What are domain names?

Every computer connected to the internet has a numeric ip address, kind of like its own phone number! However ip addresses can be even more difficult to remember than phone numbers, so that's where domain names (domains for short) come in. Each domain name is basically a nickname for a computer's ip address, so instead of having to remember 212.46.139.98 you only have to remember domains.co.uk, which will make most people's lives a lot easier!

Anatomy of a domain name

Every domain that you see on the internet consists of two parts, the prefix, and the suffix, using our domain as an example:
domains.co.uk - the prefix is in blue, the suffix is in orange.

The domain prefix is bit that you choose, the suffix you are stuck with, but there are plenty to choose from, the main ones for UK web users are .com for a global feel and .co.uk for more of a local audience, but there are dozens of others to choose from, some hint at the type of website - eg: .ltd.uk for a limited company, .ac.uk for a school or university - while others show you geographic locations, - eg: .ie for Ireland or .co.za for South Africa - you can use our domain name search to see what is available.

Now that you understand domain names, you need to know why you need a domain, and just as important, how you can use it