Domain Names
Every website is identified by its own IP address, which will look something like this: 212.53.77.9. This doesn't allow for a particularly user-friendly way of surfing the web, and so domain names are assigned to IP numbers to provide more memorable web addresses.
The address www.derwent-web.co.uk consists of four parts:
- 'www' denoting that the document is served by a web server
- Sub domain, 'derwent-web' identifying the site
- Second level domain '.co' signifying site as commercial/general
- Top level domain, in this case the country code '.uk'
Names are managed by a number of domain name registries - the '.uk' domain, for example, is managed by Nominet. To obtain a domain name, a website owner will contact an accredited domain name registrar, who will typically register the chosen name for either one or two years. After this period the owner will be given the option to renew.
Your choice of domain name can be an important factor in the success of your website. Ideally the name should be short so that it's easy to type directly into the address bar, relevant to your organisation and sufficiently distinctive to be easily memorised.
