Domain Names 101

Somehow you've found your way to the internet, and if you're reading this article, then you are one step closer to registering your first domain name. Whether you're looking to register a name for a personal blog, or for your online business, the right domain name can mean the difference between success and failure. Once you are familiar with the basics, you will feel confident enough to make a sensible decision, and find the best domain name solution for your specific needs. What is a domain name? The best way to understand the concept of a domain name is to think of it as a mask, or the alphanumeric equivalent of an ip address. This mask allows you to access web pages on the internet in an easy to remember way. For example the domain name for this site is www.DomainBash.com. That is a lot easier to remember than something that looks like 24.195.85.161, which is what the ip address that the domain name is masking. Your domain name will essentially become your online identity, and how your visitors will be able to find your website in the endless sea of sites that is the web. Understanding the parts Now that you have a basic understanding of what a domain name is, you are ready to understand the individual parts of the domain name. Again we will use www.domainbash.com for our example. The www stands for