Domain Names and URLs – Which Is Which?
Wednesday, December 13th, 2006 at 1:44 pm by Matt Van Atta
One surprising source of confusion when it comes to websites has to do with distinguishing between the domain name and the URL. Because these are possibly the two most fundamental pieces of the puzzle when it comes to the building and maintaining of a website for your affiliate marketing efforts, it’s worth a moment to understand them.
A domain name is the name associated with your website - for example:
affiliateclassroom.com
A URL (which stands for “Uniform Resource Locator”) is a specific web address, of which your domain name is a part - for example:
URLs tie in every piece of content you place on your website. All web pages, all graphic objects, all email addresses associated with the site each have a specific URL. But what ties all the URLs together is the domain name - not so much technologically as in terms of a mental connection in the minds of your potential customers.
Each website has its own Internet Protocol (IP) address, a series of numbers and periods that enable communication between a web visitor’s computer and the website. Names are easier to remember than a string of numbers, however, and while the IP address does the actual connecting work, the domain name enables site visitors to access your site by simply typing the name rather than a bunch of numbers. I could tattoo “69.57.146.48″ on my forehead and still not remember it, but “affiliateclassroom.com” is easy.
What’s most important to you about a domain name is that it is a marketing tool. And given that your business is web-based, the domain name is your most essential marketing tool because it helps define who you are - it’s as important as the business name itself. You want your niche market to establish a connection between the needs of that market and your ability to meet those needs - and the domain name can be the foundation of that connection.
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Filed under: Affiliate Marketing, Affiliate Marketing Definitions
Its really a good explanation. I think the article could throw a highlight on sub-domains and other internet related terms which are necessary for affiliates.