What Is a Domain Name? Everything You Need to Know About Domain Names

A domain name is a crucial element for defining and strengthening your brand identity. When users interact with your online presence for the first time, your domain is often the very first thing they see. Whether you are a business owner or a blogger, your domain is synonymous with your online brand.

So, what is a domain name, what does it do, and how do you register one?

In this article, you will find every detail you are curious about—from the basics to specific trivia like when the first domain was ever registered.

Related Content: How to Transfer a Domain? Guide to Safe and Fast Domain Transfer

Let’s get started!

What Is a Domain (Domain Name)?

A domain name is used to translate a complex IP address into a human-readable format using a technology known as the DNS (Domain Name System).

To answer the question "what is a domain" in its most basic form: It is the main address of a website. Think of it as your home address, but for the internet.

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Examples of Domain Names:

• symbolics.com (The first domain ever registered – March 15, 1985)
• atakdomain.com
• google.com
• wikipedia.org

Above, we explained the meaning of a domain in the simplest terms. In the next section, we will cover the details of what a domain does and why it is essential.

What Does a Domain Do?

A domain constitutes the first step for customers looking for online products and services to interact with your brand; therefore, it is the foundation of your digital presence.

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Beyond being the fundamental piece of your digital identity, owning a domain helps you gain the following key advantages:

• Professional Appearance: A custom domain unique to your brand provides a much more professional look compared to free domain names that usually come as subdomains (e.g., https://www.google.com/search?q=yourbrand.freewebsite.com).
• Brand Identity: A domain name compatible with your business helps build your brand identity, making it easier for customers to find and remember you online.
• SEO Advantages: Unlike free domains, search engines like Google view brand-owned domain names as an indicator of reliability and authority. This can significantly improve your website's search engine ranking.

Now that we’ve covered the purpose of a domain, let’s look at how to buy a domain name.

How to Buy a Domain Name?

If you are wondering how to register a domain, you first need to choose a reliable domain registrar.

If you need help with this choice, Atak Domain is an ICANN-accredited registrar that has been one of Turkey's most trusted agencies since 2003. Serving 220 countries with over 1650+ different extensions, you can complete your domain registration at the most affordable prices and enjoy the following services for free:

• Free Whois Privacy Protection
• Free URL Forwarding
• Free Internal Transfer
• Free DNS Management
• Free Domain Lock
• Free Domain Panel
• Free 24/7 Technical Support

In the next section, we will discuss critical details to consider during the registration process.

What Should You Consider When Registering a Domain?

When you buy a domain name, you need to consider several key factors to ensure your choice effectively supports your online presence and brand. These factors include:

• Keep It Short and Simple: Avoid using long or complicated words. You want users to easily remember it and type it into their browsers. Aim for a maximum of 15 characters if possible.
• Use Keywords Wisely: Where appropriate, include keywords related to your niche or industry in your domain. This can aid your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts and clarify what your website is about.
• Avoid Symbols and Numbers: Domains containing hyphens or numbers can be harder to remember and prone to typos. Stick to letters to ensure users find you easily.
• Consider Your Target Audience: If you are targeting a specific country, consider using a ccTLD (Country Code Top-Level Domain) like .tr for Turkey-based businesses or .co.uk for the UK. This appeals directly to local customers.
• Consider Your Expertise: Choose the right domain extension to let customers know what you offer. For example, a .photography extension clearly shows you are in the photo industry, while .edu indicates educational activities. Specific extensions make it easier to explain exactly what your company does.
• Check Availability on Social Media: To maintain consistency across all platforms, check if usernames similar to your chosen domain are available on social media networks before finalizing your decision.
• Avoid Trademark Issues: Be careful not to infringe on existing trademarks or copyrights. Conduct thorough research to ensure a similar domain isn't already trademarked or used by another business.

Choose a Domain Suitable for Your Website

The first thing potential customers encounter is your domain name. Therefore, a well-chosen domain forms the basis of your online identity.

If your domain accurately represents your business or niche, it provides instant brand recognition. Potential customers should be able to understand what your site is about just by looking at or hearing the name. This clarity sets the right expectations and leads to higher visitor engagement and trust.

Determining the Domain Extension (TLD)

Just as choosing the right name is vital, so is choosing the right Top-Level Domain (TLD) or extension. Extensions help convey a message suitable for your target audience while reinforcing perceptions of credibility.

For instance, over 78% of established and trusted businesses use the .com extension. However, if the .com version of your desired name is taken, there are trustworthy alternatives. The most common alternative is .net.

If you operate in a specific location, using a ccTLD contributes to your reliability. For example, if your target market is Turkey, you might prefer the .com.tr extension.

Although there are over 1,500 domain extensions, many are associated with spam or unprofessional sites. If .com or .net are unavailable, consider these popular and reputable alternatives:

• .org (Originally for non-profits, now open to everyone)
• .co (Short for "Company," popular for commercial websites and startups)
• .me (Preferred for personal blogs and portfolio sites)
• .shop / .store (Great options if you are running an e-commerce site)

Search and Buy Your Domain!

After selecting the right name and extension for your brand, you need to perform a domain name search to see if it is available for registration.

Related Content: Check out our Domain Transfer page to move your domain safely.

Doing this via Atak Domain is simple and involves the following steps:

• First, click the link to go to the Atak Domain Search page.
• Enter the domain name you’ve chosen for your brand into the search tool and click the "Search" button.
• If your domain is already registered by someone else, you will see a warning like "Sorry, domainname.com is taken!" However, our tool will list available domain alternatives for you.
• If you choose a domain that hasn't been registered, the registration price will be listed.
• If you are sure of your choice, click the "Add to Basket" button next to the price to proceed to payment.
• If you don’t have an account at Atak Domain, you will need to create one by entering your contact details (name, address, email, phone).
• Once the account is created, complete the payment to finalize your domain registration.

What Are Domain Examples?

A domain is a website's address on the internet. However, domains come with various extensions for different purposes. To give examples of what a domain is, here are the most widely known types:

• .com: Continuing to be the most popular TLD in 2024. While originally designed for commercial companies, anyone can register a .com. With 161.6 million registered domains, it serves more than half of all websites.
• .net: Originally for network technology organizations, it is now a widely adopted option for businesses of all sizes. As of 2023, there are approximately 13.2 million registered .net domains.
• .org: Initially for non-profits, now open to everyone. With 11 million registrations, .org is considered more robust and reliable than newer alternatives.
• .tr: The country-code extension for Turkey, opened for general registration in 2023. Over 190,000 people have registered a .tr domain since its launch.
• .shop: With over 700,000 registrations, this is excellent for online retailers and e-commerce platforms.
• .edu: Short for "Education," this is exclusive to educational institutions and is not open for general public use, making it highly authoritative.
• .gov: Reserved for government agencies and not available for public use. It indicates an official government website.

Who Owns a Domain?

To find out who owns a domain and to answer the question "what is the domain expiration date," the most common method is a WHOIS lookup.

WHOIS is a database tool that displays details about domain registrations. It allows you to find information such as who owns the domain, when it was registered, the registrar company, the domain status, and associated nameservers.

Secondarily, you can use WHOIS to check domain expiration. This ensures you can renew your domain before it expires.