Webmaster 101 - What is a DOMAIN NAME? How do I get one?

I just got asked this question again from someone that wants to get their own custom email address. The conversation quickly got into domain names, websites, etc. So here's a quick FAQ for everyone today.

The bottom line answer is that you can get a custom email address for as little as $7/year with some other free perks and options to create a website now or later if you wish. But just put down the $7 for the first year, start using custom email address and get comfortable...

We can talk later about websites, etc.

What is a domain name?

A domain name is a Web address, such as valupoint.com, that is linked to an "IP address" -- which is jargon to represent a physical point on the Internet. When someone types a domain name into a Web browser, the computer goes out, finds the IP address, gets the information for the web page you requested, grabs the information, comes back to your computer and viola -- the requested Web page displays on your monitor. All within seconds. Now instead of remembering IP addresses which are filled with numbers, there's a system set-up called domain names to help people navigate to the bazillions of web pages on the Internet. A domain name consists of a top-level and a second-level domain. A top-level domain (TLD) is the part of the domain name located to the right of the dot (godaddy.com). The most common top-level domains are .COM, .NET, and .ORG. Some other popular top-level domains are .BIZ, .INFO, .NAME and .WS. These TLDs have certain guidelines but are, for the most part, available to any registrant, anywhere in the world. The part of the domain name located to the left of the dot — "valupoint," in this case — is called the second-level domain (SLD) name. The second-level domain name is the "readable" part of the address and refers to the organization or entity behind the Internet address. Second-level domain names must be registered with an Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)-accredited registrar.

GoDaddy.com is one reputable "registrar" that basically sells domain names to the public. They are also one of the most affordable ones - you can get a basic domain name account for only $7/year.


Another one I recommend is 1and1 Internet - They offer 2GB email accounts (5 to start) for only $0.99/month. So if you have a family of 5, each person can easily have their own email webmail account using your custom domain name i.e. ____@yourfamilyname.com for only a buck a month.