Domain Name Definition

After an entrepreneur submits all of their paperwork to register their new business, they’ll probably want to think about how to help it grow. How will they market their business? How will they attract customers? And how will they create a business website?

Whether a business is a traditional brick-and-mortar retailer or an e-commerce venture, a business website can be a big help. As part of that process, a business owner needs to get a domain name. This guide walks through what a domain name is, its benefits and drawbacks, and some considerations to make when obtaining one.

What is a domain name?

A domain name is the website name that someone types into a browser when they want to reach a specific example. Take, for example, “zenbusiness.com.” The domain name extension is “.com” and “zenbusiness” acts as the domain name, and together, they’re the domain name.

One quick note: a domain name and a URL aren’t the same thing. The domain name is just the website’s name, while a URL directs someone to a specific page on a website. For example, a ZenBusiness URL would be https://www.zenbusiness.com/pricing-products is a url.

Domain Name Benefits 

Registering a good domain name is something a business owner should strongly consider, somewhat like the dedication that goes into naming a business. It can be a valuable marketing tool since it serves as a business’s online presence. 

Here are a few other benefits:

• It offers an additional way for customers to shop for the brand’s goods and services (if there’s a physical location). 
• It gives a business an online identity, especially if it has a physical location and wants to also have an online presence. 
• It comes in handy if the entrepreneur plans to create a business email. 
• It allows the business to rank higher in a search result through search engine optimization (SEO), meaning more people will see it when searching for relevant terms or phrases. 
• It offers more credibility. 
• It makes marketing on social media much easier since customers can be directed to the website easily. 

Domain Name Considerations 

What should entrepreneurs consider when creating a domain name? Keep the following in mind:

• Make sure it isn’t trademarked. 
• Make sure the extension is appropriate for the company (.com, .net, or .org). 
• Keep the name short if possible. This way, it’ll be easier to remember for customers and visitors. 
• Avoid symbols like hyphens and numbers if possible. 
• Choose a name that the business can keep in the long term. Domain name changes can affect a company’s marketing efforts, SEO ranking, and more. 
• Once a name is chosen, it’s time to register it. 

Next Up: Check out this guide to “personal domain name ideas” post for more ideas.

Other Names for a Domain Name

The term “domain name” is a relatively universal title, so it really doesn’t have any other names. However, domain names are sometimes confused with URLs, but as explained above, they aren’t the same. 

Domain Name Extensions

Another thing to know about domain names are domain name extensions. This is the portion that appears at the end of the name. Extensions include:

• .com
• .net
• .org
• .us
• .edu (educational institute websites) 
• .gov (government websites)
• .mil (military websites) 

Recommended articles

• Name Registration Definition
• Differences Between Business and Domain Name: Should They Match?
• How to Create and Register a Killer Domain Name
• Protect your personal info with domain name privacy
• Business Name Definition

ZenBusiness Can Help!

A domain is just one of the things that can help entrepreneurs score the customers a business deserves to have. On top of business formation services, ZenBusiness offers other services to help entrepreneurs run and grow their companies. No matter what stage the business is in, ZenBusiness can help.