What is a domain name?

First of all, if you ask a true geek “What is a domain name?,” I guarantee you won’t understand what they say. If you use Wikipedia, you will be more confused than ever. (It confused the heck out of me when I looked it up.)

Without getting too technical, a domain name represents an Internet Protocol (IP) resource an IP address.

Simply put, a domain name is the official name of a website – legally and technically.

Domain names were created so that a human being could recognize it as opposed to a computer. For instance, MY domain name is TekMiss.com. Notice that .com is part of the domain name. A domain name includes all of the ‘extensions’ such as .net, .org, .tv, .me, .edu, etc.

A computer looks at the IP address of every website on the internet (as well as other stops along the way). (67.149.211.51 is MY IP address. If you put that in your browser instead of TekMiss.com – my website will appear).

I own many other domain names (waaaay to many), including TechMiss.com and KathyRausch.com. Notice I said that I OWN other domain names. You can own as many domain names as you want without using them. (I suggest you purchase yourname.com – it’s nice to have)

When a website is created, it’s connected or associated with a domain name. This can all be done through the place that you buy your domain name from, such as GoDaddy.com or BlueHost.com.

Any good web designer will have the ability to manage this for you (purchasing a domain name and associating a website with it). But remember…..

A domain name purchase is a legal transaction. BE SURE YOUR DOMAIN NAME IS PURCHASED IN YOUR NAME!

If you are working with someone who is creating a new website for  you, insist that the domain name is IN YOUR NAME. If it isn’t this can cause MAJOR problems in the future.