name with your product.
• Optimize SEO: Search engine optimization utilizes keywords in order to help your SEO rankings. Exact match domains are not necessary, but it is helpful to use a domain that is close.

Different types of domain names

As mentioned, there is a hierarchy within the domain name registry that distinguishes domains from one another.

Top-Level Domains (TLDs)

In 1985, The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) released six top-level domain names. These top-level domains (TLD) became known as domain name extensions and represent the highest level in the Domain Name System hierarchy. They include:

• .com: shorthand for commercial, .com was the first top-level domain in common use. While .com was initially created for use by commercial organizations, restrictions on this were not stringent. By the mid-1990s, .com had become the most popular and commonly used type of top-level domain for businesses, websites, and email.
• .net: shorthand for network, .net was created expressly for institutes that partook in network technologies such as an internet service provider or an infrastructure company. Like with .com, the restrictions meant to limit .net to networking purposes were never upheld and it became one of the more popular top-level domains, with many seeing it as a close second to using the .com top-level domain.
• .edu: shorthand for education, .edu was made for education institutions. Although it was intended for universities everywhere, the TLD .edu became associated with only educational centers in America. Schools from other countries will use .edu in conjunction with their country-level domain, which we will discuss in the next section below.
• .org: shorthand for organization, .org was created for nonprofits. As we’ve seen with these other top-level domains, such intentions were often not upheld or enforced over time. These days .org is used as a top-level domain by nonprofits, for-profit businesses, schools, and communities.
• .mil: shorthand for military, .mil was created expressly for U.S. military branches. Unlike the other different types of top-level domains, this restriction is still upheld. Now, it is quite common for .mil to use second and third-level domains in conjunction with the .mil TLD.
• .gov: shorthand for government, .gov, like .mil, was restricted for American federal governmental agencies and personnel use only. These days .gov is used by governmental agencies, programs, cities, states, towns, counties, and Native American tribes.

Country code top-level domains (ccTLD)

In order to distinguish one country from another, two-letter domains were established and became associated with countries or geographical locations; .uk and .au, for example, represent England and Australia respectively.

When ccTLDs were initially created they were intended for registration and use by that country’s residents, however, certain countries have let outside parties register domain names using their country code.

Internationalized country code top-level domains (IDN ccTLD)

This was a top-level name with an encoded format that lets non-Latin character sets or other special characters be used.

Generic top-level domains (gTLD)

Generic top-level domains function as a category of top-level domains within the DNS. As of now, there are currently 21 generic top-level domains within the root zone, which is the highest level of the domain name system structure.

While there are over 1,500 gTLDs in use, these 21 make up the vast majority of all types of domain names. They include four sub-categories:

• Generic (.com, .net, .org, .info), domains that can be used for general purposes.
• Generic restricted (.pro, .biz, .name) domains that can only be used for their specific purposes.
• Sponsored (.edu, .gov, .int, .mil, .aero, .cat, .asia, .mobi, .coop, .travel, .tel, .jobs) domains that can only be used by businesses involved specifically with that industry.
• Infrastructure (.arpa) which was one of the original top-level domains used to help with the DNS infrastructure.

Second-level domains

Within the DNS hierarchy, second-level domains are domains that follow top-level domains.

For example, in “Nike.com”, “Nike” is the second-level domain of the “.com” top-level domain. Quite often, second-level domains are the name of the business or vendor that registered the domain name with a registrar. The brand name, company name, or project name is the identifier for potential customers.

On top of these general second-level domains, there are also country code second-level domains (ccSLD). In such cases, the second-level domain will be found to the right of the period; for example, in a domain such as “nike.co.ca”, the country code top-level domain is “.ca” and the ccSLD is “.co”.

Third-level domains

Within the DNS hierarchy, third-level domains naturally follow second-level domains. They can be found to the left of SLD and are often referred to as the subdomain.

Larger companies will often use third-level domains as identifiers that can distinguish between various departments or parts of their site.

Generally speaking, “www” is the most common third-level domain. If a company does use multiple third-level domains, those are generally referring to a specific server within the company.

Registering domains names

There are many different types of domain names out there waiting to be owned. But before you can do anything with them, you need to know how to register your domain name.

Before using a domain name, you must first register it with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN assigns and categorizes different types of domain names and ensures that the process goes smoothly. In order to register a name with ICANN, you must use a domain name registrar, like Domain.com.

Once you have selected the right name and made sure that it was available for purchase, you will need to submit the following information that includes:

• Your contact info; including first and last name, payment info, billing info, physical address, phone number, and email address.
• Your desired domain name.
• The chosen domain name registration term (starting at one year.)

Understand domain names to choose one for your idea

We can’t stress enough how important it is to find the right domain name for you or your business. The importance of having a good domain name can sometimes get thrown to the wayside but in reality, a good domain name keeps you top of mind with your customers and audience.

There’s more to domain names than you might think. 

Since the right domain name is essential to getting your business online and raising awareness for your brand, we’ve created this Glossary of Domain Terms to further your understanding of everything related to domain names.

If you want to learn more about owning, registering and maintaining a domain name, check out our starter guide, Everything You Need to Know About Domain Names.

Domain Name Terms

A

• A Record – This setting is used to point a domain name to a specific IP address.

C

• Country Code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD) – These are two-letter domain names that are associated with a specific country, such as .us for the United States or .ca for Canada.
• Cybersquatting – The process of registering a domain with the intent of preventing someone else from doing it, in the hopes to block them, steal traffic, or sell the domain to the other party at an inflated price.

D

• Domain Name – The name of your website, which follows the ‘www.’ in the URL, and also what follows the @ symbol in an email address. For example, in ‘www.Domain.com’ the ‘Domain.com’ is the actual domain name.
• Domain Name System (DNS) – The system that translates the numbers of an IP address into an easy-to-read domain name.
• Domain Flipping – The process of buying a domain name and selling it quickly for a profit.
• Domain Privacy – A feature often provided by domain registrars that hides the domain name owner information from the search results of a WHOIS inquiry.

E

• Extension – The last letters of a domain name, such as .com, that indicates the registry the domain is associated with, and as in the case of ccTLDs, the country

G

• Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) – The most common domain names, such as .COM, or .NET.
• Grace Period – The period after a domain name registration expires, but can still be renewed by the registrant, and before the domain is offered up for general sale.

I

• Internet Protocol (IP) Address – The string of unique numbers used to label a specific computer or computer server.
• International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) – The organization that coordinates the Internet’s naming system and regulates the domain industry.

M

• Misspelled Domain Name – Purchasing different, even incorrect spellings, of a domain name ensures that the audience looking for your business or brand online find your website, even if they type in your domain name with a few errors.

N

• New Top-Level Domain (nTLD) – TLD stands for “Top-Level Domain” and the “n” stands for “new.” A TLD is a string of characters that follow your domain name. For example, in the domain “myawesomedomain.com” the TLD, or domain extension, is .com. nTLDs are newer to the market, and include extensions such as .club, .design, and .news.
• Nameserver – A web server that stands in as a resource directory, sometimes for another server.

P

• Parking – The process of pointing a domain name to a page that is acting as a placeholder, used either as a space to advertise the sale of the domain or as a standby page before the owner starts using the domain name.
• Premium Domain – A high-value domain name that has been previously registered. They often contain valuable SEO keywords. Premium domain names have a stronger branding potential, are easier to remember, and attract more website traffic than standard domain names.

R

• Redirect – If a domain name is no longer being used, but is still registered, an owner can push any incoming traffic to a new, connected domain name instead.
• Redemption Period – After a domain name registration expires, and after the grace period, when the previous owner can still renew the domain, but usually at a higher price.
• Registrant – The owner of a domain name, or corporation in control of the registration of the domain, either of which is listed on the domain name’s name record.
• Registrar – An accredited business or organization that sells domain registration services to the public.
• Registry – An organization that maintains and controls top-level domains (TLDs). They generally don’t sell domains directly to the public and instead sell domains through 3rd party registrars (like Domain.com). 
• Renewal – The process of re-registering a domain name for another year(s) to continue ownership of the domain. 
• Reseller – An individual agent or affiliate of a specific registrar who sells domain name services.
• Reverse Domain Hijacking – The process of trying to obtain a legitimately owned domain name by using false claims to contest its ownership.

S

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – The practice of tweaking and optimizing your website, or the content on a page, with the goal of showing up higher in search engine results.
• Second-Level Domain (2LD) – A domain name that is located below another domain name, for example, .com.us, with the .com being the second-level to the .US domain name.
• Subdomain – A separate address located under a domain name, such as store.brand.com.

T

• Top-Level Domain (TLD) – The last segment of a domain name, or the part that comes after the dot. Examples are .com, .net, .org, and .club.
• Transfer – Moving a domain name from one registrar to another without giving up ownership.

U

• Universal Resource Locator (URL) – This is the string of numbers and symbols located in the address bar at the top of your web browser, which includes all of the information your computer needs to find the right page, image, or document on a website.

W

• WHOIS – A system that makes it possible to search the owner information of a registered domain name, as well as other details such as contact information.

Want to learn more? Our starter guide, Everything You Need to Know About Domain Names, helps you start finding a home for your business online. It all starts with a great domain.

The choice is yours, but given the choice, I’d skip the paperback. Any worthy investment will consider the long term, such as a hardcover that sticks around after decades of rereads, while the soft cover disintegrates.

If you don’t believe me, I have a few titles older than my grandmother for you to borrow.

Your domain name is a similar investment. Your business could be successful with a second rate domain name, but a premium domain name bumps up your business in quality, trust and traffic.

That long term thinking may in fact separate your business idea from your competition, because on the internet, nothing is as powerful as a premium domain name. Hit the books and learn the secrets behind a premium domain name, below.

Don’t settle for a second rate domain name, start your business with a head start and invest in a Premium Domain from Domain.com.

Premium domain names help you stand out

Your main goal for setting up a website is to spread word of your business and products far and wide across the internet. Investing in a premium domain name will create a more memorable brand around your website and business. The easier it is for customers to remember your domain name, the more likely they are to type it into the search bar.

If your business is looking to stand out as a leader in your industry, your domain can also help boost your credibility. Instead of spending money advertising a domain name for your landscape business such as MyGardenSupplyStore.net, a premium domain like BetterGardens.com will establish you as a thought leader. This will make it easier for your customers to come to you.

Get a head start building traffic to your site

Since premium domain names are more memorable, your business will get a head start when trying to build traffic to your site. Premium domains often have popular search keywords included in the name, which means your potential customers may already be typing in your domain and looking for a business just like yours.

As premium domain names draw more value, sometimes the name you want to buy has already been owned by a similar business that no longer needs it. This means your domain name may already have traffic from around the internet pointing towards it, and have a higher rank with search engines than a new domain fresh out of the box. Leveraging this established traffic will help you boost your business ahead of the competition even faster.

An investment for the long term

Like a library full of hardcover books, your premium domain has a lasting value that stands up on its on. When investing in a premium domain name, even though it may have a higher price, the resale value will be higher than a domain that no other business will be interested in.

As your business builds search equity and traffic for the premium domain name, its value increases with it. If you later decide to sell your business or pivot into a different market and no longer need your premium domain name, it becomes a saleable asset that can help you come out with capital for your next business idea.

You don’t need to go premium right away

Since premium domain names are so valuable to businesses and brands all over the world, they’re often sold with a price tag that reflects its worth. You may wish to have the perfect domain name at the start, but if your business is still just getting off the ground, you can hold off and upgrade to a .com later when you have more cash flow.

The URL Facebook.com, for example, used to be TheFacebook.com. After the company received their initial traction, they were able to upgrade to a better domain. Putting all your capital into your domain name may not be the best choice if you’re still trying to get your initial idea off the ground. A less expensive domain name can get you started.

Invest in the long term for your new business idea

If you invest in a premium domain name with a look to the long term, your new idea could take you anywhere you want to go, growing in value alongside with your business. Use a premium domain to bump up your brand’s trust and traffic, because on the internet, nothing is as powerful as a premium domain name.

Don’t settle for a second rate domain name, start your business with a head start and invest in a Premium Domain from Domain.com.

A creative domain name can create brand authority, customer retention, and help one product stand out in a sea of competitors offering a similar product or service. This is a process that should not be taken lightly; it is not something that can wait until the last minute because if you do rush it, you may end up being stuck with a boring name that hinders more than helps. So, when thinking of a domain name, you need to invest the time, and you need to get creative.

Below we will discuss the benefits of a creative domain name, share some tips on how you can get creative, and hopefully help to give your online business the edge it needs to not only succeed but thrive.

Domain.com has over 300 domain extensions to choose from to help set your website apart from the rest. It all starts with a great domain.  

What is a domain name?

Before we begin, it is vital that you know the basics of how domains function with websites. If this is your first online business, odds are this is the first time you have had to consider how websites function on the worldwide web. Computers on the web locate and communicate with each other using a series of digits and periods known as Internet Protocol Addresses.

This IP address is unique to every computer and website, and to find another computer or website, one would have to type in this unique numerical address. For the layman, a good way to mentally picture a website is as a digital storefront; an amalgamation of files, data, pictures, and pages, which result in the final product you see on your screen when you type in NYTimes.com. Like an actual store, say a Starbucks or a Costco, these web pages have a virtual address (the IP) which helps distinguish them from the billions of other web pages.

As you might imagine, while this would not be an issue for the computer, at best, it is an inefficient method for human navigation, since there is simply no way we humans could memorize all the IP addresses of every website. Even having an online phone book of sorts would be painfully inconvenient. Computer scientists recognized that this was not the best method for navigating the web, so they decided to create a shorthand of sorts, building the domain name system and fashioning a registry that linked any registered domain name with its unique IP address.

To this day, typing either the IP address or the domain name into the search function will get you to your intended destination. This virtual shortcut made it so the web would be accessible to just about anyone. Computer scientists designated seven top-level domains to help differentiate web addresses, which we now refer to as extensions. These seven extensions are:

• .com – shortened for commerce and commercial. This extension is the most popular by far and as a result, used by both small and big businesses. However, this extension has the fewest available domain names to choose from.
• .net – the second most popular extension, generally used by network providers such as Timewarner.net.
• .org – organizations’ domain name, such as freethedolphins.org.
• .edu – the domain extension used by educational institutes and universities.
• .gov – domain name for governmental agencies, agents, or officials.
• .mil – American military domain.
• .Int – Domain for international organizations.

Picking a creative domain name

Before you start thinking about how much a domain name costs, there are a few steps you should follow first. Picking the perfect domain name should be the first step you take when it comes to planning for a successful online business. This name will function as your business’ online identity. So, a proper name will act as a reflection of your brand; it will answer who you are as a company, and it will hopefully indicate either the product or service you are offering to new customers. Thanks to the domain name registrar system, no two domain names can be identical, so, this is your opportunity to truly define who you are as a business. Therefore, picking the right name—a creative, catchy name—is vital.

If you were buying a brick and mortar store, odds are you would put an incredible amount of time and research into the various options. You would scout each location, get estimates on how much traffic they attract, and find measurements on how the previous businesses have operated. You would weigh the pros and cons, and compare that to the costs associated with each location. Only after some serious time and thought went into the process would you then select the final resting spot of your business. Like opening a brick and mortar store, when selecting a domain name, you should treat what some view as a tedious process with the utmost respect. Do not do this haphazardly, instead invest the time to land the perfect domain name.

While there are a variety of methods for brainstorming a creative domain name, as a general rule of thumb, there are two directions to choose from that you will want to consider before you get into the nitty-gritty. They are keyword rich domain names and brand-centric domain names.

Keyword rich domain names

Keyword rich domain names are domain names that place emphasis on certain SEO keywords or phrases that may be used to describe a business’ rendered product or service. Employing this strategy generally consists of creating lists of keywords or phrases that act as descriptors of the company or what it is you are selling.

These descriptors should not only reflect what you offer but do so in such a way to distinguish you from your competitors. Keeping search engine optimization in mind is also wise, so look to use words or phrases people are randomly searching for your product, or something similar that someone might organically type into the search engine.

Brand-centric domain names

Brand-centric domain names are often meant for businesses that have previously established their name or brand within the market. At this point, customers know these brands, know what they are selling, and can likely remember their catchphrases or slogans. Brand-centric names include Amazon.com, Facebook.com, Adidas.com, and a whole host of other powerhouses. For a company like Staples, it would make sense for them to purchase the domain name, “Thatwaseasy.com” since they are recognized by that tagline.

While brand-centric domain names are ideal for established brands, it is important to remember that each of these companies at some point began with humble roots. If you can come up with a creative brand-centric domain name, and want a customer to remember your brand, then that is definitely an option, but be sure to pick one that is unique and reflects your brand’s business.

Tips for creative domain names

When ruminating about creative domain names there are various steps you should take to simplify the process:

The Brainstorming Session – Most businesses are not run by a single individual. If you have a team of people, bring together all that brain power to one spot and spend time bouncing ideas and keywords off each other. If you are a sole business owner, see if family or friends can aid you since they likely have spent enough time discussing your business with you to have an idea of what your goals and missions are. Write down the domain names of your competitors or companies in similar businesses within your space. Weigh the pros and cons of each name and discuss how effective they are at communicating their product or service.

• Be broad and be bold – Do not be shy with any idea you have even if it is only slightly relevant to your business. If you shoot down ideas immediately, your team might miss out on a great opportunity, for fear of rejection.
• Compile keywords – Create a list of all the keywords that are linked to your product or service. Use a whiteboard or a notepad and write down the most common words associated with your brand. If you want your customer to know you for a trait or keyword, emphasize that and play with possible iterations.
• Use a thesaurus or a dictionary – Using your keywords or buzzwords, you can utilize either a thesaurus or a dictionary to find synonyms or even more accurate versions of the word you are using.
• Amalgamations – Quite often, one of these keywords by themselves will already be taken, but if you can create a fusion of two words, you might have a better chance of finding an available domain name. Cleverly combining two keywords can help customers intuitively understand what your product is. Take Groupon for example, which combined the words coupon with group.
• Consider your location or company values – your domain name does not necessarily require your brand name in it, consider your company’s location or other aspects of your business that set you apart from your competitors.
• Misspellings – Often, your ideal word will already be taken. However, misspellings or dropping the vowels from the word might open up new avenues and also create a cleaner looking version of the domain name. Such names are often easier to type in and easier to remember because of their unique look.
• Easy to remember/easy to type – You might come up with a great name, one that you think perfectly defines who you are and what you are selling, but if it is not easy for new customers to remember or is a pain to type in to the search bar, you will lose potential customers. Ideally, you want a name that rolls off the tongue and is hard for people to forget.

Ditch the .com

Since many dotcoms have already been taken, many companies are using new creative domain name extensions besides the big seven. While there are some out there that will argue that it is worth it to pay more money for a dot-com address or to purchase a pre-existing domain, others are moving in the opposite direction. In the last few years, “.ly,” “.be,” and “.io” have grown in popularity and plenty of websites have cleverly incorporated those extensions in a creative way. For example, “list.ly” and “postach.io” are growing businesses that have uniquely combined the two to create a clean and memorable name.

Find a domain name that feels inspired

Creating a domain name that is not only clever and catchy but also available and within your budget range is no easy task. Regardless, it is a critical component of your online business, so it is crucial that you take the time and effort necessary to land on the right domain name. By doing so, you explore new avenues that may lead you to a domain name that sets your brand in motion.

Your domain name can be regarded as your first impression on the internet. And just like first impressions, you want someone’s first encounter on your website to be perfect. Put the time and effort necessary into choosing your domain name—it’s important.

Domain.com has over 300 domain extensions to choose from to help set your website apart from the rest. It all starts with a great domain.  

The process of buying a domain name starts the same way. Do you want a brand new domain or an expired one with previously established traffic?

The benefits and the drawbacks are similar, but choosing the right domain depends on your needs, your domain name budget, and the competition within your industry. Learn how to make the right choice that further establishes your business online.

Domain.com has over 300 domain extensions to choose from to help set your website apart from the rest. It all starts with a great domain.  

The benefits of a brand new domain name

Like that new car smell, a new domain name feels fresh and ready to get you down the road in style. Without any of the history of being previously owned, you don’t need to worry about inheriting a bad reputation for spam, or shady business dealings.

Just like a new car though, new domain names have no miles on them, which means you need to build web traffic and build an audience from scratch. It also means that you’ll need to build all of the infrastructure yourself, such as a website, and social media pages to start building your marketing channels. If you’re looking for a domain name that gives you a leg up, you may instead want an expired one.

An established domain name that’s already broken in

Imagine buying a used car and finding out that the previous owner swapped in a new turbocharged engine. And racing stripes. If you purchase a reputable expired domain name, there’s a chance there’s already an audience, established backlinks, and incoming web traffic heading your way. This gives you a leg up when you put marketing spend towards your new business, making it easier to reach customers and convince them to buy.

There’s still the downside of not knowing the full story behind your domain name when you purchase it second-hand. There may be a negative reputation from spam which you’ll have to overcome. Make sure to do your research on a domain name and then run a WhoIS search to try and find the owner.

Make the choice that fits your business best

Your business and your goals, both short term and long term, affects your decision whether to buy a new domain name or an expired one. Looking across your industry reveals your options. In a competitive market, having a starting with traffic and previous backlinks helps to start your business as an equal to established business instead of starting behind. If you don’t have many competitors, starting from scratch with a new domain name can still lead to success, as your levels of traffic soon builds to that of the other brands with the right strategy.

If you’re looking to start slow and grow your business from the ground up by making all of the decisions yourself, you’ll likely need a new domain name. If you’re looking to get a head start and want to hit the ground running with web traffic that you can build on, then look for an established domain name.

The right domain name helps you get started

Some people like driving a new car off the lot, while others like to brush off a little dust and change the oil before hitting the road. Whether you buy a used domain name or a new one depends on what you need for your business. Do you need a domain with some previous web traffic or are you looking for a fresh start? The right choice helps establish your business online and help to reach the right customers.

Domain.com has over 300 domain extensions to choose from to help set your website apart from the rest. It all starts with a great domain.

If that’s where you’re at, then look no further. We’re going to cover all of the above.

Domain.com has over 300 domain extensions to choose from to help set your website apart from the rest. It all starts with a great domain.  

What is a Domain?

A domain — or domain name — is essentially the name of your website. It’s not always exclusive to the actual business name and even less so with the LLC or legal title. It exists on the Domain Name System (DNS) which is a universal system that assigns addresses to servers and web pages. It’s the middle of the URL (the name), what comes after the ‘www.’ and what you will see after the @ in an email address.

Without domain names, recognizing addresses on the internet would be extremely difficult. Some experts go as far as to say that without the DNS, the internet would’ve never succeeded.

Structure

When registering a domain name, it is paramount you understand the way in which they are formatted. Without this understanding, it is possible that someone unknowingly registers the wrong type of domain. Unlike the English language, domain names read from right to left.

TLDs (top-level domains)

TLDs appear on the furthest right of the domain, effectively making them the beginning. The most common TLDs or premium domain names end in:

• .com
• .org
• .net
• .biz
• .edu

SLDs (second-level domains)

SLDs appear in the middle of the domain, directly on the left of the TLD. They are, in fact, the domain name itself.

Machine Name

At the furthest left, we have the machine name, which is what we call the end of the domain. You will typically associate the machine name with (www.).

The SLD, TLD, and Machine Name are all separated by a period. Most of us on the internet have adopted the word ‘dot’ in substitution for ‘period,’ but they are one and the same. Lastly, it is vital that we differentiate a domain from a URL. They are not mutually exclusive. A URL is a larger address that can contain the page address, folder, machine title, and protocol.

This, in turn, makes the domain name merely a part of the URL. We have provided a few examples below and bolded the domain names for reference.

• https://www.google.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Is it Important?

Without a doubt. Think of registering a domain name like buying real estate on the internet. You are purchasing a piece of the pie that is exclusively yours, one that will hold an umbrella over all of the content you publish. If you register your domain, no one else can take it. It is placed in the DNS where it belongs solely to the person who purchased it until it expires and becomes public again.

It is your first impression on the internet, your brand, and a tool that can be used for SEO (search engine optimization) purposes. Any web developer will tell you that a domain name is a facet of a company’s internet presence that can directly influence its success.

Registering a Domain

Now that we have covered some basic grounds on domain names, let’s dive into registering a domain. It is important that you know, despite what type of domain you are looking for, the process is relatively simple. While there might be quite a few options available, the process is straightforward.

Is it Available?

As we stated previously, once you register your domain it becomes part of the DNS, meaning it is not available to anyone else. Likewise, if someone has previously registered the creative domain name you want, it is not going to be available to you. Ensuring that your sought-after domain name is available is the first part of the process. The best way to check availability is to conduct a domain name search.

Other than just the website name, there is the TLD (the first or far right part of your domain name). The common ones are usually taken. Think .com, .org, .net, and so forth. Still, it’s not always the case. If appropriate to your circumstance, you may find a variation of your domain name with another TLD that is still available.

Additionally, the ‘common’ TLDs are not the only thing offered. Today, there are GTLDs (generic top-level domains) that end in different terms. This could be .pro, .info, etc., and even new domain extensions your business can leverage to render your domain name instantly memorable to customers.

Which TLD should I use?

Technically, it doesn’t matter. The TLD will function exactly as it is supposed to—so long as it was registered properly. The .com TLD is the most common but if you want to variate, you can. There is no one TLD that is more efficient than the rest, nor is there one that comes more highly recommended than others. With that being said, the .com is what many suggest as your ‘safest bet.’

This, of course, depends on the type of business you are putting on the internet.

Registration

If you’re wondering about the full process of how to register a domain name, it’s important to note that every domain must go through ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). All domain names run through this corporation, as it was established to regulate them and optimize the internet’s efficiency.

Registrars

A domain name registrar is a company that provides a service, simplifying the registration process for domain names. Through these platforms—all of which have accreditation through ICANN—experienced professionals will act as your Sherpa, guiding you through the terrain of domain registration. From front to back, the process should be seamless.

Be sure to research a registrar before utilizing their service. While many promise to be the easiest, cheapest, and most efficient option, customer reviews can tell a different story. This is the company that is going to be responsible for keeping track of your renewals, managing your domain, and ensuring that it is registered correctly. Be sure to do your due diligence.

Pricing

The cost of your domain name will depend on the registrar you choose. Each registrar has its own standard pricing, packages, renewal fees, and accessorial fees. Being that TLDs are the most common, they are going to have the most standardized pricing across the board. On average, it costs around $10-15 annually to purchase and hold a domain name.

Regardless, there is a lot more to know when it comes to how much a domain name costs.

Hidden Fees

By analyzing the myriad of complaints filed against registrars, you will find that a vast majority of them regard fees the customer was unaware of. These typically come in the form of an auto-renew or transfer out charge. Usually, these are explained and detailed in a registrar’s ‘Terms of Service.’ Unfortunately, in today’s world, we rarely take the time to read the contracts we willingly agree to.

These fees that accrue can be up to four times the amount of the original registration. Typically, the heftiest fee is the transfer out charge, as registrars want to dissuade their customers from running to their competition. With a quick Google search, you will find a large volume of complaints that pinpoint this tactic that registrars use to squeeze money out of clients that are jumping ship.

In any case, we always advise you read and acknowledge the ‘Terms of Service’ issued by your registrar. While there may be fees in the contract you do not particularly agree with, you will be prepared for them if they are to arise in the future.

Expiration Scams

Another unethical tactic deployed by untrustworthy registrars is discounted pricing scams. By no means are we saying that every registrar who offers discounted pricing is running a scam, but we want to highlight that some platforms offer discounts if the domain is purchased for a longer period of time, and they do so with malintent.

For example, let’s say you have paid them for a five-year contract, some registrars will then turn around and pay the registry for only a year, pocketing the rest of the money. They can even go as far as to implement a ‘no refund policy’ that, if the customer doesn’t catch in the agreement, will render their money lost if they want to leave.

It is important to note that there are platforms which have been created to help customers identify if their expiration date matches what they paid for. Many of these are free.

But Exactly How Much Do They Cost?

As we stated previously, the myriad of packages, incentives, and overall pricing of domain names ranges greatly. To a novice, the first glance at purchasing a domain can be overwhelming. They might find themselves questioning whether or not a domain name can truly be purchased for one ‘low cost of $9.99.’

The answer is yes, it is possible, but it’s not always the case. A good rule of thumb when it comes to buying domain names is that inexpensive can be expensive. Sometimes a cheaper deal is too good to be true and the hidden fees blindside the customer. On the other hand, if your domain is available and you choose a reputable registrar, that cheap, inexpensive, and seemingly perfect package is absolutely worth it.

Thus, we encourage you to do your due diligence and research the experiences certain customers have had with different packages offered by registrars. Take these packages and further execute a domain name price comparison between other registrars.

Lastly, remember that the type of domain name registered is always going to influence the price. Take Domain.com’s pricing for example. It ranges from as little as $1.99 per year all the way through $649.99 per year depending on which domain you select. Each registrar will differ in their pricing, but the more you compare, the more consistencies you are going to discover.

Aftermarket Domain

When a domain name is unavailable, most customers pivot and return to the drawing board to decide on another. Some, however, find that there is great value in the specific name and wonder how they can obtain an aftermarket domain or a domain which has already been purchased. Today, both auction sites and domain brokers exist, meaning the person no longer has to track down a specific domain owner to make an offer.

Aftermarket domains have become an industry in themselves, prompting internet entrepreneurs to purchase domains with the idea that they will be sought after in the future. They hold onto these domains until someone comes along to try and claim them. Branding, inbound links, potential traffic, and pure simplicity is what adds to the value of these domains.

Some are valuable enough that they sell for around $100 and others are purchased for over $10million. With that being said, if you’re currently in this boat, then the average .com aftermarket domain should be somewhere between $9000 – $30,000. In which case, before continuing, unless what your after is extremely obscure, you are probably going to have to pay in the thousands for the specific domain name that you want.

The cost of a domain depends on what you need

Is it without a doubt that domain names are important to your business’s success on the internet (and in general). In today’s digital landscape, unless you are looking for an aftermarket domain and have zero flexibility in your name choice, then there is no reason the cost of your domain should drain your wallet. For a select few customers, the price is going to be high. For most of us, we should not expect to pay more than $20 annually.

With that being said, remember to look for hidden fees, discount scams, and ensure that there is no sneaky language in the terms of the agreement.

Domain.com has over 300 domain extensions to choose from to help set your website apart from the rest. It all starts with a great domain.  

Your business needs to put its best foot forward to reach all of the customers in your audience.

A great domain name can help you do that, but with so many different domain extensions, or top-level domains (TLDs) available, how do you know which one to use?

The right TLD depends on the kind of business, products, or services you have, and how you’d like to differentiate yourself from the rest of your industry. This article will help you identify what TLDs work best for your business, so keep reading.

Domain.com has over 300 domain extensions to choose from to help set your website apart from the rest. It all starts with a great domain.  

Choose your domain extension, or TLD, based on your needs.

As with most things, the TLD for you is the one that best fits your needs. Generic top-level domains (gTLDs) are some of the most common names you’ll see, like .com or .net.

Sponsored top-level domains (sTLDs) were designed for specific groups, such as colleges or government organizations, such as .gov. And country-code domain extensions (ccTLDs) are reserved for area-specific organizations, like .us or .ca, with a few exceptions.

All domain names are unique — there can be no two exactly the same. The domain name you use should give a sense as to what your site or business is, and most importantly, it needs to be available.

For example, .com is the most commonly used TLD, so there’s a decent chance the domain name you want is already registered. This is when more unique domain extensions, or TLDs, like .biz, .club, and .tech come in handy.

The domain extensions you’ll see most often

Many new extensions are released frequently, so you’ll find the perfect domain name no matter what your needs or goals.

However, if you’d like to use a more common domain extension, like .com or .org, you still can — you may just end up paying a little more for a premium domain name. Premium domain names are easy to remember, easy to pronounce, and are very brandable, so they’re worth the extra cost.

Some of the most common domain extensions you’ll see are:

• .com – The most popular TLD around, this was originally designed for commercial businesses, but can now be used by any individual or organization on the Internet.
• .biz – Designed for use by businesses.
• .org – Most commonly used by nonprofit organizations, this domain extension has since grown to be nearly as ubiquitous as .com. Anyone can register a .org domain name.
• .net –  Like a lot of TLDs, this one was intended for use by networks (think Cox Cable), but can now be used and registered by anyone.
• .gov – Unlike the domain extensions above, the .gov TLD continues to be restricted, meaning only government organizations are permitted to use it.
• .mobi – Oftentimes a company or organization registers their domain name using .mobi if they’re showing a mobile-only version of their website.
• .us (or other country-specific domains) – You’re likely to only see ccTLDs that match your home country. These are restricted, and may only be registered by a company or organization that resides within the same country. For example, only US companies may register a .us domain name.

How to choose the right TLD for your domain name

Different domain extensions won’t affect how your website functions on the internet.

Some companies prefer using the .com domain extension to show that they’re successful enough to afford a premium domain, while other companies choose niche-specific domain extensions.

For those companies representing a niche, domain extensions like .space can help reassure your customers that you’re the expert that understands them. You can also use your niche TLD in a creative way to establish a domain name that truly stands out (e.g. – using the domain name BrewBetter.beer for a craft brewery instead of BrewBetter.com.)

Choose the domain extension that best represents you

No matter what domain extension you choose, you want the one that best represents your business to your customers. With so many domain extensions to choose from, there’s no reason you can’t find the perfect fit.