Get started with websites; understanding domain names.

Today we’re looking at getting started with websites.

And one of the first things to look at is the domain name, that’s the address people type in to visit your website.

So, for example google.com or yourname.co.uk - those are domain names.

When the internet began, there were only a few extensions - .com, .net, org., .co and each country had its own, for example .co.uk or .us

But now there are hundreds of extensions, so you could have yourname.live or .hotels or .club or .band or .bingo

Despite the huge variety, the original 4 are still by far the most common and the easiest for audiences to remember.

Domain names can cost as little as £10 a year but premium highly sought after names and some of the new ‘extensions’ can be hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

They are an important part of our identity online but most of the time, having a domain name doesn’t mean your website is any good and it’s not a guarantee of getting visitors to your website, although it can help.

So don’t get hung up on domain names and shop around to get the best deal if you’re buying one.

We’ll talk more about getting started with websites next time on the digital minute.