What is a domain name? Well, I think we first need to understand what is meant by both a domain and a name.
We all know that a name is “a word or term that is used to describe or address a person, place, animal or thing”. A name is easy enough to explain. So, what about a domain? Well, a domain in the normal sense of everyday language can be defined as “an area of land controlled by another” or “a specific area of knowledge or activity”. If you consider something to be within your domain (or remit) in your chosen career it is an area of knowledge that you have an affinity with. Your domain when it comes to your ‘land’ could be classed as where you live – your home.
So, how can we use this to help us define a domain name? Well, first of all, let’s take a look at what we mean by a domain when we’re talking about the web. If a domain is an area of land controlled by another, in terms of the world wide web, it can be interpreted as “an area of Internet space that is owned by someone” – whether that someone be a person or a business.
That brings us to the term domain name. If a name is a specific term to describe something and a domain is an area of Internet space owned by someone, a domain name can be defined as “a specific term that identifies web space on the Internet”. The specific term is also known as a web address and the web space is known as a website. And so, a domain name is “a specific term (a web address) that identifies web space (a website) on the Internet”. In other words, a domain name is a web address that helps to identify individual websites and is a space that can house your emails.
An example of a domain name would be: www.theseedmill.co.uk. This domain name identifies the Internet space of our business The SeedMill.
Think of your domain name as your Internet address. This address needs to reflect your business. For example, if you are a photographer based in Wales who only takes landscape photos of the Welsh countryside, an example domain name could be www.welshlandscapephotography.co.uk or www.welshlandscapephotos.com. Both of these domain names are descriptive and help identify your business as a Welsh landscape photographer.
So when it comes to answering the question What is a Domain Name?, I think that the best explanation is that a domain name is a web address for your business and this domain name enables you to have a business website on the Internet.
