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The short answer is the name for your website home page on the Internet. Every website has what is called an IP address on the Internet. The Domain Name identifies the IP address, or addresses. The Domain Name for KATenterprises is kat-enterprises.com. This name can represent multiple IP addresses that identify specific web pages. The Domain Name points to the landing, homepage or index page for the entire website.
Selecting the suffix
Each Domain Name will include a suffix that indicates which top level domain (TLD) to which it belongs. There are many with .com being the most popular. In the beginning, there were only a handful of suffixes, or extensions, where all Domain Names were registered, like .com or .co.uk (United Kingdom). Originally, the extension .com signified a commercial entity, .net was reserved for network services (ISPs – Internet Service Providers) and .org for non-profit organizations. Throughout the world, countries offered Domain Name designation using a two-character code like “.de” for Germany (Deutsch) or “.it” for Italy.
Uh-oh, are we running out of choices?
Then the Internet exploded as more and more millions of Domain Names were gobbled up, along with every variety of a particular name that someone could think up. It became a mess. I know, I was there. While it is basically impossible to cover all the variety associated with Domain Names, here is a little bit of information about name extensions. You need to be very selective when choosing an extension because you might wind up with one where only a small portion of Internet users can find you. Therefore, a small understanding of the different Domain name extensions is worth the effort to understand.
Top Three Extensions
Ironically, although the top three extensions – .com, .net and .org – were originally intended to be reserved for specific type entities to further identify their specific organizational make up, any of these can, and are, available to anyone. There are no restrictions or qualifications for use but some designers/developers still suggest distinguishing the commercial status of a website’s ownership by reserving the use of .org for a non-commercial entity. Although, in practice, this is not the case. However, I usually recommend to clients that conduct e-commerce to choose a .com extension to their Domain Name. Consequently, I also recommend to a non-profit client, such as a church, the use of the extension .org. There are some necessary exceptions, specifically when dealing with government entities.
When a government entity uses the .gov extension, there is an investigative process as well as a hefty fee for its use. Furthermore, there are certain restrictions, including the prohibition of commercial activity at a .gov site. I found this out through experience trying to set up a small e-commerce element to a local city .gov site that held an annual fair where they hoped to obtain vendor registrations – and payments – on their site.
It wasn’t allowed.
The appearance of additional open TLDs such as .name, .biz, .info may provide an opportunity to include an identifying Domain Name already registered with the top three. So, if you’re looking to register your particular personal or company name, if it is a commonly used, or spelled, word you might need to look at one of the additional “open” TLD categories to meet your need.
Ted Smolkowicz
KAT-enterprises.com
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