Top Tips For Choosing The Right Domain Name For Your Site

Choosing the right domain for your website is vital. It’s not just a text or phrase that your audience will type to get to you, but whatever domain you choose will have an impact on your search visibility, and can make or break your business. You have plenty of domain options today, but to achieve optimal results, you still have to adhere to some of the best practices.

Having the right website domain name is a crucial element for the success of your brand or business. It is also important to choose the perfect one from the start since changing it later will hurt both your brand and rankings on search engines.

When thinking of your site’s domain name, treat it like you’re choosing a name for your future kid. It needs a long consideration and thought process. It should represent your future goals and worldview, but at the same time, it needs to be easy to read and understand.

Coming up with a catchy name for your company can be quite tricky, especially if you’re just starting. So make sure to use our simple tips to help you get started and ensure you’ll pick the right domain name that will help identify your business or brand and make it thrive.

1

Make It Easy To Spell And Type

Google, CNN, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other popular websites around the world have one thing in common: they’re easy to type. Using an easy to spell and type domain is crucial to your online success.

Your customers will have a hard time finding your website if you’ll use slang language or words with several spellings. You shouldn’t complicate things with your potential customers. You don’t want them to mistype your site’s domain and as a result be redirected to a different site. Use “are” instead of “r” and “express” instead of “xpress.”

2

Consider Incorporating Keywords

Incorporating your domain name with keywords is not required, but they can play an essential role in it, so consider using them. However, make sure to use only those that best describe your brand, business, or the products and services you’re offering. By doing so, you’re telling search engines what your site is all about. Combine it with great user experience and quality content, and you’ll be able to rank high in Google search results.

It will be a challenge to find the perfect domain with the target keywords you have in mind that are not yet taken. Try to be as creative as you can, and consider combining other words with your keywords. Also, ensure that your domain name is aimed towards your site visitors and the message of your brand.

3

Short And Sweet

In terms of domain length, the shorter, the better. Again, the last thing you want is for your visitors to mistype or misspell it. Make it short, simple, memorable, and keep it within the recommended 12-15 characters max.

4

Choosing Your Domain’s Extension

It’s important to make your domain stand out from the rest since its a big part of your brand. You want to create your own identity, but at the same time, you’d want to be cautious with your uniqueness.

When it comes to building a long-lasting brand online and choosing your domain extension, .com is still the best option. It’s the easiest to remember, and the most familiar with online users.

Although, there are a lot of successful .org and .net websites, .com is still your safest bet. Many people are still not aware that there are other top-level domains (TLDs) that exist, therefore they may hesitate to click your site if it has an extension unfamiliar to them. Choosing .com will make it easier for you and your users.

However, there’s always an exception to every rule. In the case of domain name extensions, you may want to consider using a local TLD if you’re catering to a local audience. So if your blog is mainly for the UK market, you can use a .co.uk extension. But if you plan on expanding in the future, you’d greatly benefit by also getting a .com version.

Here’s a list of other top extensions and their common uses:

 

.co: Abbreviation for companies, communities, and commerce

.net: For internet infrastructure or technical websites.

.org: Used for non-commercial and nonprofit organizations.

.biz: Commonly used for commercial and business purposes, such as e-commerce websites.

.me: Often seen on resumes, blogs, and personal sites.

5

Avoid Numbers And Hyphens

Your website’s domain should be a few words or a word that makes a lot of sense together. Verbally communicating a domain with a number, space, or hyphen is quite difficult.

Hyphens and numbers are not only challenging but often misunderstood. People may get confused whether the number in your domain name should be typed as a numeral or spelled out. They may also forget or misplace the dash.

Sticking with letters from a to z is the best practice. If your domain truly needs these, consider registering several variations to be on the safe side.

6

Be Unique And Memorable

If you want your domain name to stand out from the millions registered out there, make it unique, catchy, and memorable. But do not forget to apply the tips above. List down a few options and share them with your family or friends to get their feedback on which one sounds appealing and makes sense.

Also, make sure your domain is not similar to your competition or someone else. Do a bit of research first to avoid this. It will have an impact on your business, and the right domain name can help build your brand and strengthen its message, as well as promote your culture.

7

Check Availability

It is of utmost importance that the domain name you’ve chosen is not copyrighted, trademarked or being used by another business company. The last thing you want is to get entangled in a messy legal battle that can cost you not just your domain, but a fortune as well.

8

Keep Branding In Mind

Your domain is the face of your business, so make it sound like a brand. It should be related to the services or products you’re offering aside from being memorable, unique, and catchy. Use significant words with mass appeal that can grab the attention and pique the interest of your target audience.

Choosing a brandable domain name can help establish your brand and online presence, and drive traffic to your site. It’s also helpful in advertising by word of mouth.

Also, protect your brand, you may want to purchase different domain extensions, including misspelled versions of your domain. You’d want to prevent your competition from registering your domain’s other versions. It will also ensure your customers will be directed to your site even if they mistyped or misspelled it.

9

Register With A Trustworthy And Reliable Domain Registrar

Domain registrars are companies that register a domain name on your behalf. They will then give you complete access to the domain of your choice.

When looking for a registrar, it is vital to sign up with a trustworthy and respectable company to avoid any problems with your domain name in the future. You don’t want to lose your domain when you’ve worked so hard on establishing the brand of your site.

10

Act Right Away!

Most domain names are affordable, and they sell fast. So, if you’ve found the perfect one, act quickly and register it as soon as you can. If your chosen domain is not available, most registrars will provide you with suggestions for the perfect domain names.

Your domain name is where you’ll do your business online. Having something that can tell search engines and your visitors what your brand is, what you do, and who you are clearly, can help your business establish a strong online presence. Do not just pick whatever’s available, take the time to think it through, to ensure you’ll end up with the best domain for your brand or company. Do you find our tips helpful? Let us know by commenting below!

Aileen Cuaresma

Aileen Cuaresma

Aileen is a Technical and Creative writer with an extensive knowledge of WordPress and Shopify. She works with companies on building their brand and optimizing their website. She also runs a local travel agency with her family. On her free time, she loves reading books, exploring the unknown, playing with her two adorable dogs, and listening to K-pop.

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