The domain name you choose for your website is, essentially, your digital “street address.” Even when you add a new design and create an amazing site, if you get the address wrong, it may seem spammy, which will cause you to lose customers before they even venture onto your website.
However, choosing the right domain name will open the door for visitors to land on your site and stick around for a while. The right domain name will exude professionalism and set the stage for the rest of your business website.
With almost two billion websites online today, finding the perfect domain name can be tricky. While this is true, there are a few tips that can help you with this important decision. Keep reading to learn more.
The Domain Name: What Is It and Why Is It Important?
Before diving into the specifics of choosing a domain name, it’s important to know exactly what this is and why it matters.
When you look for a website, you will enter an address into the address bar. The address you enter is also the domain name. Even though computers use IP addresses to identify them, remembering this long string of digits can be challenging. This is why the domain name was created. These are easy to remember and type into address bars.
Be sure to choose a domain name that represents what your company does and that appeals to your customers. Choosing a domain name with the name of your business in it will help and ensure people can find your website easily. It’s best to avoid things like underscores or other characters that could create confusion or be hard to remember.
Now that you know what they are, you may wonder why domain names are so important.
The domain name you choose will provide instant credibility and help you compete with the big names out there. It also lets shoppers know you are serious about what you offer, have a forward-thinking company, and that what you offer can be easily accessed online. Your domain name is the pathway that people use to visit your website, find out more about your business, and buy the services or products you offer.
Choosing the right domain can help build your brand and create a strong image for your business. Now, let’s dive into the best tips for choosing a domain name for your business.
Choose Something That’s Easy to Remember
The domain name you use needs to be easy to remember. After all, people have limits on how much they can remember. While you don’t have to get down and dirty with the neuroscience of this, there are a few limits to remember when selecting your domain name.
Specifically, the more stress you put on someone’s working memory, the more difficult humans will find to complete tasks. Because of this, you have to choose the domain name carefully.
While this may seem obvious, it is not as simple as it seems. The way the human memory perceives certain things depends on the specific items and if they are associated with any other memory system.
Keeping things simple is imperative. It’s also necessary to make sure there are no more than seven individual elements involved.
Use the Right Keywords
It’s smart to use keywords that describe your business, along with the services and products you offer. For example, if your business offers glass replacement services, options like “GlassRepair.com” or “NewAutoGlass.com” are smart options.
By doing this, you will be easy to find, it’s clear what you do, and it will help improve your rank in SERPs (search engine results pages). This will help increase organic traffic and will make more sense for your customers.
Choose a Mobile Friendly Domain Name
Mobile devices now make up most of your internet traffic. This means that you can expect at least half of the people who search for your domain address to use a mobile device to arrive there.
This means you need to consider all the autocorrect victims “out there” and find a concise and memorable name.
Some examples of easy-to-remember, mobile-friendly domain names include things like Bing, Google, and Facebook. These are simple, short, and everyone knows the right way to spell them.
When you are trying to find the perfect domain name, be sure to type it into your mobile device first. Is it easy to type? If you are fast when it comes to using your phone and typing things in, ask someone who is not as tech-savvy to try it.
Target Your Local Area
If you have a local business, think about adding your city or state in the domain name. This is going to make it easier for local people to find and remember. Regardless of where you are, you can probably find a geographic domain extension to suit your business and where you are located.
Avoid Using Hyphens and Numbers
Hyphens and numbers are not well understood. People who hear the website address for your business won’t know if you are using the numeral in the address (4) or if they should spell out the word (four). They may also forget or misplace the hyphen you add. If you require these in your domain, be sure to register each variation to make sure your site is found no matter what is entered in the address bar.
Research the Name You Want
When selecting a domain name, be sure that the name you choose is not copyrighted, trademarked, or being used by a different business. If you use a name that has any of these things, it may cause a huge legal mess that could cost you a lot of money. You may also lose the domain.
Choose the Right Domain Extension
The extensions are suffixes, such as .net or .com, that come at the end of your web address. These usually have specific uses, so it is important to choose an appropriate one for your business.
The .com domain extension is the most popular and commonly used option. However, it can be challenging to get a memorable and short .com domain name. This is because it is so popular, and it has been around for so long.
Today, though, you can find all types of generic, top-level domains. Some examples include .guru, .NYC, .photography, .app, and so many others. These give you the chance to register a relevant and short name. Some other options to choose from include:
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- .me: Perfect for personal sites, resumes, or blogs.
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- .co: An abbreviation for community, commerce, or company.
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- .biz: Perfect for commercial or business use.
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- .info: Ideal if you have an informational site.
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- .org: This option is for any nonprofit or non-commercial organization.
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- .net: Smart for internet infrastructure or technical sites.
Build and Protect Your Brand
If you want to protect your brand, you should consider buying different domain extensions and even misspelled versions of the domain name you want to have. This will help keep competitors from registering other versions while ensuring your customers find your website, even if it is mistyped.
Don’t Wait to Choose and Register Your Domain Name
It’s important to remember that domain names are going to sell quickly. While this is true, many names are inexpensive, which means you can register several, just in case you want to use one in the future.
If you have difficulty finding a good domain name, you can use host sites, which are going to offer alternatives to the name you want. This can help you find the perfect name for your site.
Purchase Expired or Existing Domains
It may also be a good idea to think about purchasing an existing domain. This is because, in some situations, existing domains could have some of the following features:
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- Existing authority backlinks
- Higher domain authority or domain rating
- Existing brand and traffic
- High PageRank
Even a small boost can help you get a jump start when it comes to ranking well in search engines. You can also find tools online to help you find these expired domains.
While this can be smart, it’s also a risk. Before jumping into this and purchasing something, be sure there are no existing trademarks. Also, if the domain is being used by a brand now, be sure to look at the traffic patterns. If there is a constant reduction in traffic, it means that a Google penalty likely hits the site. It may also just mean that no work has been done on the domain in a while.
Finding the Right Domain for Your Website</h2>
When it is time to find the right domain for your website, there are several factors you must consider. Take some time to think about the factors above to find the domain that is best suited for your business and website. Doing this is going to pay off and be beneficial for your website and brand. Being informed is the best way to get the best domain name for your business.