Choosing a great domain name defines your company and brand. It provides users a first impression of your company, which can send them to your website with eagerness or in the other direction uninterested in seeing more. The domain name affects SEO and the ranking your website earns within the search engine for targeted keywords. Your domain name sticks with your company for the long haul. It’s essential the name chosen positively impacts your company. The following steps ease the daunting task of choosing a domain name that enhances your brand.
Domain Extensions
42% of all websites use a .com name extension. Other extensions such as .co, .org., and .net aren’t as easy to remember or as familiar to users, thus decreasing the likelihood they’ll visit your website. Many successful websites indeed end with these extensions, however, only non-profit organizations may use a .org extension and a .com extension fares better than the other options. If the website address you want is taken using a .com, try .net next. If you cannot use either of those extensions, choosing another domain name is the best option.
Generic or Brandable Domain
A brandable domain name stands out from the competition, providing a unique name for your company. A generic domain name is one that is keyword-stuffed, oftentimes difficult to remember. Examples of generic domain names include photographerweddings.com; photographerweddingstx.com; and photographerweddings.net are not legitimate business names, they don’t get the crowd talking about your company and they certainly will not have a way to separate you from the competition. Janasweddingphotography.com, on the other hand, provides users with a name to remember and helps build better trust with a customer or client.
Choose a Short Domain Name
The shorter the domain name, the easier it is to remember and type into a search engine, thus increasing the number of visitors who’ll patronize your site -and return again in the future. When choosing a website name or a domain name for a blog, shorter is simple!DataGenetics.com reports the average domain name is around 12characters. Keep your domain name within this 12-character limit!
A Simple Name
Good domain names are short and they're simple names that customers can remember. People can remember a name such as Crystal’s Movies better than Crystalzmoviez. Simple, common spellings are an essential part of any domain name, at least one is successful. Complicated spelling may cause a visitor to mistype your website address and land at the hands of the competition instead. It’s easy to forget a website name with uncommon and strange spellings. Keep It simple!
Choose Niche keywords
SEO has progressed and keywords no longer hold a mandatory spot in today’s world. However, using keywords in your domain name and website content benefits your company significantly if they’re correctly used. If using keywords in the domain name, use them at the beginning of the name, where they're most powerful. Keep in mind that keyword stuffing is a blackhat SEO technique that can negatively impact your company. Too many keywords stuffed into your domain name may be perceived as an attempt to use this tactic.
Think Long-Term Results
Good domain names benefit your company now and in the future. Your domain is a part of your brand for as long as the company is round. It is important that the domain name is carefully chosen in a manner that benefits the company today and well into the future. Although changing a domain name is certainly possible, doing so comes at a great cost. Not only does a company endure the costs to change the name, but also in the loss of customers, SEO ranking, and branding. Changing your domain is a big pain that you can avoid by choosing a domain name that works for the future. Of the many tips for choosing a domain name, this is one of the most important!
Could you add more services in the future? Will you combine industries? There are many components of choosing a domain name. Answer these questions and others like it when choosing the name to make sure it will not interfere with any future changes and that its a name that works for you for the long-term.
Is the Website Name Trademarked?
Another concern that many people face when choosing their domain name is the name availability. If the name that you want is trademarked elsewhere, you are out of luck and the name is off-limited, the property of the company that purchased rights to the name. Check current trademarks using Justia or another trusted website. Do not attempt to use a domain name that is trademarked already. The right domain name is out there if the name you want is taken already.
Register Your Domain
Once the above steps are complete, it is time to register your domain. Registering your domain name is vital since it is the only way you become the owner of the name. Many domain hosts are out there, all of which charge a small fee for their service. Registering your domain with the best host is another way to ensure your company's success. Research a few hosts to find the provider most suitable to your needs.
Tips for Choosing Domain Name for Blog
Choosing a name for your business is important. It's just as important that you pick a domain name that does great things for your business. Keep the tips above in mind when you need to pick a domain name and choose the right domain name with confidence!
