The meaning of a domain: an identification label on the web

The domain name is the name of the website, which helps you to identify and find it. According to statistics, in the spring of 2022, there were 1,591 domain endings and a staggering 341.7 million domain name registrations around the world. What is a domain, what does it do and how can you choose the best one for a company or project? Let’s find out!

What is a domain name?

The purpose of a domain name is to distinguish web servers. It is actually a substitute for an IP address, but it is much easier to remember. The World Wide Web is a complex web, a system of rules, one element of which is that computers and servers have a unique identifier made up of numbers, called an IP address. This is not a very talkative set of numbers, but each one has a name that identifies it, a name that is easy to remember, a domain name.

Structure of the domain

A domain name is basically made up of two parts. The first is the top-level domain, or TLD, and the second is the second-level domain, or SLD. The top-level domain is the domain extension itself, for example .hu or .com, and the latter is the secondary level, the name of the website. So in the case of Meraki, the domain name is meraki.hu, of which .hu is part of the domain TLD and meraki is the SLD.

The top-level domain can basically refer to the country code but can also be generic. An example of a country code top-level domain is the Hungarian .hu extension or the Austrian .at. However, there are also generic designations that refer to the type of organisation that owns the website. For example, if you are an educational institution, you could choose .edu, if you are a company, .com, if you are some other organisation, .org.

How can I check if the domain name is in use?

If you have the right domain name, before you pop the champagne, it's worth checking that it's not taken. As there are hundreds of millions of domains, the law of large numbers means that the one you have chosen may already be taken.

It's easy to find out if someone is already using the name, there are plenty of websites where you can check the status, for example the following website. All you need to do is type in the name and the ending you have chosen and the system will show you if the web address is free. If not, you can also find out who registered the domain, when it expires, down and even contact details for the registrant.

If the name is already taken, you can try to buy the domain. It depends on the situation how much it is worth to fight for a domain, sometimes it is advisable to do so, but in many cases it is better to find another name. It is important to be careful when buying a domain name, because if the address you buy originally had adult or spam content, it can be very time-consuming to get the site reclassified by Google.

Here are some tips on how to choose a domain name!

6 tips for choosing a domain name

1. Consider the keywords!
   Keywords can be derived from SEO, but if thought through logically, they also have relevance when choosing a domain name. Keywords are the key expressions that people bite on, that they search for. Seeing them in a web address can confirm that they are on the right page. So it is a good idea to collect 3-4 keywords and take them into account when defining your domain.
2. Keep it simple!
   The best domain names are short, easy to remember, easy to say and easy to write down. It's good if you don't have to think about how to spell it, and it's also good if it's hard to misunderstand or confuse with something else. Ideally, the domain should be no longer than 2-3 words that are easy to remember.
   
   It is very important not to check the words individually, but to check the web address by reading it together to see if the text has some other meaning. Avoid the possibility of dubious associations, and if you find one, look further in the names.
   
   
3. Choose a unique name!
   It is an important advice for several reasons: on the one hand, it's never a good idea to copy and paste something, and on the other hand, if the web address is similar to something on another site, it will be easy to confuse them. And that is not good for anyone.
   
   So the name should be unique, you don't want to copy someone else, but you don't want it to be too specific either, as this makes it difficult for people to remember.
   
   
4. Make sure you are consistent!
   Few things are more intolerable than visitors arriving at a website and not getting what they expect. This leads to disappointment, which they counter by leaving the site immediately. So if you register a website under the name funnybunny.com, it should not be a hunting webshop, because people clicking on the name will expect a very different content.
   
   
5. Build the brand name!
   The website address is part of the branding, which is why it may be useful to include it in the domain name. You don't have to force it in, but if it fits right in with the other elements, don't miss this opportunity. It is also advisable to do the same for the geographic location, if the company only serves a certain region, then it is worth including the name of the area in the domain name.
   
   
6. Aim for timelessness!
   There are trends in the world of domain names. However, when choosing a website name and planning for the long term, it is more useful to keep a timeless and professional perspective in mind rather than trends.

At Meraki, we have opted for a strategy-oriented website design. We know that a good website is not l'art pour l'art, but plays an important role in achieving business goals. Find out how we build websites that support sales! Read more.