A domain name is the ending of the URL, for example exsite.ie. They are controlled by ICANN, or the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. ICANN was created to oversee the whole bit, and they delegate out control over the various Top Level Domains (TLD) (.com, .net, .org, .uk, etc) to entities known as “registries”. The register must be accredited.
In exchange for controlling a TLD, a registry has to sign a charter with ICANN that lays out certain obligations and expectations. It is important to remember that domain names are not usually owned. Rather, they are leased to the person using it. That is why some sites redirect to a registry page rather than a personal or professional site.
Here are popular domains:
.co : an abbreviation for company, commerce, and community.
.info : informational sites.
.net : technical, Internet infrastructure sites.
.edu : for educational sites (most commonly four-year universities)
.gov : for government sites
.org : non-commercial organizations and nonprofits.
.biz : business or commercial use, like e-commerce sites.
.me : blogs, resumes or personal sites.
So, what is the thing that comes before .ie or .com? That is the other part of the server name. The server name may also be the name of a website. That is described by the name of the content, like exSite.ie. It tells people what they are looking at, either by business name or other descriptors, like topeleven.com
As mentioned above the first part of a server name is what the site is. The suffix, the .ie or .com can get a bit more complex. There are pretty universal domain names, .com being the most well known. There are also domain names by location (.can) or enterprise (.co) or government (.au.gov). This, if used well, allows the server name to display more than just the title of a business but where they are located and where they service. Smaller non-international businesses
Where your site is hosted and what it is called are paramount. That is what the business will be known as online and the way people off-line connect to it. It will become synonymous with the band and logo – so pick carefully.
exSite can help you create a name for you website – contact us today.