In technical terms, a domain name is the address used to visit a specific website.
Each domain is associated with a specific IP address through the DNS (Domain Name System).
What is a domain?
To understand what a website domain is, think of it as a home address.
Its only purpose is to make life easier for users. Remembering something like www.blog.example.it is one thing.
Trying to find a website by its IP address is quite another: a string of numbers and dots that only a computer can process effortlessly.
Fine. But what do domains look like to people browsing the web?
Let’s take the example above.
www.blog.example.it
It has several components, which you read from right to left.
Specifically:
- it = top-level domain or TLD. This is the final extension, generally used to indicate a country of origin or a commercial category.
- example = second-level domain or SLD. In practice, this is the customizable part, the one that identifies the site with keywords or directly with the company or brand name.
- blog = third-level domain or subdomain Indicates sections of the main project. It’s optional.
The most popular extensions
Anyone looking for an effective domain can choose from many extensions, but some of them offer more visibility.
Here are some of the most popular:
- .it The country code for Italy. Naturally, it’s recommended for businesses that want to promote themselves in the Italian market.
- .com Created for commercial purposes, it’s now simply the most widely used extension in the world.
- .net Essentially the second favorite extension, right behind .com.
- .org Identifies organizations, especially nonprofits.
How to choose the perfect domain
There are many theories on how to create the perfect domain. Let’s look at the main rules to put into practice.
- Choose a clear, memorable name that is relevant to your online business, ideally including a keyword for search engines.
- Keep it short and don’t go over 50 characters.
- Avoid numbers and hyphens to prevent needless confusion or typos.
- Check the reputation of a domain, because it may have been penalized or even used as a spam site.
How to buy a domain
Domains can’t be purchased permanently.
To use one, you need to register with one of the many available providers and choose the plan that fits your needs.
Some of the best-known companies in the industry are SiteGround, Namecheap and GoDaddy.
The base price is usually around €20-30 per year, which can increase depending on add-on services such as hosting space, certified email (PEC) and email inboxes.