What are domain names?

Did you ever wonder what the .com at the end of an internet address meant? Those are domain names, and they are placed there for a purpose. Domain names function to make the Internet more organized. They actually tells you the kind of information available in a particular site. As the internet expands in size and population, so does the number of domain name extensions. Here are some of the newer ones.

tv for television/ video related sites

.int for organizations endorsed by an international treaty

.travel for travel related organizations

.edu for school sites

.org for sites belonging to organizations

Still, the three biggest and most common domain name extensions are “.com,” “.net” and “.org.” These three extensions are widely recognized, available and accessible by everyone all over the world, without restrictions.

Country domain extensions

Country domain extensions usually come in two-character ISO country codes, such as “.fr” for France, “.uk” for the United Kingdom and “.jp” for Japan. Quite popular is also the use of an intervening sub-domain such as .co or .org. This is particularly prevalent in the United Kingdom where we see a lot of domains ending in .co.uk. .co.jp in Japan is also of widespread use. Country domain extensions are a wise and secure purchase, as these are controlled by the government, which means you have a safety net layer of durability and permanence.

However, when it comes to country domain extensions, make sure you have a thorough knowledge of what you are getting yourself into before your actual purchase. There are many new domain extensions that disguise themselves as country domains. For example, mydomainname.uk.co could seem perfectly fine at first. But then, keep in mind that uk.co is not the country domain extension for the United Kingdom, nor is it the same as .co.uk but another one altogether. You might also realize that .co is the country domain name extension for Colombia.

New domain extensions

Gone are the days when there were just a handful of domain names to choose from. Nowadays, the domain name game has become just a little bit more complicated with many alternatives sprouting up.

While shopping for a new domain extension, remember that it is a buyer beware market. You could be fooled into buying a domain name with an extension that only a handful of people can reach online. Some do not even exist other than on a database or accounting entry. When it comes buying the new domain names coming out, it’s best to be an informed consumer. You do not want to end up with the wrong domain name which could end up being worthless. Thus, it is important for you to do your research to know the domain name extensions that actually exist.

Here are some of the alternative domain names that are actually approved by the ICANN and ready to use. These new ones are officially recognized and can be accessed by everyone across the globe.

.aero

.biz

.coop

.info

.museum

.name

.pro

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