Domain Names Defined
One of the most essential requirements for having a successful web presence is the domain name. It is what visitors will mark first when they chance upon your web page and what they will identify you with. The domain name should be easy to remember, but should also be something that tells your web page's visitors what the web site is about.
Generic Top-Level Domain Names (gTLDs)
A domain name as a rule is composed of two fragments - a Top-Level Domain Name (TLD) and a Second-Level Domain (SLD). If you have domain.com, for example, ".com" is the Top-Level Domain and "domain" is the SLD. There are several groups of Top-Level Domains that you should consider prior to choosing the domain name you wish. Your pick should rest on the intention of your web page and on its target spectators. Let's investigate the gTLDs, or generic TLDs - these are the most popular Top-Level Domain Names aimed to express a particular function - .com (commercial organizations), .net (networks), .biz (companies), .info (informative resources), .org (organizations of a non-commercial character), .mobi (handheld devices), .asia (the Asia-Pacific), .name (individuals or relatives), .pro (specific walks of life), and so on. As you can see, these TLDs cover most realms of life, so you should opt for the one that would show the intention of your web page best. There is no limitation as to who can register such domain names, but some of them include additional procedures to confirm that you qualify to register such a Top-Level Domain (.mobi and .pro, for instance).
Country-code Top-Level Domain Names (ccTLDs)
The ccTLDs, or country-code Top-Level Domain Names, are country-specific Top-Level Domain Names. Each country has its own ccTLD. Opting for such a domain name is good if your target group of website visitors is from a particular country. Many persons would want to purchase goods or services from a local web site, and if your aim is Canada, for example, choosing a .ca domain name could increase the visits to your web page.
Domain Redirection
You can register several domain names, which can redirect your web page's visitors to a given web site such as domain.com, for example. This would boost the traffic and reduce the chance of someone swiping your website visitors by registering the same name with another Top-Level Domain - if you are not using a trademark.
Name Servers (NSs)
Each Top-Level Domain has domain name records. The name server records (NS records, aka DNS records) reveal where the domain name is hosted, i.e. they point to the hosting supplier whose name servers (NSs, a.k.a. DNSs) it is using now. You can substitute the name servers of your domain whenever you wish. You can have your domain name registered with one provider and get the website hosting service itself from another. Hence, if you register your domain and discover decent website hosting solutions someplace else at a later time, you can point your domain name to the current provider's NSs immediately.
Domain Name Server Records (DNS Records)
In general, as long as your domain name utilizes a specific pair of DNSs, all its domain name records will lead to the same web hosting company. Some website hosting companies, however, allow you to modify given domain name server records, such as the A records and the MX records of your domain name. The A record is an IP address, which exhibits on which web hosting server your web page is hosted, while the MX records exhibit which hosting server tackles the electronic mail accounts related to your domain name. For instance, if you take on a new web designer and he constructs an .ASP site that will be accommodated on his personal Windows web hosting server, you may want to alter solely the IP address (the A record) but not the MX records of your domain. In this way, www.domain.com will point to the Windows web hosting server, but your email box accounts or any sub-domains like forum.domain.com or shop.domain.com will still be in your present Linux website hosting account. The .ASP platform is designed by Microsoft and requests a Windows web hosting server, even though a Linux web hosting server would be far more reliable.
Cheap Domain Names Brought by 'The Gate'
Only a small number of web hosting providers allow you to modify given NS records and very often this an extra paid service. With us, you have an immense collection of TLDs to select from and you can edit all name server records or redirect the domains via a redirection tool at no added cost.