What is a Domain Name?
A domain name locates an organization or other entity on the Internet. (Example Domain Name: www.kperspectives.com)
A domain name works like an address forwarding service. All of your Web site content sits on a computer with a unique address. This is called an IP address. An IP address is made up of a series of numbers, such as 123.23.234.45. Your domain name directs visitors to your site using this IP address. We use domain names instead of IP addresses because most people find it easier to remember a name rather than a series of numbers.
What are the differences between some of the most common domain names?
-
.COM, .NET, .ORG - Originally the .COM was to be used for commercial businesses, .NET for network organizations, and .ORG for nonprofit groups. However, these are considered open domains - meaning the registrant (you) can freely choose which one you would like to use.
-
.INFO - This is also an unrestricted domain, it is synonymous with information
-
.BIZ - for businesses only
-
.US - for individuals or companies - any US citizen or company can register this domain
-
.TV - This is one of the fastest growing domain names. This identity lets the world know that you are part of the evolving internet. If you have future plans of providing media for your viewers, get your .TV domain name today!
-
.JOBS - for recruiters to use in recruitment advertising
-
.NAME - The world's first domain exclusively for individuals. With .name you can create a single and permanent digital identity using your own personal name - perfect for a personal Web site to communicate with family and friends.
How do I choose a domain name?
I have a couple of things that I think about when I choose a domain name:
-
If I want my domain name to help with search engine optimization (SEO) then I must choose a domain name that describes my service, instead of my company name. For example, I would choose websitedevelopment.com and not kperspectives.com for my business.
-
Or you may decide to choose a domain name that is "catchy" or easy to remember. This will not have anything to do with your SEO, however your marketing efforts will promote this name and soon everyone will know what it stands for. For example, google.com does not tell you that they are a search engine (like searchengines.com would) however, everyone knows what google is because they made their name popular through their service and marketing efforts.
I do feel like there are some "must do's" and "must do not's" when choosing a domain name
-
Do not choose a domain name that has a confusing letter combination in it (example: www.txtcb.org). These letters may be easy for you to remember if they stand for the name of your organization however, will someone else remember this domain name if they can not remember your company name?
-
Register more than one domain name. If your company name is "Shoes For You" you may consider registering the following names: sfy.com and shoesforyou.com. One domain name can simply forward to the other (they can both point to the same web site).
-
If you are the owner of an organization then register your name also.
-
Do not register a really long domain name that is hard to spell. I did not think about this when I registered my domain name and I often need to spell it out for people. They ask questions like:
-
"Is it the letter K or the word Kay?"
-
"How do you spell perspective?"
-
"Is it perspectives or perspective?"
-
What if my Domain Name is not registered with Keen Perspectives, LLC?
If you already have a domain name and hosting registered somewhere else that is ok. KP can still help you with your web site development.
If you have a domain name registered and would like to set up hosting with Keen Perspectives, LLC then I suggest requesting a Domain Name Transfer. This will keep your hosting and Domain Name registered in the same account. It can get confusing to have several different accounts - however with KP you can have your hosting, domain name, and web site development all in one place.
Another benefit to transferring your domain name to Keen Perspectives, LLC is that 100% of the profit from Domain Name sales goes to support ReclaimKids.