What is a domain name?

Put simply a domain name is the address that people use to find a specific website. It's what you type in the browser's address bar to go to a specific website.

For example, our domain name is: http://www.clarkedesign.co.uk

What happens when I type in a URL
Your Internet Service Provider manages an internet address book for you. When you type in a URL it looks up this address, and forwards you across the Internet to the appropriate web site location.

Do I have to type http://
No you don't. Most modern web site browsers assume that you are looking for a web site and will add this part in for you. Just type 'www.clarkedesign.co.uk' and the browser software will do the rest for you.