{"id":4563,"date":"2016-04-04T10:47:33","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:47:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/smallbusiness\/business-operations\/how-does-a-website-get-a-domain-name.html"},"modified":"2024-08-16T10:25:58","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T15:25:58","slug":"how-does-a-website-get-a-domain-name","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/smallbusiness\/business-operations\/how-does-a-website-get-a-domain-name.html","title":{"rendered":"How Does a Website Get a Domain Name?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How Does a Website Get a Domain Name?<\/h1>\n
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\n By Christie Nicholson, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
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Editorial Note: We earn a commission from affiliate partner links on FindLaw. Commissions do not affect the editorial integrity of our legal content.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n

\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Most business owners today have an online presence. Even most brick-and-mortar stores have a business website. It’s nearly impossible to compete in today’s market without one.<\/p>\r\n

If you already have a website, you likely have protections to ensure legal compliance and prevent trademark infringement. But, if you’re an entrepreneur just starting or are still looking for the perfect domain name, we can help.<\/p>\r\n

Here, we’ll explain why creating a unique domain name for your business is essential. We will also describe the legal issues you may encounter when registering your website name. If you aren’t comfortable creating your small business website, do what other small business owners<\/a> do \u2014 talk to a professional.<\/p>\r\n

We make business formation EASY. Click here to start your free LLC<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\r\n

What Is a Domain Name?<\/h2>\r\n

If you run an e-commerce<\/a> site or maintain a website for your small business, you likely know what a domain name is. Technically, a domain name is the unique part of a website’s Universal Resource Locator (URL). The URL is the website’s address. The domain name is the first part of your site’s URL. It’s usually the same as your business name.<\/p>\r\n

For example, this website’s URL is https:\/\/www.findlaw.com<\/a>. The domain name is in the main part of the URL, findlaw.com. The suffix "com" indicates the type of entity that owns the domain name.<\/p>\r\n

Of course, sometimes your business name isn’t available as a domain name. In that case, you’ll want to choose a domain name similar to your company name or indicating the specific goods or services you offer. You also want to use search engine optimization (SEO) tools when creating your domain name so your brand name appears high in the rankings in a Google search, Bing search, etc.<\/p>\r\n

Types of Website Suffixes<\/h2>\r\n

As mentioned above, your domain name is the first part of your company’s web address. The second part, the suffix, identifies the type of business or organization that owns and maintains the website.<\/p>\r\n

There are several suffixes you can choose from, including:<\/p>\r\n