Learn what domain names are, how they work, and how to choose the perfect one for your brand or business -beginner-friendly and fast.
Getting online starts with a name your domain name. It’s the first impression your brand, business, or idea makes on the internet. Whether you’re launching a startup, personal blog, online store, or NGO, your domain name is your digital address.
In this post, we’ll break down everything you need to know about domain names, what they are, how they work, different types, and how to choose the best one.
What is a Domain Name?
A domain name is the human-readable address of your website. It’s what people type into a browser to visit your site, for example:google.com, hordanso.net, or applelightcompany.ng.
Each domain name maps to a specific IP address, but instead of remembering numbers like 216.58.223.110, we use domain names. Easy, right?
Structure of a Domain Name
A domain is made up of three key parts
www.applelightcompany.com.ng
│ │ │ │
│ └ Subdomain └ Name └ Top-Level Domain (TLD)
Subdomain: Optional prefix like www, blog, or store.
Domain Name: Your brand or chosen keyword (applelightcompany).
TLD (Top-Level Domain): Extension like .ng, .com, .org, .store.
Types of Domain Extensions (TLDs)
We offer a wide variety of TLDs
🇳🇬 Nigeria-Specific TLDs
You can register the following .ng extensions depending on your personal, business, academic, or mobile use case:
.ng.com.ng.org.ng.net.ng.name.ng.mobi.ng.sch.ng.i.ng.edu.ng
Each of these serves a purpose:
.com.ng– Best for businesses in Nigeria.org.ng– Perfect for nonprofits and NGOs.edu.ng– Reserved for accredited Nigerian academic institutions.name.ng– For individuals and personal branding.sch.ng– Suitable for secondary schools.mobi.ng– Mobile-friendly businesses or apps.i.ng– Creative, short, and highly brandable.net.ng– Network and infrastructure-related projects.ng– Premium-level domains with more prestige and flexibility
Global TLDs (Generic)
These are popular worldwide and can help your brand reach a global audience:
.com.org.net.xyz
