Domain Name Servers and How They Work

Posted on December 1, 2010 by

At some point in time you may find yourself asking “how do domains and domain name servers really work?” The truth is it can be complicated, but it is also quite interesting. If you spend any time on the internet, which you obviously do, then you may have run across a platform that uses a domain or a domain name server. Sending emails, browsing the internet, online back up and more all use domains and domain name servers. Domain name servers or DNS make up one of the largest active databases in the world. Domain name servers power the internet.

DNS Servers

DNS servers translate domains, or the www.exampledomain.com, into a usable number called an IP address. This IP address directly relates to a server somewhere on the internet. There are millions of IP addresses currently in use. These IP address are what keep all the different computers on the internet separate and unique form each other. Typically an IP address is 32 numbers separated by periods, such as 22.33.333.111.  Typically web servers have static IP addresses and they can be used utilized like a domain name. For instance a web browser can browser to www.somedomain.com as well as 22.33.333.111 and get the same result.

The DNS servers job is to translate the name you browser to into an IP address so your request can be forwarded to an appropriate server. This server in turn servers up a web page and the rest is what you’re used to seeing on the internet.

Domain Names

Domain names are great, as remembering the IP address of your favorite site is less than desirable. Considering the average person has at least 12 sites they frequent, remembering all those numbers would be less than ideal.

The .com portion of a domain name is called the top level domain or first level domain. Top level domains can be anything from .com to .edu to .org. Just like the IP address, the domain names are unique to each server. So, how are they all tracked and cataloged?  A company called Network solutions maintains this list. Every time a domain is registered, no matter which registrar, the information is cataloged into a central database known as the whois database. This database contains all kinds of information from the owner to the name server for each domain.

Name Servers

A name server is a central computer that deals with request to a particular domain. This name server forwards the domain request onto the appropriate DNS server which then filters the request by IP address down to the appropriate server.  Typically a hosting company maintains a name server and multiple DNS servers. For instance Microsoft maintains and handles the domain name server for Microsoft.com. This request is then forwarded on to Microsoft’s DNS server which routes the traffic to the appropriate web server. Every domain has a name server.

The combination of the name server and DNS server along with the whois database makes up one of the largest data systems in the world. This system is what truly powers the internet. These systems working in harmony create order amongst an otherwise chaotic internet.

Browser Conversion

When your computer goes on to the internet via your ISP it is assigned a name server. This name server is what the browser uses to convert domains to IP addresses, and in turn shows you the page you want to see in your web browser.  Because of this action, changes to domains can take a long time to propagate across the internet. Let’s say somedomain.com changes web hosting companies and thus gets a new IP address. The name servers for the domain are updated in the whois database and they begin propagating that information down to the different name servers across the internet. This action can take time and because of that it’s possible for a client browser to browse to a no longer active IP address while domain moves are taking place.

Domains and IP Shortages

As more and more business begin a transition to the online world, the number of IP address is in rapid decline.  Currently IPv4 is the standard IP address system. According to recent estimated there are about 110 days left until there are no more IP addresses left. However, this shouldn’t be cause for alarm as a new system, IPv6 is coming soon. This system seeks to create an unlimited supply of IP addresses to combat the ever expanding internet.

Many times the average internet user thinks the internet isn’t overly complicated. They just type in the site they want and never think much about it. However, the internet is one of the most interesting systems in the world.

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How To Choose A Domain Name

Posted on November 25, 2010 by

Learning how to choose a domain name takes practice. However, the act of choosing a domain name is one of the most fundamentally important actions in the website creation process, as choosing the right domain name can essentially create a business.  If you follow these rules, choosing a domain name should prove rather easy.

.Com is It

There are a lot of different options for extensions when considering top level domains. These can range from .org, .net, and even the up and coming newcomer, .co. However, the single most recognizable extension is .com.  Clients and web users tend to believe a .com site is more credible than its other top level partners. While this may or may not be true it’s important to consider when registering your domain.

Watch The Length

The length of a domain is critical. Trying to remember a lengthy domain name is no more desirable than trying to remember the IP address of a website. Try to come up with a nice short domain name. Not only is this easier to remember, it’s also less likely the user will miss type this when they try and browser to your site.

Simple Words

The average person has a hard time spelling. We know this because spell check is so prevalent in our computer lives. Try and choose simple, less complicated words for your domain. This can help with misspelling situations.

Avoid Special Characters

Try and avoid all special characters and hyphens when possible. While there are a lot of domains out there with hyphens in them, it can confuse clients and users in the long run. They have a tendency to forget where the hyphen was inserted into the name.

Keywords, Keywords

Research all of the keywords for your site and try and find a way to infuse one into the domain. Not only will this help with memorization, but it will also help tremendously with search engine optimization.  A lot of users tend to type in exactly what they are looking for and then the domain extension.com. For example a typical user may type in freeart.com instead of searching for free art. Because of this, if you can get a Doman name with a keyword that corresponds to your site, you can get a ton of traffic from users browsing the internet in this manner.

O and 0

The letter O and the number 0 are easily confused by a user. Try and avoid using either of these in a domain name. If you are going to use the letter o or the number 0 be sure to use them in a way that isn’t easily confusable to the average user. For instance www.somedomain.com is fine. However, you might want to avoid using something like odomain0.com

Marketability and Branding

A domain name can become a brand overnight.  In the early origins of the internet, nobody had a clue what yahoo was or who yahoo.com was. Now yahoo is one of the most recognized names in the world. Choosing a good quality marketable domain name can pay dividends in the future.

Expired Domains

When possible it may be prudent to obtain an expiring domain. These domains are simply ones that the current owner isn’t renewing again. These can be a real gold mind. Often you can find a domain that fits your profile just fine and already has a good traffic source, as well as a good search engine position. This typically happens because the domain is already established. Obtaining one of these domains can help ignite your search engine optimization tremendously.

Due Diligence

Before you choose any domain it’s a good idea to put in the necessary due diligence. Be sure to really brain storm what your site is about and what keywords represent the content of your site. A domain name isn’t something you should come up with in a few seconds. A good domain name is a well thought out and calculated decision that can really make or break a company or persons presence on the internet.

You should also spend a few hours shopping around for the best deal in domain registration. An initial investment in the beginning can be a real difference for an up and coming small business. There is no reason to pay extra for a service that is no different than a cheaper one on the internet. Spend a few hours researching the different registrar companies and their backgrounds and make an educated decision on which company suits you best.

If you follow all of the suggestions above you shouldn’t have any problems making a good decision and registering a quality domain name for your small business or website.

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An SEO Guide to Domain Name Effectiveness

Posted on November 20, 2010 by

For the most part, it is common knowledge that a domain name can make or break a company or a person’s web presence.  However, quite often, it is not the domain name itself that kills the site, it is the search engines that do.  This may seem like a common sense statement, but if no one can find your site, your site does not exist. Choosing a keyword-rich name is the only effective way to get a jump start on optimizing your site for search engines.

What Are Keywords?

Keywords are those targeting phrases that best describe your site.  For example, if John runs a small cleaning service in San Diego, his keywords would probably be “cleaning service San Diego” or “cleaning San Diego.”  While there are many more keywords that could be used to describe the site, those are the broadest and will probably be the most commonly used to describe that site.  When choosing a domain name that is SEO friendly, try and think of the target audience and what words that audience might use to describe your site.

What To Do with the Keyword

It goes without saying, you should not try and fit every keyword you have into your domain name but you do want to consider the primary ones. Try and narrow all of the keywords you are targeting down to one single phrase. For instance, in the case of John’s cleaning company let us use “cleaning San Diego.”  This is probably the broadest phrase that describes that site. So, a starting point would be to see if cleaningsandiego.com was an available domain name for registration. If so, that is great. Register the domain. If it is not available, continue down the list until you find one that works.  By using a keyword in the domain name, you further increase the chances that search engines will catalog and index your site in the category you want.

No Keywords Work For Me

If you cannot find a set of keywords that work for a domain name, all is not lost. While the embedding of keywords in the domain name is an extremely effective SEO tool, the content of the site is really the key.

Buying Previously Used Domains

While this may seem unique, you can very easily buy domain names that have already been registered by someone else.  These previously owned domain names can be a gold mine.  Search engines typically take six months to truly index a website. Thus, if you can find a domain name that fits your site that has already been around for a while, then grab it quickly.  This domain can also have existing traffic from the previous owner. This traffic can be turned in to revenue sources from advertising, as well as possible clients for your business or site.

Some expiring domain names can already be page ranked, which is a tremendous benefit. This page rank number is a simply a value given by the Google search engine to the correlation between a keyword being searched for and the content on your site.  This makes the SEO process extremely easy if you are lucky enough to find a keyword rich, previously registered and page ranked domain name for sale that fits your business.

Buy-up Alternate Names

A lot of internet traffic to your sit is probably wasted because people incorrectly type in your domain name in the web browser. This can be corrected, at least somewhat, by registering common alternates to your site’s domain name. For instance, if you have the domain “fasttrackcars.com,” you should register “fasttrackcar.com,” “fattrackcar.com,” and so on.  These alternate domains can be mapped to your server and act as error handling of incorrectly typed domain names.  Do not feel burdened to buy up hundreds of alternations. Instead, try and find a few common alternates and register them if possible.

The Benefits of Keywords in Domains

Registering a keyword-rich domain can be a huge plus for any SEO objectives for a new site. Using the keywords in the domain not only helps the user and clients remember the site by content association, but it can also speed up the indexing time of major search engines. This is a great element and it helps jump start any SEO objectives.

The keywords in the domain can also help when using link exchanges and link swapping. Typically, most site owners swap links and keywords in an effort to increase their internet presence. If you register a domain with keywords in the domain, you essentially get a double effect. Your domain has keywords and you will probably anchor that link to keywords as well. This will help not only with increasing the traffic to your site, but possibly increasing your search engine ranking positions.

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Helpful Tips When Considering a Domain Registration Company

Posted on November 18, 2010 by

Establishing a business on the internet is as much about the domain name as the product. While there are a number of things to consider before choosing a domain name, there are equally as many things to consider when choosing a domain registrar.

Simple Solutions

The simplest solution is to simply visit a search engine and type in “domain registrar” and purchase from the first one you see. However, if you do this you may be paying a lot of money for a service that isn’t up to par. The best solution, at first, is to simply search around and make a list of the prices associated with each registrar and its domain registering service. Once you have a good solid list of choices, start searching the internet for reviews and feedback on each company and narrow the list down even further.

Web Hosting Packages

If you’re registering a web domain then you are probably also going to be hosting that site somewhere. If you don’t already have a hosting provider, you should consider getting a package deal. A lot of registrar companies are also hosting companies. Considering that most shared hosting plans are comparable in price, a good deal could simply be the one that offers the domain at a discount or in some cases for free. This is a great way to kill two birds with one stone when registering a domain.  Remember, that domain registration renewal is usually billed annually so you’ll have to pay attention to what the next year’s costs are for renewal when making an educated decision.

ICANN Accreditation

A good registrar company will bear the seal of ICANN registration. Any new registrar company worth its salt will be required to submit and go through an accreditation process with ICANN. Any company that isn’t accredited with ICANN should be avoided. You can find a list of all those accredited domain registrars at www.icann.org.

Domain Transfers

While this may not seem like a big deal at first, it’s important to look at the rules and regulations governing domain transfers with your registrar of choice. Just because a company is your favorite today, doesn’t mean it will be next year. You may find yourself wanting to register a new domain with a new company and then wanting to transfer an existing domain to that company as well. This is called domain transfers. Usually there is a fee associated with this process so be sure and pay attention to the price on this before you register with a company.  Some companies have been known to offer really low initial domain registration fees but they couple that with really high domain transfer fees. While this may not seem like a deal breaker initially, however, it may be something you regret in the future.

Domain Delays

Often times there is a bit of a delay between domain registration and domain usability.  You may not be able to use a domain right away as the official register has to be updated with the DNS information for you domain. This time can range from hours to days. While companies probably won’t publically display a poor delay on their site, you can find out most of this information from a few search engine results and user reviews. This can also affect you when switching hosting providers.  A really slow domain registration process should be seen as a negative.

Contracts

While most domain registration companies do not require contracts, a few reserve the right to cancel your domain if you use it for what they deem as illegal purposes. This can be anything from illegal software to internet spamming. While most people will probably never fit into this area, there are a some sites that fall into a grey area that may be a problem with domain registration companies. When in doubt, the best idea is to simply contact the registration company for details.

Conclusion

Picking a domain registration company doesn’t have to be a daunting task if you put a little effort and due diligence into the selection process. Considering that prices can range from five dollar a year to 75 dollars a year, it’s important to make the right decision for a number of reasons. Be sure to check for accreditation and follow up with search engines to see if the company has a good reputation.  Most companies you choose will probably be safe and possess solid business ethics, but you can save yourself a lot of heartache if you simply do a little research before you make the final decision.

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Domain Name FAQ’s : A Closer Look at Common Questions

Posted on November 15, 2010 by

If it’s the right time for your business or idea to move on to the internet then the first question you have to answer is, what will my website domain be? Believe it or not, this question has more parts to it than you may initially think.

A websites domain can be the key to its success or its demise depending on the choice.  Not that this should stray you away from registering a website domain and creating a website, however it should be taken as a warning. Taking the time to carefully consider your website domain name before you register it can save you money and time in both the short run and long run.

What is a Domain?

The textbook definition of a domain is a label or name that relates to a system, authority or control on the internet.  In short a domain is simply the textual representation of the IP address assigned to the server hosting your website.  Domains are also referred to as hostnames and they are governed by a rather complex site of rules known as the DNS or Domain Name System.

Generally speaking most domains are considered top level domains or ones that you typically see throughout the internet like cars.com or msn.com. These domains act as broad generic identifier to a larger site or group of information.  There are other levels of domains that fall in a DNS hierarchy, such as the second level domain and the third level domain.

A domain is used to simplify the ability to call information on the internet. So if you host a website on a server with IP address 66.66.22.111, you can access your information directly via this format. However, a more usable approach is to register a top level domain, update the appropriate DNS settings and browse to somedomain.com instead.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Domain

Choosing a domain name can seem like a simple task, but an over complicated domain name or too lengthy of domain name can make the ability for a potential client or user to recall harder than it should be. Take for instance a website that sells designer shoes in California that goes by the business name “Hot To Do Shoes 46.”  Let’s assume that the business owner really likes his companies name and decides to register a domain of hottodoshoes46.com. While this domain is a perfect match for his business name and “hottodoshoes” is easy enough to remember, the last two numbers will cause problems.  In this case, the best scenario would be hottodoshoes.com.

While the above is a generic example, it does illustrate a common problem. A lot of domain names are simply not available for purchase and this may drive someone who owns a business to settle for a more complex name in hopes of getting the entire name in the domain label.  The best domain names are short and easy to remember. So if you find yourself in a situation where your primary domain choice is taken, instead of adding numbers to your domain name, consider using the abbreviations of the companies’ names. For example, Johns Lumber Liquidators could very easily be JLL.com.  It goes without saying that choosing a domain name that makes no sense is also a waste of time.

What Does a Domain Name Cost?

On average a user can expect to pay anywhere from three US dollars to 15 US dollars depending on the company used to register the domain name.  Finding the best deal here is generally done by spending a bit of time researching each of the providers.

Features can also add to the price. While most of the added features offered are not necessarily needed, there are a few key ones to consider.  A domain name is public knowledge and anyone can look up the information associated with one.  You can however limit what information is shown about you or your company, and this is highly recommended. One of the easiest ways to avoid internet spam, or any spam for that matter, is to register a domain with the option to make the registration information private. This usually costs a little bit extra, but is defiantly worth it in the long run as it can help you avoid a ton of potential spam issues.

While most of the specifics of the registration process and the added services are low cost in the long run, choosing the wrong domain name can cost you and your business a lot of money and time. Remember to carefully consider the length and simplicity of your domain name and try and view the site name through a client’s perspective and ask the question “Would I be able to remember this?”

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