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What is a Domain Name and Why Do You Need One?
By Kathy Burns-Millyard
Excerpt from the special report,
"Everything a New Internet User Needs to Know About Internet
Domain Names"
What is a Domain Name?
A domain name in its simplest form
is just an Internet Website address. Just as
your house or apartment has its own unique identifying address for
the post office,
so does each and every Website in existence.
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The domain name system was originally
created for the benefit of humans. The
actual address used by computers is numerical in format and is referred
to as an
IP, or Internet Protocol, address. An IP address takes the form of
four series of
numbers separated by periods. An example of an IP address is 215.55.258.145,
and as you can see this would not be easy for most of us to remember.
So to
compensate, the domain "name" system was created. Its much
easier to
remember a website named "thiswebsite.com" than it is to
remember a number
such as the one above, right?
Notice there is no @ symbol in the
Website address. The @ symbol is normally
used for email addresses only, thus (with rare exceptions) you would
not be able
to visit a website with an address such as ebooks@electronicperceptions.com.
Instead you would send email to that address. You can usually take
the last part
of an email address and find a website with it though because everything
after
the @ symbol is normally the website at which this email address
exists.
You have likely seen Website addresses
that look like this: http://www.sasezpublications.com/user/~somename.
These are not really domain names
in full, but rather they are subsections of a
domain name. The actual domain name is http://www.sasezpublications.com
and the rest of the address denotes where on that domain you would
like to view
pages. So if you were to have your website at the location above,
you would not
have your own domain. Instead you would have web pages hosted in
a directory
on someone else's domain.
Why you need a Domain Name!
If you are like some people, you
may be wondering what the big deal is with
getting a domain name. Why does anyone want or even need one? Well,
the
answers can vary with circumstances, however, there are some pretty
simple
initial reasons.
Individuals sometimes like to have
their own domain for vanity or notoriety
reasons. Other times they have a family or genealogy Website and
having a
domain name for that site helps it to be found and remembered easier.
For
instance if your name is Sheila Brooks, you could try to get the
domain name
of "sheilabrooks.com" so that anyone looking for you online
would easily find you.
If you have a family Website then a domain name such as: "brooksfamily.com"
would give it a nice touch. If you are an up and coming author, artist,
activist,
volunteer or otherwise it would also give you a unique and memorable
address
with which to promote your causes.
In the business world, domain names
are becoming as common as telephone and fax numbers. If your advertisements
and business cards don't display a
domain name, you run the risk of being completely passed over by
customers
that prefer to browse merchandise and services online.
A good domain name is vital for a
business. If the name does not match your
business name or slogan then it must be closely related to one or
both. Your
domain name must also be easy to remember so that customers do not
have to
work hard to find your site online. Having a registered domain name
with a live
Website is sometimes the first priority for a business today, because
it is a very
inexpensive way to get your business name and information in front
of the public.
Other primary reasons for a business
to register one or more domain names is to
protect copyrights and trademarks, secure unique product names and
increase
their brand awareness with the public.
2001-2008 Kathy Burns-Millyard
Want the rest of this Special Report? There's no cost and you'll
find it at:
The Guru Gazette http://www.gurugazette.com
Also be sure to visit http://www.SasEz.com to search for more Domain
Name Resources
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