WTF is a domain name

We’ve all heard the term Domain name, but WTF is it? And why is it important for your business? The dictionary explains it as ‘the part of a network address that identifies it as belonging to a particular domain’. Well, that still doesn’t really say what it is exactly.

I’m not doing to deep dive into a nerdy explanation. I want you to walk away confident, you know what one is. I always find visuals way easier to understand.

Check out the diagram of my web address.

You can see misfitbranding in red is my domain name. It’s my business name. It is my unique IP address.

Pretty simple really.

Why are domain names important for my business?

Because without one you risk not being found on the web. You can still be found without one but usually, you will have some kind of online page like social media. Facebook for example, if you have set that up properly your page will be your business name and that can be found by Google.

You need one if you want to play in the SEO world. Which basically means do you want to be found on the internet or are you a prepper that is too paranoid to be found online…

How to get a domain name

You can search anywhere online to purchase a domain name. I highly recommend purchasing one from a company that you will also one day host your website. You can expect to pay anywhere from around $15 AUD per year and up depending on what domain extension you want (like .com .com.au .org and the list goes on).

I use Ventraip.  They are an Australian company. They have great service and support. I highly recommend setting the billing up to auto-renew so you don’t lose your web address. Most companies will remind you but if it auto charges, then you don’t need to stress about it.

If you forget to pay the domain renewal it can be very hard to get it back. Sometimes it’s simple but most of the time it’s not. Especially if someone wants your domain name. You could lose more than your website and email. How devastating would that be for your business!

So you’ve got a domain now what?

Set up email addresses

Professional emails are the bomb! You can set yours up right now. I have instructions to help you out >>here <<

Build your website

You can start contracting someone to design your website or DIY. Or use me! You will need hosting first which is basically where your website lives. Its an added cost on top of your domain name. Most basic hosting starts from $8.95 AUD per month. You can purchase that yourself if you use Ventraip.

Share it with the world

When your website is up, shout it out across your social media channels. Don’t forget to update your bios in social media to include your new website address. Add it to all your printed marketing materials and stationery.

Nerdy AF website terms

WWW = World Wide Web.

URL = Uniform Resource Locator and is defined as the global address of documents and other resources on the World Wide Web.

IP = Internet Protocol. An IP address is a shit tin of numbers separated by full stops that identifies each computer using the Internet Protocol to communicate over a network.

SEO = Search engine optimisation. Make sure your website has the best chance of being found.

Domain extension: Its the bit at the end of your web address that no one really gives a fuck about. Typically .com or if  you are in Australia you can have .com.au or .sydney and so forth. 

via GIPHY