What is a domain name? It seems like a very simple concept, although it is not so easy to understand especially for beginners.
Things were very different when we built our first website over 20 years ago.
In Greece, you could only buy 1 domain name per VAT number. It was some time before it became permissible to buy as many domain names as anyone wanted. But that was not our only issue.
The main problem of all was that everything was solved manually.
We had to use code to create the Servers, each file and each DNS zone separately. A lot of work!
Later we found some scripts with which we did certain tasks automatically. It helped the situation somewhat and the process became faster.
But again, it took us hours to get a Web Hosting account ready.
But, thank God, things have become much simpler now.
You don’t need to know any of this.
This short guide covers all the basics you need to know about domain names in very plain Greek.
What is a Domain Name?
A Domain Name is an address you type in the Browser’s address bar to go to a web page.
For example, MyIP’s Domain Name is myip.gr.
Just that. You don’t need to write anything other than myip.gr to visit our website.
Each website has a separate Domain Name and cannot be shared with other websites.
Are Domain Names and Websites the same thing?
Think of the Domain Name as your phone number and the website as your mobile phone. Although they are connected, they are separate entities.
You can change your mobile device (website) whenever you want, and at the same time keep the same phone number (domain name).
In case you want to transfer your phone number (domain name) to another provider (domain name registrar), you can keep the same mobile device (website).
Let’s assume that myip.gr has the website you are seeing now. We can create a new website, disconnect the current one from myip.gr and have the new one appear every time someone enters our domain name.
Conversely, we can purchase a new domain name (say example.com) and link it to the present website. The content of the website will not change at all. However, the website will have as a new domain name example.com instead of myip.gr
The key is to understand that your domain name is not tied to a specific website forever. You can disconnect it and connect it to any website you want, as many times as you want. But keep in mind that a domain name can be associated with 1 website at any given time.
Where can I buy a domain name?
You can purchase a domain name from a domain name registrar.
- There are tons of different domain name registrars out there. MyIP is one of them.
- You can purchase a domain name from a domain name registrar. MyIP is a domain name registrar.
Note that when you buy (i.e register) a domain name, you actually pay an annual or bi-annual fee for it to the registrar. With this subscription you ensure that the domain name remains registered in your name.
When the registration period expires and you do not renew it, you lose the domain name as it will become available for anyone else to register it.
Fortunately, domain name registrars will send you several emails to notify you that your registration period is about to expire, or provide you with an automatic renewal option so you don’t have to remember.
Tip: It’s always useful to set a reminder in your calendar before it expires, so you have time to think about whether you still need the domain name and renew in time.
You wouldn’t want someone else to take your domain name, especially if you’ve been running a website on it for years! That’s why set a reminder somewhere so that you renew on time.
How much does it cost to register a domain name?
In general, a domain name will cost you between 10 – 15 euros per year.
Of course, the price can vary depending on the domain name’s ending and according to its registrar.
Tip: Just because one ending is more expensive than another doesn’t mean it’s better. Usually, the most common endings, such as .gr, are the best choice for you.
You can only register a domain name if it is available, that is, if it is not already owned by someone else. Registries usually give you the ability to search if the domain name you are interested in is available.
Most of the time, however, if you want to choose your company name as a domain name, that will be available.
Free Domain Name or Buy a Domain Name?
There is a way to get a free domain name and that is if you buy another service along with it.
MyIP enables its new customers to get a free .gr domain name with the purchase of an annual Semi Dedicated Hosting package. To get a free domain name from MyIP use the “FreeDomain” coupon during your purchase.
There are also companies in the world that give free subdomains along with other free services. A subdomain is a sub-domain name, i.e. it is part of the domain name.
Remember the domain name example.com we mentioned above. A subdomain that you can, for example, get for free from the company Example.com is something like:
- myip.example.com
- name-surname.example.com
- businessname.example.com
What will be the domain name on which you will get a subdomain depends on the company that will give it to you. These subdomains are indeed given for free for as long as you want.
A free subdomain is not a good option though.
In general, you should avoid using a free subdomain for 2 main reasons:
- You do not own the subdomain. Although it’s free to use, you don’t own it. It belongs to the company that provides it to you. This practically means that if you want to transfer the subdomain or the website, you won’t be able to. It also means that the company that gave it to you can delete it at any time.
- A subdomain is an extension of the domain name of the provider company. The name of the provider will always appear at the end of it. For example, if we used the company Example.com, our address would be myip.example.com instead of myip.gr .
This is why we always recommend paying a little bit of money to get a domain name that you will own completely. It will help you with branding among other things.
How do Domain Names work?
To understand how domain names work, we’ll see what happens when you use them in your browser.
When you give your web browser a domain name, it first sends a request to the global network of servers that together make up the Domain Name System (DNS).
These servers then look for the name servers associated with the name and forward the request to those name servers.
For example, if your domain name is hosted on MyIP, then the name servers that will be looked up by DNS will be of the form:
- ns.myip.gr
- ns1.myip.gr
When you give your web browser a domain name, it first sends a request to the global network of servers that together make up the Domain Name System (DNS).
These name servers are computers managed by your hosting company. Once the name servers receive the request, they will notify another computer to find where your web page is stored.
This computer is called a web server. He with the special software he has installed looks for your website files (two well-known web server software are Apache and LiteSpeed). After finding your website, it collects its pieces and puts it together as it should be.
In the end, it sends this data back to your browser and that’s how you see your website.
Which Domain Name Suffix Should I Choose?
From our experience, most people choose .gr as the suffix for their domain name.
There are three main factors shaping this trend:
- We are in a country where the vast majority of the population speaks the Greek language.
- The majority of businesses in Greece are mainly directed to the Greek market.
- The .gr ending is easier for the website visitor to remember than the other endings.
Even if you look at it from other perspectives, the .gr suffix is the best possible choice for domain names.
Did you know that the .gr suffix has the greatest possible security of personal data? Only you and the domain name registrar can know who owns your name. No third party can access this information.
It is also a very economical option. Comparatively, it is one of the cheapest endings with an annual cost ranging between 10-15 euros per year.
Frequently Asked Questions about Domain Names
Over the years we have registered and serviced thousands of domain names to get online. We have heard many questions about domain names from their owners.
So below are the questions to some of the most frequently asked questions about domain names.
What is a subdomain?
A subdomain is essentially a sub-name under the base domain name. For example, blog.myip.gr is a subdomain of myip.gr.
Once you’ve registered a domain name, you can create domain names for it yourself.
Primarily subdomains are used to host parts of web pages. For example, we have blog.myip.gr for our articles and help.myip.gr for our Help Center. Other businesses may have subdomains like store.example.com where they will have their store.
Can I cancel the registration of a domain name?
This depends on both the registrar and the domain name ending.
Some registrars allow cancellation of registration. Still others do not allow it.
Some registrars provide refunds for cancellations, while others do not. In any case, you should read the registrar’s terms of use or contact them to be sure.
Also, in some endings once the vesting request is complete, it cannot be reversed. With the .gr ending, the margin for cancellation of registration is 3 days.
If you unregister the domain name, then it will be immediately available to anyone who wishes to register it.
You should know that domain name renewals are not cancelled.
Can I move my website to another domain name?
Yes you can. Your website can be linked to any domain name you want. There is no limitation.
Depending on the software your website is built with, moving it to another domain name can be either an easy or a very difficult process.
Ask a technician to tell you how easy the transfer can be.
If the transfer becomes difficult then you can find other solutions which include buying a new domain name and setting up Landing Pages.
What is domain name privacy? Do I need it?
In the past, the security of personal data in domain names was very lax. Anyone could search and find all the owner’s personal information on domain names with foreign endings.
To hide them the owner had to pay an additional amount usually equal to the cost of registering the domain name.
In recent years, the situation has changed somewhat for the better, although things can be improved.
.gr domain names on the other hand have never had this problem. The owner’s personal data has always been hidden and only the registrar had access to it.
In our opinion, it would be good if not everyone can find your personal information. Another reason to choose a domain name with a .gr ending is the extra security of personal data it gives you compared to other endings.
Can I buy more than one domain name?
Yes, you can buy as many domain names as you want.
Where can I learn about building websites?
Right here. MyIP has built many websites itself, but also cooperates with experienced and renowned website builders throughout Greece.
You can tell us your needs and we will introduce you to the right one completely free of charge! He will tell you everything you need to build websites.
We hope this article helped you learn what a domain name is and how names work. You can also check out our other articles that will help you better understand the world of Web Hosting and the Internet in general.
Note: Throughout the article we used the term registration of domain names. The correct meaning is domain name registration, not registration.
