How to Choose a Good Domain Name
If you want to create your own website, the first thing you need is a web address for it, also known as a domain name.
The Structure of a Domain Name
Domain names are made up of the following parts:
- Top-level domain. This comprises the last few digits of the main web address (e.g. the “.info” in www.computer-answers.info), and is intended to give a classification of the type or location of the website. There are generic top-level domains which include .com, .org, .net, .edu, .gov, .info, etc. and country-specific ones such as .us, .uk etc.
- Second-level domain: This is usually the main part of the web address, which identifies the specific website. In our case, this would be “computer-answers”. In some countries, generic second-level domains have been defined (such as .co in the UK, which when added to the .uk top-level domain, gives the commonly-seen .co.uk ending to web addresses in the UK). In such cases, the part identifying an individual website is then at the third level.
- Third (and higher)-level domains: These can be added by the owners of second-level domains. So, for example, we could create abc.computer-answers.info and xyz.computer-answers.info.
How to Choose the Top-Level Domain
The first decision to make is between the generic and country-specific top-level domains. If your website is only applicable to people within a specific country, and if that is likely to continue to be the case in the future, then the corresponding top-level domain for that country is most appropriate.
Otherwise, you should consider one of the generic top-level domains. The best fit depends on the type of site you're planning to create - .com is intended for commercial sites, .org for non-profit organizations, .info for informational sites, .mobi for sites catering for mobile devices, .name for individuals and families etc. These distinctions have become blurred though, because many of the generic top-level domains are unrestricted (meaning you can effectively use them for whatever you want).
A comprehensive listing of top-level domains is available in the Wikipedia page on this subject - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_level_domains.
How to Choose the Second-Level Domain
This is the part that uniquely identifies your site, and you should think carefully about it. There are two main approaches – you can either choose a descriptive name which gives a good idea of what your site is about (such as computer-answers.info), or you can choose a name that's unrelated to the purpose of your site.
In you take the second approach, you'll need to work harder to establish a brand because people won't intuitively associate your site name with your particular content, product or service. When this is achieved though, it can be extremely effective. One of the ultimate examples is Amazon – if I want to search for a book online, I don't even think about going to books.com or bookshop.com, I just instinctively go to amazon.com because that brand is so well established.
Remember though, that your choice will be constrained by what's available, so you should have a few options in mind before checking availability and registering your domain.
Note also that in countries which define generic second-level domains (such as in the UK where .co.uk is used for commercial UK sites), this part is actually at the third-level.
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