Domain Registration – A Complete Guide for Beginners
The internet can seem very chaotic at first glance. Net neutrality debates are constantly raging, people are sharing pictures of their lunch or their pets, and thousands of messages are being shared every second. If you want to play here, you need your own room. This applies in particular to digital trade.
The first domain was registered several decades ago. Where the number of domains was initially manageable, the Internet has now developed drastically. There are several hundred million active domains on the Internet and the annual growth rate is still around 10%. This means that every day people all over the world register new domain names and thus secure their own space on the Internet.
But what are domains and why do they play such a big role nowadays.
Domains or domain names are the way we structure web pages on the Internet. The umbrella term for this structure is DNS – Domain Name System. Each website and web server is assigned its own unique name. You can think of the whole thing as an encyclopedia in which every term and therefore every domain has its own clearly defined definition. The domain name is exactly what you type into your browser’s search bar to get to a landing page. Without this structuring, the Internet would be practically useless, since there would be no way for us to get to the pages we want and move forward there.
In this post we would like to devote ourselves to the basics when it comes to domains. We want to give you more than just a definition. In the following, we explain how domains work, how you can find a suitable domain and how to register it.
This is how the structure of a domain works
Take a look at some examples of URLS:
- Facebook.com
- Wikibedia.org
- Harvard.edu
- Oderso.cool
Behind every domain name there is a so-called top-level domain (TLD). “.au”, “.com” and “.net” are well-known examples, but there are almost countless TLDs from which you can choose more or less freely. Navicosoft is providing the Best Domain Registration Australia.
In the middle of the domains and to the left of the TLD is the second-level domain (SLD). In our example, these are Wikipedia, Harvard and others.
The machine name is sometimes found to the left of these. (e.g. “www”).
Each level of a domain is separated by a single dot. Using Wikipedia as an example, Wikipedia would be the SLD, while “.org” would be the TLD. Many countries use the country code as a TLD, which usually consists of two letters that are an abbreviation of the respective country.
Even experienced Internet users often confuse the terms domain and URL. They are not one and the same. While a domain is always part of a URL, the latter is significantly longer and much more specific. It can refer to a single subpage, an image, a folder or something else. To Register Domain Name Australia, Navicosoft is the best solution.
The domain has been highlighted in the following URLs.
wnm-systems.com/vserver
wikipedia.org/wiki/domain
walkenewmedia.com/webhosting
These rules apply to domains
Domains must be formatted in a very specific way and not every domain name is valid. Therefore, always adhere to the following rules.
1: Upper and lower case – As with e-mail addresses, it doesn’t matter whether you write individual letters in upper or lower case with domains. You will still be taken to the same landing page.
2: Spaces – No spaces are allowed in a domain. Webmasters often try to separate individual words with a space. Use hyphens to separate. Since dots already occur frequently in URLS and domains, additional dots can lead to ambiguity when separating words.
3: Special characters – Compared to letters, numbers and some punctuation marks, special characters are not allowed. Therefore, avoid using other punctuation marks and special characters unless they are customary and permitted.
4: SLD countries – your second level domain must always consist of at least two characters. There is a limit of 63 characters. The top-level domain does not count towards the character count.
Even if domains seem like a complicated topic at first glance, they work according to simple rules that are based on the language of the Internet. Nevertheless, we would like to explain to you in more detail how domains work.
Where do domains come from?
We would now like to turn to the technical side of domains for a moment. As you’ve already realized, domains follow a simple sequence of characters and then lead to a specific point on the web, usually a website or server.
But what really happens when we type a domain into our browser’s address bar?
The domain directs a user to a specific IP address, which is translated into recognizable DNS format for easier handling. IP addresses consist of four groups of numbers, each containing a number between 0 and 255. The four are separated by dots. Why we search for websites by domain and not by IP address is explained very quickly. Humans can remember the specific address in DNS format much easier than a simple string of numbers. For example, “Wikipedia.org” is guaranteed to be visited more often than “91.198.174.192.”
But where exactly do domains come from? When it comes to distributing domains, ICANN is responsible in the network. The “Internet Corporation for Assigning Names and Numbers” or ICANN for short coordinates the assignment of names and addresses in the network. This also includes the DNS system and the assignment of IP addresses. ICANN was founded in 1998 and has been providing order and structure ever since. Without the help of this organization, the Internet in its present form would be unthinkable. There wouldn’t be such a simple way of communication and it certainly wouldn’t have become part of everyday life for so many people.
Do you really need your own domain?
There are four important reasons why you should definitely get your own domain.
Branding
Did you recently set up your “sample brand” brand and would you like to do everything in your power to make this brand accessible to interested buyers? Having your own domain is essential for this. Although there are many free options for your own web space on the Internet, these do not come without disadvantages. A good example of this is WordPress. WordPress offers free URLs to businesses and individuals. You would then not be available under your own domain, but instead under Mustermarke.wordpress.com. So, this is not a good choice to place yourself conspicuously on the net. For Domain Name Registration in Australia Navicosoft is the best choice.
Price
Registering a new brand or name as a domain is not particularly expensive and can usually be done for less than A$15 per year. That’s a small price to pay for having your own web address with the name you want. With our domain check you can check whether your desired domain is already occupied. We would be happy to reserve your favorite for you and take care of the appropriate hosting.
Discoverability
Once you have purchased a domain name, that domain is considered reserved. You are now the owner of this domain until the reservation expires. If you always automatically renew your registration, you then own a web address where you can always be found.
Professionalism
Registering your own domain is the best way to appear as a professional brand to the outside world. It looks premium than a free URL and is easily affordable for most. This creates space for your own content on the web.
Choose the right domain name
Once you have decided to register your own domain on the web, it is important to make the right decisions for your site. The decision for a domain name has a lasting influence on your company and should therefore be carefully considered.
The ending
You can choose from hundreds of different variants for your top-level domain alone. However, the most effective are clearly “.com” and “.au” or alternatively your respective country domain. According to a study, three quarters of all registered domains are .com domains. So, the recognition value plays a role here. Users tend to be better at remembering frequently used TLDs, although exceptions here clearly reinforce the rule. Contact Navicosoft for Cheap Domain Registration.
In some cases, the TLD you want is already registered for your domain name and you’re forced to settle for a different version, such as .net or .org. In that case, you should think twice about your name, as it may already be used by another brand. Do you really want to get involved in this competition right from the start?
The length
Keep in mind that your URL is limited to 63 characters. In contrast to the meta description on Google, you should not try to use as many characters as possible. The longer and more complex your domain name, the harder it is for users to remember. In practice, users just want to type your domain name into the browser window. Make this process as easy as possible for them by choosing a suitable name.
However, short domains also have a disadvantage. If your name is short or contains only a few letters, it can also be difficult to get it known to your customers. You may need to put more effort into branding. It can make sense to register misspellings or twists in the name as a domain right from the start and to activate redirects. This is how you ensure that your customers end up with you.
The Keywords
The domain plays an important role in search engine optimization. So, start thinking about keywords now. Choose a term that is easy to establish and supports you in your SEO projects. You can use local terms or slang for local businesses, but you can also register keyword domains such as theaussie61.au.
Easy and simple
There are several things you should pay attention to in order to keep your URL as simple as possible. Avoid using numbers and remember that more than two syllables are not as catchy as shorter terms. You should also refrain from getting too specific. Also check your domain for possible misinterpretations so as not to experience any nasty surprises later.
Research
Even before registering your domain, it’s time to do some thorough research. Here you can test whether you have really chosen the right name. With the domain check you can check whether your desired domain is still available. It also doesn’t hurt to google the brand name you want to make sure there are no existing trademarks or claims from other companies. In retrospect, it is much more complicated to change an already established domain. Once you have checked that no other site is using your desired name and that this makes sense as a keyword, you can breathe a sigh of relief. You have chosen a good name that will help you stand out from the crowd.
Privacy
Privacy and data protection are also important issues when registering a domain. Nowadays, it is not readily publicly visible which person or institution has registered which domain. You should also ensure that your information is not made public to anyone. If you are looking for the Best Domain Registration Australia, Navicosoft is there for you.
Register your domain
Once you have dealt with the topic of domains and selected a suitable name, it is now time to register the domain. There are a few methods to register your domain. Many companies offer registration. Typically, a domain won’t cost you more than A$15-20 per year, although some companies charge a fee for initial registration. For example, you leave PayPal data or credit card information as a payment method. Before we get too vague here, however, we would like to explain the difference between simple domain registration and web hosting.
A domain is simply the web address at which your site can be found by people on the Internet. However, that does not mean that users will actually find something at this address. In addition to a domain, you also need hosting to create a fully functional website. Killing two birds with one stone and getting domain registration and hosting from the same provider is therefore a sensible choice for most.
Obtaining your hosting from Navicosoft has a number of advantages for you:
- You get a high-quality .au domain free of charge with your web hosting or shop hosting plan.
- You can also choose from other TLDs.
- Our servers have the highest possible reliability.
- Security and data protection are important to us, which is why you are in good hands with Navicosoft.
How to register your domain at Navicosoft:
1: Visit our domain check to find the right domain name for your new website.
2: Order your domain immediately or choose a suitable hosting package for your web project. In addition to simple web hosting, we also offer professional shop hosting.
3: If you are unsure at any point in time when registering, or if you would like to take advantage of our advice, we are always available for you. Simply use our contact options.
We usually recommend corporate customers in particular to register several domains right from the start. You can redirect this to your main page. You can secure your own domain name under different TLDs or cover spelling mistakes. Such an approach also protects your own brand name from misuse by the competition. Navicosoft is providing Register Domain Name Australia.
Registering a domain is not difficult and can be implemented quickly. We would be happy to support you.
How the domain name affects your business
A good domain name is worth its weight in gold. You influence the traffic on your site and steer the image of your brand. Some domains can even be a real help with search engine optimization. But how exactly does it work? There is a direct correlation between the domain and the Google ranking. Domain name is one of several ranking factors verified by Google. Since there are many other influences, the domain should not be given too much SEO value, but the right keyword domain can be a help.
Suitable Tld
If you have decided on a domain name that is good and suitable for your business, it will do your reputation good. The same applies to the selection of a suitable TLD. However, be careful to avoid spelling mistakes.
Relevance
Even if a keyword domain doesn’t guarantee you SEO success, a relevant domain name can make it easier for you. As a rule, users are more likely to click on your page and can better assess what to expect there.
Range
Basic research should be carried out before every domain registration. Always address the individual target group with your domain name. In this way, you can ensure visits and interactions right from the start and significantly increase your own reach.
Summary
Domains are important. They are not only an essential part of the Internet structure, but for many people they are also the first step towards their own web presence. But precisely because many domains are registered by beginners, a lot is often done wrong and opportunities are missed. Have you decided to start a website or an online shop? Then you’ve come to the right place at Navicosoft for Domain Name Registration in Australia. Together with you we will find your desired domain including TLD. Test the availability of your domain name with our domain check or contact us directly for a non-binding consultation.
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