A domain name is the address or URL of a particular website. Every computer that is connected to the internet has an address that is made up of a series of numbers that look something like 123.45.67.890. Since humans are notoriously bad at remembering a string of numbers, we purchase domain names and link them to these IP addresses. It’s much easier, for instance, to remember www.Yahoo.com than http://216.109.112.135/.
When you register a domain name, you’re effectively licensing it for a period of time. You don’t actually own it, so you have to renew your license to use that domain each year. To make things easier, you can choose to register your domain for a period of several years, if you’d like.
All the domain names and their corresponding IP addresses are stored in a centralized database made up of 13 special computers that ensures that only one domain name can be registered to one person.
Think of it like a telephone number. When you dial a phone number, you expect to reach one particular person – and in most cases you will, unless the person changes his or her number or you dial the wrong number.
On the internet, it’s the same way. If you type in a domain name, you’ll reach a specific page – unless the web owner decides to change or doesn’t renew the domain name or you type in the wrong URL.
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