This is a guest post from Steve Travolds, an editor from the MMO Article Directory.

In simple terms, a domain name is the Web address which is needed to start a website. Any individuals or company who want to start a website must first go through the process of finding a suitable domain name and then purchasing it. Personal Web sites are becoming much more popular, and many people have a need for one or more domain names, whether for personal and family-related reasons, or to support home business ventures. Of course, having a Web site for a business is something that is almost expected, as not having an online presence for a business can seriously limit customer accessibility.

When selecting a domain name, one of the first terms you will need to understand is TLD, or Top Level Domain. This is the last part of the name, such as .com or .net. These are available as generic top-level domains, referred to as a gTLD, which include TLDs such as .com, .net, .edu, and .gov. There are also country code top-level domains, referred to as a ccTLD, which includes TLDs such as .us for the United States, .ca for Canada, and .uk for the United Kingdom. Domain name extensions, which are open for anybody to register, such as .com, .net and .org, are referred to as open TLDs. Other TLDs are limited as to who can register them, such as .gov for government sites, and .edu for educational institutions.

Finding a good domain name is important. It should be short, easy to remember, and relevant to the business or use for the domain. Although many people feel that all the good domain names are already taken, in fact there are still plenty of good names that can be acquired. In addition to the standard domain name registration process, it is possible to acquire what is referred to as an aftermarket domain name. One good way of acquiring an aftermarket name is through the domain auctions at GoDaddy. Through GoDaddy auctions, you are able to bid on domain names that are offered for sale by their current owners, as well as domain names registered with GoDaddy, which have expired. GoDaddy auctions also provide information about the domain name, such as the domain's traffic history. There are also domain appraisal services offered by GoDaddy.

In addition to registering a domain name, there are other services that are needed for a website. Choosing these services through the registrar used for the domain name is generally preferred, as this can help keep things simple. GoDaddy provides many different services and features that are provided as free extras with a domain name registration. These free features include a personalized email account that provides virus, spam and fraud protection, as well as a free GoDaddy Photo Album, which makes sharing photos quick and easy. You can also post your own blog free of charge, and even build a free five-page Web site for your domain. Building a Web site with GoDaddy's Web Site Builder is easy, and requires no special software. Using nothing more than your Internet browser, you will be able to add your own photos and text and have your site up and running quickly.

You see, GoDaddy offers more than just a domain name when buying your domain through them, on top of that, they are often much cheaper than other registrars. This is why we suggest GoDaddy when anyone asks about registering domains, and why so many marketers and web site owners surf to GoDaddy to buy domain names.

A good tip when trying to find a domain name is to use the GoDaddy bulk register form and enter in all the word combinations you want to consider for your domain name, and then choose the TLD's you would go for like .com, .net, etc. It saves from searching one at a time. Start your domain name search with GoDaddy now, click here.

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