Are you planning to create a website for your business or company? Starting a new blog in your niche? The first step towards building your brand is to choose an appropriate domain name. But first, let’s learn the basic definition of the domain name.
“A domain name is a web address used by the internet users to access your website.”
As the image suggests, www stands for the subdomain, tinydancinghorse is the domain name and .com is the top level domain or TLD.
Your domain address serves as your unique identity on the web. Therefore, a lot of thought is required for choosing the best option. Make sure your domain name easily fits your business and is easier to discover and promote.
So, 10 tips for picking the best domain name
1) Keep it short and precise
A long domain name has a higher scope of getting mistyped or misspelled. On the other hand, short URLs are easier to remember and show up easily in the search engine result page. Short names look better in the offline media and fit on business cards better. Always opt for a short and sweet domain address and keep your end user happy.
2) Must be easier to type
Users are lazy creatures and want to reach the destination URL as early as possible. If your domain is hard to type, difficult and long, it will end up frustrating the end user. You should also avoid words like xclamatiton, xpress, etc. as the user will end up typing a similar spelling. Opt for a simple and easy to remember the name as a confusing domain will lower your chances of getting found by the potential audience.
3) Don’t use hyphens or numbers
Hyphens and numbers always end up confusing the users. For example, if your site is fivebox.com, user hearing your domain address will not understand if it’s a number (5) or a word (five). This will further irritate your user and you might end up losing a potential customer.
4) Make it catchy and memorable
Thousands of domains are registered every minute on the web. Therefore, to stay at top of the game, you must opt for a catchy and memorable name which can be easily recalled by your users. Once you decide your domain, share it with your closed ones to get an honest opinion for the same.
5) Target location for local business
If you have a local business or venture, and you don’t intend to go global in the future, you should consider including your city or area in the domain name. Eg – Newyorkwatchrepair.com. This will help local customers to find you easily and your domain will rank higher in local search results.
6) Make use of keywords
Focus on including your main keyword in the domain name. For example – if you repair watches, you may want to opt for WatchRepair.com. If you are running out of ideas, consider using domain suggestion tools online. Also, consider using suffixes and prefixes to create a domain that grabs attention. Your domain must give a clear idea about the niche of your website. This will help you get noticed by both search engines and the users.
7) Do a thorough Research
You must choose a domain name that isn’t copyrighted, trademarked or being used by another business. If caught, you may end up facing serious legal implications or even lose the domain name. You should also avoid booking a domain that closely resembles a popular brand as it can lead to confusion. As a thumb rule, whenever you find a good domain name and are about to register it, Google it and look at the first and second-page results. This will give you an idea about the businesses that already use this address and operate in a similar niche.
8) Safeguard your online identity
When you register your domain name, you should also purchase the misspelled versions of your web address various domain extensions for the same. This will prevent your rivals from registering the similar domain names and the users will be directed to your site in all cases.
9) Use the right domain extension
Domain extension is the suffix that follows the domain name (eg. .com, .in, .net, etc.). You must choose an extension that works best for your website. .com is the most commonly used generic top level domain and is used worldwide for commercial purposes. If you are targeting your country specifically, you should opt for a country level extension like .co.uk for the United Kingdom, .in for India, etc.
Some of the well-known generic domain extensions are given below:
- .org : stands for organization. Mostly registered by non- profit organizations like industry groups and charity.
- .info : used for informational sites.
- .biz : used for business or commercial use
- .me : resumes, personal blogs or websites.
- .net : organizations involved in networking technologies. (Internet provider, services, technology, network)
10) Book your domain fast
Every second, millions of people are finding the right domain for their business. Due to high demand, your potential domain name might be sold before you decide to register it. To your relief, most of the domain names are less expensive. So do thorough research and buy your domain as soon as possible.
Choosing a domain name requires thorough research and analysis. It should be intuitive, build trust, have a good history and focus on target markets. Don’t just pick a domain blindly. Follow the tips provided above and register the perfect domain for your business or venture.