Anyone who has encountered website creation has also encountered a domain. Domain registration is the process of registering a website address. If you are just starting your online business, you may find this article about domains useful.

Domain definition and importance

Generally speaking, a domain is understood as a domain name. A domain name is a website address in text format, for example, google.lt. A user who wants to access your website needs to type your domain name into a search engine and the search engine will show them your website.

Technically, a domain itself is an IP address that is made up of a string of numbers. Because it is much easier for people to remember a domain name, a domain and a domain name are inseparable. How is a domain name different from a website URL? A domain name is a component of a URL. A full URL includes various different parts, such as the protocol https. The URL address of the google.lt domain is https://www.google.lt/.

The domain is very important. Imagine you’ve opened a store but you don’t have any links to it – that’s what an online business without a domain is like. A properly chosen domain can help you create a brand, corporate style, become more recognizable, and increase visitors’ traffic. In addition, with a custom domain, you can also create a domain email, which increases credibility by looking professional. The most important criteria for choosing a domain name are simplicity, memorability, relevance to activities, and a suitable domain extension. We’ll talk about domain extensions further.

Domain extensions and their selection

As we mentioned earlier, the domain name should be memorable, short, and reflect your business. This means that a clear and short domain is easy to remember and therefore can attract more users. The domain extension, also known as TLD, is also very important.

A domain extension is the very last part of a domain after a dot, such as .com, .lt, .eu, .net, or .org. It is necessary to create a domain that works. Of course, there are more domain extensions – nowadays users can choose from more than 1000 options, but the most recognizable one in the world is still .com, and in Lithuania – .lt, which shows that the website is Lithuanian.

Which domain extension is best for me? This depends on many factors, such as the nature of the activity and the area in which it is carried out. Here is a short list of the most popular domain extensions with explanations:

• .com – This domain extension is intended for commercial activities and businesses and is recognized by people all over the world. It is the most popular, and it is often the best choice for businesses that also operate abroad. As said, it’s a good choice for SEO purposes;
• .net – This domain extension is derived from the word network. It was originally developed for web server providers but is now open to anyone. It is suitable for businesses that are related to technology and Internet services;
• .org – This domain extension is suitable for non-profit organizations and informational websites, but not recommended for commercial activities. It is associated with reliable information, but not business;
• .lt – Unlike the ones listed above, this domain extension is not available to everyone, but only to individuals and businesses operating in Lithuania. It is an excellent choice for all Lithuanian businesses and other organizations, as it is well-recognized in Lithuania;
• .eu – This domain extension indicates that the activity is carried out in the European Union. This is an excellent choice if we focus on the European market. All EU countries and Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland can register a .eu domain.