What is a Domain Name?

A domain name uniquely identifies a website. Typing a domain name (also called a URL) into your browser allows you to visit that site.

One unique domain name can be used as a company's web address and for its email addresses.

Domains are much more than just names typed into a web browser. Your domain name is how the world will think of you and your business. It's part of your brand and your marketing plan. You can have multiple domains that each relate to some aspect of your business. A domain can be easy to remember and help establish you on the web.

The DNS works in a similar way. If phone numbers or domains were not globally unique, phone calls or e-mail intended for person might go to someone else with the same number or domain name. Domain name is the identity that helps you to identify your site by the public.

A domain name represents a physical point on the Internet - an IP address. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) regulates the coordination of the links between IP addresses and domain names across the Internet. With this coordination standardized, you can find on the Internet web sites by entering domain names instead of IP addresses in the Web browser.