Knowledge Base

What is a Domain?

A domain, also known as a domain name, is the address of your website or other online assets on the internet. Just as a physical address identifies your home or business, a domain is used to find your website on the internet. For example, "ekasunucu.com" is a domain name. When people type this address into their browsers, they are directed to Eka Sunucu's website. Domain names make it easier to remember complex number sequences like IP addresses. IP addresses specify the actual locations of web servers, but domain names make these addresses more user-friendly.

Important Point: Domain names are unique. The same domain name cannot be used by more than one person or organization.

A domain name typically consists of two parts: the second-level domain (SLD) and the top-level domain (TLD). For example, in the domain name "ekasunucu.com," "ekasunucu" is the SLD and "com" is the TLD. Different TLDs are used for different purposes (e.g., ".com" for commercial organizations, ".org" for non-profit organizations, and ".edu" for educational institutions).

Domain names establish the identity of a website and increase brand awareness. Choosing a memorable and easy-to-pronounce domain name is critical to the success of your website.

Why Do I Need a Domain Name?

There are many reasons to have a domain name:

• A Professional Image: A domain name gives your website a professional look. Instead of using a free subdomain (e.g., "mycompany.wordpress.com"), using your own domain name (e.g., "mycompany.com") increases the credibility of your brand.
• Brand Awareness: A domain name helps you increase your brand awareness. Choosing a memorable domain name that reflects your brand makes it easier for your customers to remember you.
• Email Address: A domain name allows you to create an email address that is compatible with your own brand (e.g., "[email protected]"). This strengthens your professional communication and makes it easier for your customers to reach you.
• SEO (Search Engine Optimization): A domain name can help your website rank higher in search engines. In particular, choosing a domain name that contains keywords can improve your SEO performance.
• Control and Customization: Having your own domain name gives you full control over the content and design of your website. You can customize your website as you wish without any limitations.

Example Case Study: A clothing store opened an online store using the domain name "modaevim.com". Initially selling on a free platform, their brand awareness increased significantly and sales rose after switching to their own domain name. They communicated more effectively with their customers and increased customer satisfaction thanks to professional email addresses.

How to Choose the Right Domain Name?

Choosing the right domain name is a critical step for the success of your website. Here are some important factors to consider:

1. Reflect Your Brand: Your domain name should reflect your brand or business. It should make it easy for your customers to recognize and remember you.
2. Be Short and Memorable: Choosing a short and memorable domain name helps your customers remember you more easily and return to your website.
3. Be Easy to Pronounce: Having a domain name that is easy to pronounce allows people to easily recommend it to others.
4. Include Relevant Keywords: Using relevant keywords in your domain name can improve your SEO performance and help your website rank higher in search engines.
5. Choose an Appropriate Top-Level Domain (TLD): The choice of TLD should reflect the purpose and target audience of your domain name. For example, ".com" or ".net" may be suitable for a commercial business, while ".edu" may be more appropriate for an educational institution. For a business operating in Turkey, ".com.tr" or ".net.tr" may be preferred.
6. Check Copyrights: Before choosing your domain name, it is important to check copyrights. Avoid choosing a domain name that infringes on another company's trademark.
7. Check Availability: You can use a domain name registration tool to check if the domain name you have chosen is available. Providers such as Eka Sunucu, which offer Domain Services, can help you with this.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Identify keywords related to your business.
2. Create different domain name combinations using keywords.
3. Check the availability of the domain name combinations you have created.
4. Choose the domain name that is most compatible with your brand and memorable.
5. Register the domain name you have chosen.

What are Different Domain Name Extensions (TLDs)?

Top-Level Domains (TLDs) form the last part of the domain name and usually indicate the purpose or geographic location of the domain name. Here are some of the most common TLDs:

• .com: The most commonly used TLD for commercial organizations.
• .net: Originally designed for network infrastructure companies, but now used for general purposes.
• .org: Used for non-profit organizations.
• .edu: Used for educational institutions.
• .gov: Used for government agencies.
• .mil: Used for military institutions.
• .biz: An alternative TLD for businesses.
• .info: Used for informational websites.
• .tr: Turkey-specific domain extension.
• .com.tr: Used for commercial organizations in Turkey.
• .net.tr: Used for network infrastructure companies in Turkey.
• .org.tr: Used for non-profit organizations in Turkey.

In addition, many new TLDs have emerged in recent years. These TLDs are designed for different sectors or areas of interest (e.g., ".shop", ".blog", ".tech").

Table 1: Comparison of the Most Popular TLDs

How to Register a Domain Name?

Registering a domain name is a fairly simple process. Here are step-by-step instructions:

1. Choose a Domain Name Registrar: There are many domain name registrars available. It is important to choose a reliable and affordable company like Eka Sunucu.
2. Domain Name Search: On the website of the domain name registrar you have chosen, check if the domain name you want is available.
3. Add the Domain Name to the Cart: If the domain name is available, add it to the cart.
4. Select the Registration Period: Choose how long you want to register your domain name for. You can usually choose a period between 1 and 10 years.
5. Enter Your Personal Information: Enter your personal information and contact details. This information will be recorded as the owner of the domain name.
6. Make Payment: Make payment using a credit card or other payment methods.
7. Confirm Your Domain Name: Activate your domain name by confirming the email from the domain name registrar.

Important Point: After registering your domain name, your domain name registrar will provide you with a domain name management panel. Through this panel, you can manage your domain name's DNS settings, create email addresses, and perform other operations.

What is DNS (Domain Name System) and Why is it Important?

DNS (Domain Name System) is like the internet's phone book. It translates domain names (e.g., "ekasunucu.com") that people use to access websites into IP addresses (e.g., "192.168.1.1") that computers can understand. When a user types a domain name into their browser, DNS servers resolve this domain name to the corresponding IP address and direct the user to the correct web server.

The importance of DNS lies in the following points:

• User Friendly: DNS allows us to use easily memorable domain names instead of remembering complex IP addresses.
• Easy Management: DNS allows us to change the IP addresses of websites. When a website's server changes, we can ensure uninterrupted access for users by simply updating the DNS records.
• Load Balancing: DNS allows us to perform load balancing by distributing website traffic to multiple servers. This improves the performance of websites and prevents outages.
• Security: Technologies such as DNSSEC (DNS Security Extensions) increase the security of DNS data and provide protection against malicious attacks.

DNS Record Types:

• A Record: Maps a domain name to an IP address.
• CNAME Record: Redirects a domain name to another domain name (alias).
• MX Record: Specifies which server should handle the email traffic for a domain name.
• TXT Record: Contains text-based information about a domain name (e.g., SPF records).

Example DNS Record (A Record):

domainname.com.  IN  A  192.168.1.1

This record ensures that the domain name "domainname.com" is directed to the IP address "192.168.1.1".

What is Domain Privacy (Whois Privacy)?

Whois is a publicly accessible database containing the contact information of domain name owners. This database includes who registered the domain name, their contact information, and registration dates. However, the domain privacy (Whois privacy) service prevents this information from being publicly displayed.

Advantages of Domain Privacy:

• Protection of Privacy: Prevents your personal contact information (your name, address, phone number, email address) from being publicly displayed.
• Protection from Spam: Prevents your contact information from being used by spammers.
• Protection from Identity Theft: Prevents your personal information from being used by malicious individuals.
• Protection from Domain Theft: Makes it more difficult for unauthorized individuals to seize your domain name.

How Does It Work?

The domain privacy service displays the contact information of the domain name registration company in the Whois record of your domain name instead of your contact information. This keeps your personal information private and protects you from risks such as spam, identity theft, and domain name theft.

Table 2: Domain Privacy Comparison

Conclusion: Domain privacy is an important way to protect your personal information and create a secure online presence. It is especially recommended to use the domain privacy service if you operate a personal website or blog.