A domain name is essentially your web address, the address that your customers will need to locate you on the World Wide Web. It serves as your online identity, and so, it is important that you understand how it works and what exactly it is.

If you’re planning to enter the e-commerce sector any time soon, here are few things that you need to know about domain names.

What Is A Domain Name And How Does A Domain Name Work?

Every computer on the Internet has an address which is unique to it, called the Internet Protocol or IP address.

A Domain Name System (DNS) was invented to help find different locations on the Internet. The DNS translates each unique IP address into unique alphanumeric codes called domain names that are easier to remember.

Suppose you want to start an online store selling silver jewellery. You’ll need a website, and that will have a unique IP address with numbers. You name your website ‘elegant silver jewellery’ and register a domain with the same name. Your website address is now ‘www.stylishsilverjewellery.com’. It will be easier for your customers to remember stylishsilverjewellery.com than the unique IP address that consists of only integers.

You can also send emails through your domain name. Every domain name has a unique IP address behind it. The DNS ensures that the email you send reaches the right recipient and not anybody else with a similar domain name. Also, your customers don’t have to type a confusing IP address to reach out to you or your website staff.

A domain name remains unchanged even when you shift to a new web host. The DNS can point an existing domain name to a changed or a new IP address.

How To Register Your Domain On The Web?

Registering a domain web name involves the following steps:

• Choose the TLD (Top-Level Domain name), also known as the ‘extension’, along with the second level domain name
• Select a reseller or registrar to register your domain
• Check whether your domain name is available
• Decide how long you want your domain name to be registered
• Make your payment and complete the registration process

The first step is to select the TLD and the second-level name for your domain.

Every domain comprises of two parts—characters following the last ‘dot’ on the domain name or the TLD, and the characters coming before the ‘dot’, also known as the second-level domain name.

Let’s take www.stylishsilverjewellery.com as an example again.

While ‘stylishsilverjewellery’ forms the second-level domain name, ‘.com’ comprises the TLD

Together, both the SLD and TLD complete the domain name.

Next, you need to choose a registrar to register your domain name.

Registrars usually offer 1 -10 years of the registration period for domain names. Webmasters often register it for a year and then renew it if they continue to use the domain name.

If your choice of domain name is available, register it with a domain registrar by fulfilling all the formalities.

What Is a Registrar?

A registrar is a company that processes your request for domain name registration, whenever available. You can quickly check the availability of your choice of domain names online.

You can also choose to register your domain name through a reseller as well. Resellers have arrangements with registrars and help you register your domain name too.

It’s important to choose the right registrar when registering your domain name.

Once you register your domain name, you’ll need to focus on the development, design and hosting of your website to start selling successfully online. Thanks to platforms like Shopify, Magento and Wix, starting an e-commerce store has become very comfortable. These e-commerce software solutions arrive with a full range of features and make online selling simpler. Stores like Shopify let users check domain names and offer domain name registration as well. They also offer great creative tools that will help you identify an available ‘.com’ TLD by suggesting alternatives and combinations you haven’t thought of earlier.

Author Bio:

This is written by Sofia and to know more visit https://www.shopify.com/domains