Day 4 Summary

Here are some common technical terms you might come across:

• Domain: your website address (www.nameofyourwebsite.com)
• Domain Registrar: a company that sells domain names 
• Domain Name System (DNS): the “phonebook” of the Internet; helps translate domain names to IP addresses
• Top Level Domain (TLD): refers to the extension of a domain after the dot (e.g., in nameofyourwebsite.com, the ‘.com’ would be your TLD); the TLD can be generic or country specific
• WHOIS: an online service that provides info on a given domain (such as who it’s registered to, if it’s available, etc.)
• Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN): a non-profit organization involved in overseeing how domains are named (such as approving new TLDs)

These are the most common TLDs:

• .com
• .net
• .org
• .edu
• .gov
• Plenty more becoming available (as the ICANN approves of them)

When registering your domain, keep these best practices in mind:

• The shorter you can make your domain, the better
• Avoid using hyphens, numbers, or special characters within the domain
• You’ll typically use your personal name or business name for your domain
• After you register your domain, it is yours for 12 months (let’s suppose you register a domain and realize you made a spelling error; you would actually have to purchase a whole other domain)
• Find a domain registrar that offers WhoisGuard for free (this way you won’t have to worry about telemarketers nor spammers after registering your domain)

Out of all the domain registrars I’ve worked with, I recommend Namecheap the most.

You can register your domain with Namecheap here.

NOTE: just so I am transparent and practice what I preach, this is my affiliate link to Namecheap. If you click this link and purchase your domain on the other side, I stand to make a small commission. Think of it as you indirectly buying me a cup of coffee 😉

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