Domain names explained
Your website's address: the human-friendly name people type instead of a string of numbers. You rent it, you don't own it forever.
A domain name is your website’s address: yourbusiness.co.uk instead of the string of numbers (an IP address) that computers actually use to find each other. It’s how people, and your email, reach you.
How it works
Behind the scenes, the DNS (Domain Name System) acts like a phone book: it translates your friendly domain into the address of the server where your site is hosted. Point the domain at your host, and your site loads.
Things worth knowing
- You rent, not own. Domains are registered yearly. Let one lapse and someone else can take it, so keep auto-renew on.
- The ending matters.
.com,.co.uk,.studioand the rest carry different signals and availability. - Email lives here too. A custom domain gives you
[email protected], more credible than a free inbox.
Getting it right
Pick something short, memorable and easy to say out loud. Secure the obvious variations if you can. And keep the registration in your own account. It’s one of the few things a business should never lose control of.