Google, eBay, Facebook: what do they all have in common? They’re all Internet brands that are strongly tied to their domain names. Without their quirky, easy-to-remember web addresses, they’d be hard to find. Can you imagine having to remember “www.google-the-search-engine.com” every time you wanted to search for something online?

Domain names play a huge role in today’s business world. Even if you don’t plan to start an online company, your company most likely still have a website or a blog. It’s important to know what a domain name is and how it affects you.

Domain Domination: What Is a Domain, Anyway?
A domain is what you type into your web browser when you’re looking for a given website. Simple right?

But like much of the Internet, there’s a lot more than just what you see. In fact, each website has its own unique address, called an IP address. This series of numbers helps your computer locate a server hosting the website you’re looking for. However, IP addresses are difficult to remember – if we only had IP addresses it would be like having to memorize the phone numbers of every website you wanted to visit without the help of an address book.

Domain names are a different way of telling your computer how to find a given website. A domain is linked with an IP address, so when you enter the domain you’re looking for it takes you where you want to go.

Domains and Your Business
Choosing a domain name is one of the most important parts of setting up your website or blog. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

– All domain names are unique, so if another business or person has registered the domain you want, you’ll have to pick something else.

– Your domain name and your business name don’t have to be exactly the same, but they should be similar enough so that people don’t get confused. If you run Rudy’s Pizza Shop, try registering RudysPizzaShop.com or RudysPizza.com

– Try to keep your domain as specific as you can. Rudy’s Pizza Shop can also choose something like BestPizzaEver.com, but people may have a hard time remembering which pizza shop the domain name belongs to.

Choosing a domain name is just one facet of getting your business online. However, it’s one of the most important steps, so don’t take the decision too lightly. Before you settle on a domain name, it’s best to run it past a few people first to make sure it’s not confusing and it’s easily memorized.