Your website’s domain name has a huge impact on its overall success. It may seem like a small detail, but choosing the right domain name is key to creating a strong brand identity, making your website easily accessible, improving your search engine rankings, and much more.

But if you’ve never owned a website before, all of the technical details surrounding domains and other essentials like web hosting can be very overwhelming. 

This is why we have created a series of Ultimate Guides for all of your website and web hosting needs! Keep reading our Ultimate Guide to Domain Names to learn what a domain name is, how it works, why it’s important, and how to choose and manage one (or several) to support your website.

Table of contents

  • What is a domain name?
  • How do domain names work?
  • Why is a domain name important?
  • Types of domains
  • How to choose a domain name
  • How to buy a domain name
  • How much does a domain name cost?
  • How to manage your domain
  • Frequently asked questions

What is a domain name?

A domain name is typically the name of a brand plus a domain extension like .com or .co.uk. For example, here at Fasthosts, our domain name is fasthosts.co.uk.

Think of your website’s domain name as its address. To get to your website, users will type your unique domain into the address bar and will be taken straight to it – just like typing an address into a GPS!

However, it’s actually a bit more complicated underneath this. The actual “address” of your website is a long string of numbers called an IP address, but it would be impossible to remember IP addresses for multiple websites and type them into your address bar perfectly to access websites this way. 

This is why domain names were created to map onto each individual IP address, so you can remember a simple brand name instead of lots of numbers when you want to visit a website. 

How do domain names work?

So why do websites need to be assigned a domain name and an IP address? To put it simply, domains are for humans and IP addresses are for computers. Whilst humans need a simple text-based system to access websites, web servers (which deliver website content to internet users) use IP addresses to communicate with and identify each other. 

When you type a domain name into a web browser, this sends a request to a global network of servers called the domain name system (DNS). 

The DNS translates human-friendly domain names into computer-friendly IP addresses, so when it looks up the domain you’ve entered, it will tell your web browser which IP address that domain name points to – allowing your browser to find the correct IP address associated with the domain and load the website you’re looking for.

Here are the steps involved in the DNS lookup process – which is the process of linking a domain name to its associated IP address:

  1. You type a domain name into a web browser.
  2. The browser searches through the network of DNS servers for the relevant IP address linked to that domain name.
  3. Once the DNS server with the right information is located, it sends the information about the IP address to the web browser.
  4. Then, the web browser asks the domain’s hosting provider for data about the website – such as the database and HTML code – which is stored on a web server.
  5. The hosting provider sends the web browser all the necessary information.
  6. The web browser can now convert all these details into a usable web page, which will be loaded onto your screen. 

The DNS lookup process may seem long-winded and complicated, but it’s actually completed in a matter of milliseconds. This is why web pages load almost instantaneously when you click on them in the SERPs (search engine results pages) or type a domain into the address bar!

Want to learn more about the domain name system? Read ‘What is DNS and how does it work?’.

Why is a domain name important?

Without domain names, people would have to remember long strings of numbers just to get to one website! This alone justifies the importance of registering a domain name when building a website, but there are many other reasons why your domain name plays a crucial role in the success of your online business:

  • Improves brand recognition. If you use your brand name as part or all of your website’s domain, this helps to strengthen brand recognition and awareness amongst your audience. 
  • Boosts SEO. In addition to including your brand name, it’s also good practice to include relevant keywords in your domain name – this will ensure that your domain helps your SEO efforts by making it more likely for your website to appear in customers’ search engine results.
  • Increases credibility. By choosing a professional-looking domain name for your website, you can increase your credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of potential customers.
  • Improves accessibility. Choosing an easy-to-remember domain name will make your website more accessible as your target audience will be more likely to remember and type in your domain correctly. 
  • Drives traffic. An interesting, engaging and catchy domain can increase user interest and potentially drive more traffic to your website.
  • Gives you control. Having your own unique domain name will give you more control over your online presence and branding.
  • Provides a custom email address. Investing in a unique domain name also gives you the opportunity to create custom email addresses with an Email Hosting or Business Email Hosting service, which will further improve brand recognition and credibility.

Types of domains

As mentioned earlier in this guide, a typical domain name is split into two parts: the brand name and a domain extension like .com or .co.uk. 

So far, we’ve focused on the first part of your domain name (or the primary domain) and discussed why using your brand name and relevant keywords is important for your website. However, domain extensions are also incredibly important, and the type of domain extension you choose can have a big impact on your brand and website. 

Plus, depending on the location or purpose of your website, you may be unable to use or better off staying away from certain domain extensions.

To explain what we mean by this, let’s take a look at the different types of domains you can choose from and why they may or may not be the best option for you:

1. Top-level domains (TLDs)

Top-level domains or TLDs encompass everything to the right of the final dot in a domain name, with common examples including .uk, .com, .org and .net. As part of what’s called the DNS hierarchy, the TLD is the final element, and it allows the DNS resolver (a type of DNS server) to communicate with the TLD server to establish the IP address of the origin server.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has authority over all TLDs used across the internet, in addition to DNS management, root server system management, and IP address space allocation. ICANN is responsible for maintaining a list of and regulating the use of all active TLDs, but it also assigns the right to use and manage specific TLDs to domain registries like VeriSign (which is a US company that handles all .com and .net TLDs).

Domain registries maintain databases of all registered domain names and their associated registrant information, which is also then stored in the WHOIS database – a widely used service that anyone can use to look up who owns certain domain names. However, domain registries assign the task of actually selling domain names to domain registrars – like Fasthosts! 

To learn more about the difference between domain registrars and registries, read our ‘What is a domain registrar?’ article.

All of this to say, TLDs are created and managed by ICANN, domain registries, and domain registrars, so you have a set list of potential TLDs or domain extensions to choose from. In the past, there was a pretty small list to pick from, but ICANN has been creating newer TLD options in recent years to add more variety and the potential for greater brand customisation (which we’ll discuss in more detail later).

2. Generic top-level domains (gTLDs)

Generic TLDs are called generic because they don’t give much away about the website they’re attached to. Generic TLDs include:

  • .com 
  • .net
  • .org
  • .co
  • … and many more.

Some of the gTLDs listed above were part of the original set of gTLDs released in 1984. Back then, many of these gTLDs were designed for a specific purpose, and although some are still widely used according to this purpose, a lot of them are open to all websites – including .com, .net and .org. Here are the original six gTLDs and their intended uses:

  • .com: This is derived from the word commercial and originally intended for commercial organisations (but is now open to all websites).
  • .net: This is derived from the word network and intended for use by organisations such as internet service providers (but is now open to all websites).
  • .org: This is derived from the word organisation and was originally intended as a catch-all for websites that didn’t fit into the other categories. This gTLD is now open to all but is commonly used by non-profit organisations.
  • .edu: This is derived from the word education and intended for use by educational institutions.
  • .gov: This is derived from the word government (originally intended for use by U.S. government offices and agencies, but now used by governments across the world in combination with ccTLDs like .uk – more on this later).
  • .mil: This is derived from the word military and was originally intended for use by the U.S. Department of Defense and any affiliated organisations.

Many of these gTLDs are now open to all types of websites, but it’s usually still recommended to choose a gTLD based on its original purpose. For example, if you want to create a website for a non-profit organisation, you may want to choose a .org TLD over .com. This is because .org has built a clear association with non-profit rather than commercial websites over the years, and aligning your domain name with people’s expectations will help to avoid confusion and make your domain easier to remember correctly.

3. Country code top-level domains (ccTLDs)

If you want to highlight your brand’s country of origin in your domain name, you can choose a ccTLD like .uk for the UK, .fr for France, .es for Spain, and so on. This will help users in these countries identify your website as a British/French/Spanish website based on your ccTLD, which is beneficial if you specifically want to target and build trust with these audiences.

However, you may want to avoid ccTLDs if you want to build an international audience for your website now or in the future. Alternatively, if you expand your business to other countries later on, you could register your brand name with ccTLDs relevant to the countries you operate in to create a dedicated website for each market.

Originally, ccTLDs were intended to only be used by that country’s residents or businesses operating in that territory, but more recently, some nations have discovered that selling their ccTLDs to international businesses can be very lucrative. For example, Tuvalu decided to expand the availability of its .tv ccTLD, which was very appealing to businesses in the entertainment industry. And with the more recent growth of online streaming, Tuvalu has gained even more revenue from their .tv ccTLD – with streaming giant Twitch (Twitch.tv) also using this TLD. In late 2021, the government of Tuvalu signed a contract with GoDaddy that increased its annual payments from the .tv ccTLD to $10 million – a fantastic result for this tiny island nation!

4. Sponsored top-level domains (sTLDs)

Whilst many TLDs are open to all, there are also sponsored TLDs or sTLDs that are sponsored by specific organisations and even governments. To qualify for one of these sTLDs, your website will have to fulfil specific criteria set by the organisation in charge of the sTLD. 

Common sTLDs include:

  • .gov
  • .edu
  • .museum
  • .jobs
  • .tel
  • .travel

5. New TLDs

Originally there were only a few TLDs to choose from, but as the internet has expanded and more businesses have moved online, ICANN now periodically creates new TLDs that are particularly suited to certain industries. For example, some more recent TLDs include:

  • .shop – Perfect for ecommerce businesses looking for a more unique and eye-catching TLD that tells customers exactly what they’re about. 
  • .lifestyle – Perfect for lifestyle influencers and fashion brands.
  • .tech – Perfect for tech companies.
  • .art –  Perfect for an artist’s online portfolio or business website, whether they’re a graphic designer, decorator or web designer.
  • .bar – Perfect for new and quirky bars hoping to stand out in the hospitality industry.

Nowadays, you can find a new TLD to fit pretty much any website, business or creative branding idea. Take a look at our domain name checker on our main Domain Names page to discover which new TLDs are available for your website!

6. Subdomains

So far, we’ve focused on different types of TLDs you can add to your brand name, but another type of domain you should consider is a subdomain – also called a third-level domain. This technically isn’t a type of domain name on its own, but it can help you create different versions of your domain to better organise different sections of your website.

For example, if you wanted to add a blog to your .com website, you could create a blog subdomain that would look like this: blog.yourdomain.com. Subdomains are a separate section of your website, and as such they rank separately in the SERPs. Having separate sections of your site can make it easier for you to organise and manage different web pages, improve navigation and user experience for your visitors, and help you target different audiences and track separate marketing campaigns more effectively.

How to choose a domain name

Now that you know a bit more about the types of domain names out there, you probably have a better idea of what kind of TLD or domain extension you want to pair with your brand name, in addition to whether you want to split up your website using subdomains. However, before you go ahead a register a domain name, make sure you pay attention to the following advice to choose a domain that will help your business grow:

  • Keep your domain name short. You want your domain to be easy for people to remember and type correctly, so keeping things short and simple is your best bet. Try out some ideas on our AI-powered domain name generator tool to see what you can come up with!
  • Avoid commonly misspelled words. One pesky typo can mean that someone is unable to visit your website – or worse, taken to a malicious spoofed website created by typosquatters – so reduce this risk by picking simple words that are hard to misspell.
  • Avoid hyphens and special characters. Most special characters and punctuation marks can’t be used in a domain name, and hyphens can’t be used at the beginning or end. To keep things simple, we would recommend avoiding hyphens altogether unless they’re needed for clarity. For instance, they can sometimes be useful if you need to separate words that make unfortunate letter combinations when linked together. 
  • Keep your branding consistent. For most websites, it’s best to use the brand name as the domain to maintain consistency across the whole business and improve brand recognition.
  • Add keywords. It’s a good idea to add relevant keywords to your primary domain or TLD if they fit well. An SEO-friendly domain name will inform both Google and your visitors of what your website is about, and it can also help to boost rankings in the SERPs. 
  • Check the history of your chosen domain. Look at WHOIS records to determine whether your domain is owned already, and whether search engine results may be impacted if it’s had a few previous owners. You can also use the domain availability checker on our main Domain Names page to aid your research.
  • Pick the right TLD. Reread this guide to determine which type of TLD fits your website the best. Think about your aims, location, branding, and more.

Pro Tip: Don’t just stop at one domain – register multiple domains to protect your brand, get visitors to your site, and stay one step ahead of typosquatters! Cybercriminals will commonly buy domains that are closely related to popular websites in order to catch unsuspecting visitors who’ve made a slight typo. At best this only loses you a small amount of traffic, but at worst, these scammers could create a spoofed version of your website to trick your customers into handing over sensitive data. To protect your customers and your brand reputation, register these domain name typos before anyone else can! You can also snap up multiple TLDs (such as .com, .org and .co.uk) to protect your brand identity even further.

How to buy a domain name

After you’ve chosen a domain name and checked that it’s available, you can start the process of purchasing a domain. 

However, the term ‘buy a domain name’ is a bit misleading because you can’t purchase a domain permanently. Instead, you register your domain name for a year or longer (up to a maximum term of 10 years with some registrars), and to keep your domain name after this period expires, you’ll need to renew your domain when prompted. Forgetting to renew your domain can obviously be a huge problem for your website, so make sure your domain registrar has your up-to-date contact information to send you reminders. Many registrars – like us – also offer an auto-renewal option you can turn on in the settings of your control panel.

Choosing your domain name provider

To purchase a domain, you’ll need to choose a domain name registrar – also known as a domain provider. There are plenty of domain name providers to choose from, so compare prices for your chosen TLD across multiple companies before making your decision. Don’t forget to check what kinds of extra features you can get for the price too, including 24/7 customer support, unlimited email forwarding, and complete DNS control.

Get all of these features and more with a domain name from Fasthosts – the best domain name registrar! Choose from a huge list of affordable domain names, including .com, .co.uk and .pro for £15.82, £11.99 and £15 per year respectively – and get our ever-popular .com domains totally FREE for the first year! We also have a wide array of new TLDs to choose from, so whatever you’re looking for, Fasthosts has you covered.

Once you’ve found a domain name you’re happy with, simply head to the checkout page to complete your purchase. Overall, this process can be completed in a matter of minutes, but it can take a little longer for your domain to fully activate. DNS servers will also have to be updated across the internet in a process called DNS propagation. Typically, this should take a few hours to a day to complete, but in rare cases, you may have to wait a couple of days for all changes to take effect.

How much does a domain name cost?

Whilst domain registrars can set slightly different prices to each other to remain competitive, you’ll notice that there usually aren’t any huge variations in price for each TLD. This is because the domain registry in charge of a specific TLD is responsible for setting a general price point. For example, you’ll usually find .com, .co.uk and .org domains for around £10-15 per year. 

However, if you’re looking at domain names as a whole rather than at specific TLDs, the cost of a domain name can vary massively due to a number of factors. Naturally, if you're purchasing a new domain, the biggest factor will be the TLD you choose, with some hyper-specific new TLDs costing a lot more money – such as .bar at around £100 per year and .car at a whopping £2000 per year. However, if you're purchasing an existing domain, then the name itself, as well as everything else to do with the site, will have an influence on the final price. For instance, if you’re purchasing an existing domain with a lot of SEO value, you may have to part with a large amount of cash. In 2014, Cars.com sold for an incredible $872 million, and whilst any domain you buy is extremely unlikely to have a similar value, this is just an idea of how valuable certain domains can actually be.

How to manage your domain

Congratulations – you now have your very own domain name! Your domain registrar should give you access to a control panel where you can manage your domain, including tasks like:

  • Enabling auto-renewals to ensure you don’t forget to renew your domain.
  • Modifying DNS records – this may be necessary if you change your web hosting or set up email services on your domain.
  • Updating WHOIS records – your information should be up-to-date in WHOIS to avoid losing your domain name. 
  • Monitoring domain performance – especially if you have a large portfolio of domains to keep track of. 
  • Monitoring security issues and suspicious activity.

Some domain registrars – like Fasthosts – also provide web hosting services, and we would recommend getting your domain and web hosting services from the same provider if you can. This will mean you can manage your domains and web hosting all from the same place, and if you have any issues with your websites, you’ll be dealing with just one customer support team for potential hosting and/or domain problems. Plus, our web hosting and website builder packages all include at least one free domain name, so you can keep costs down and avoid paying for multiple subscriptions when you choose us for your domain and website hosting needs!

We hope that you’ll be happy with your new domain for a very long time, but if you ever need to sell your domain or transfer your domain hosting services, we’ve got you covered with in depth guides on both topics. 

How to transfer a domain name

A domain name transfer is the process of transferring your domain from one domain registrar to another. You can’t transfer a domain within 60 days of registering the domain, changing its details, or completing another transfer – this is known as the 60-day Change of Registrant lock.

If you’re eligible to complete a transfer, you will need to follow these key steps:

  1. Ensure your contact information is up-to-date. Your current and new registrars will need to contact you to confirm the transfer.
  2. Set a backup email. This will help you receive important communications if your domain is linked to email services that could be deactivated during the transfer.
  3. Unlock your domain name. You won’t be able to transfer your domain without unlocking it via your control panel first.
  4. Request an authorisation code from your current registrar. Your registrar must provide you with a code within five days of your request.
  5. Create an account with your new domain registrar. Once you have an account, find their domain transfer page and enter the domain name you’re transferring.
  6. Enter the authorisation code. This will verify the transfer with your new registrar.
  7. Confirm the transfer within 60 days. Both your current registrar and new registrar will require confirmation.
  8. Cancel your old service. Wait until the domain name transfer is fully completed before doing this.

Learn more in our comprehensive ‘How to transfer a domain name’ guide.

How to sell a domain name

Selling your domain name can be a pretty straightforward process as long as you follow these key steps:

  1. Park your domain. This means your domain will no longer be connected to an online service, and it’ll be safer from cybersquatters whilst it’s inactive.
  2. Appraise the value of your domain name. Research previous domain sales and use a domain valuation tool to work out how much your domain name is worth.
  3. Choose a pricing strategy. You can choose between setting a fixed price, setting a flexible price, and selling your domain on an auction site.
  4. Choose a sale method. You can choose to sell your domain on an auction site, on a domain marketplace, via a domain name broker, or privately.
  5. Advertise your domain name. Ensure you market your domain to generate interest from potential buyers.
  6. Update your WHOIS information. Keep your contact details up-to-date so potential buyers can get in touch.
  7. Arrange a payment method. We recommend using an escrow service to conduct online transactions securely.
  8. Transfer your domain name. Once someone has purchased your domain name, you will need to transfer it to them.

Learn more in our comprehensive ‘How to sell a domain name’ guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is a domain name registrar?

A domain name registrar manages the reservation of domain names and the assignment of IP addresses to them. However, registrars don’t technically ‘sell’ domain names. Domains are owned by domain name registries and can only be leased by customers – this is why domains must be renewed. 

Domain registries are organisations that store information about domain names and their associated registrant information. Domain name registries are managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Domain registries delegate the ‘sale’ of domain names to domain name registrars like Fasthosts. In return, domain registrars must inform the associated domain registry when a domain name is registered by a customer so that the relevant information can be updated.

What is ICANN?

ICANN is a non-profit organisation that handles the maintenance of core internet functions, including DNS management, IP address allocation, root server system management, protocol parameter assignment, domain registration provider accreditation, and more.

How do I pick the perfect domain name?

Align your primary domain name with your brand to improve consistency and brand recognition. For your TLD, we would recommend aligning it to your location (by choosing a ccTLD) or the purpose of your website, such as by choosing .com for a commercial website, .org for a non-profit, or a new TLD featuring a relevant keyword.

Can I permanently own my domain name?

No, you can’t permanently buy a domain name, but you may be able to register it for a maximum of 10 years at a time with certain domains and registrars. You can also auto-renew your domain name indefinitely if you prefer.

What is the best practice for domain names?

  • Keep your domain name short and easy to spell.
  • Include relevant keywords where possible.
  • Align your domain name with the rest of your branding for consistency.
  • Choose a TLD that aligns with your location and purpose.
  • Register multiple domains and domain name typos to protect your brand.
  • Enable auto-renewals so you don’t lose your domain.

How do I check who owns a domain name?

Check WHOIS information to see if a domain is already registered. You can also use a domain registrar’s domain availability checker.

Can I get a free domain name?

To get a domain name for free, you can choose web hosting services that offer free domains as an add-on. This will also mean you can manage your web hosting and domains from the same control panel!

Get .com domains for FREE for the first year with Fasthosts, plus a huge range of other unmissable domain name deals. Check out our available TLDs now, or use our AI-powered Domain Name Generator for help with creating your perfect domain name!

Contact us at any time to learn more about our domain offers.