The longer you leave choosing your domain name the harder it will get. More and more of the good ones are getting snapped up as you read this.
If you have clicked on this article then you are here for one of two reasons – (1) you want to start a personal blog and you want a domain name that matches your brand, or (2) you are setting up a website for your business and you need a catchy domain name that your customers will remember.
Well, the good news is that the process for picking out a domain name for both of these situations is the name – so this article will be helpful for everyone.
We have spoken to a lot of website owners that think that their domain name will not affect their traffic at all. Sadly, that is not the case. Your domain name is as important to many as your website design and the type of products that you are selling.
But, you do not have to worry for much longer – we have put this article together to help you find the perfect domain name for your website.
#1 – Brand Recognition Is Key
When you are looking for the right domain name you need to think about the topic your domain name is going to be focused around.
For example, if you are a website selling tomato seeds – do you focus on your brand or on the fact that you sell tomatoes.
Well, the answer to this question is simple – focus on your branding, it is what makes you unique. Other people will have blogs like yours or sell the same items as you. But none of them is your brand.
If your brand is still young and you are still working on a name – why not use a recourse like https://www.blogoftom.com/ to help you?
#2 – Choose The Appropriate Domain Extension
When it comes to domain extensions there are only three acceptable options – .com, .org, and .net. Avoid anything else. With the only accepting being a location-specific extension if you are not based in the USA.
If you know a little bit about the internet then you will know that other domain extensions do not always mean the site is untrustworthy. It might mean that they are part of a saturated market and could not get the .com or that they were trying to save money by going for a cheaper domain extension.
However, if you want the search engines to drive traffic to your site you will need to use one of the three we mentioned above. Going for .com if it is available to you. Many people still do not trust sites that are not .com sites. Particularly older web users.
#3 – Make It Easy To Type And Spell
You want people to be able to find your website with ease. That means that they need to be able to type your URL straight into the search bar or type your domain into Google without worrying about the spelling.
You should do your best to avoid letters doubling up where words meet – for example, theelephanttour.com. Notice that the es double up when the and elephant meet and so do the ts with elephant and tour.
You want to make finding you as easy as possible for your customers.
Also try to avoid changing the spelling of pre-existing words, where you can. It is better to take cabbage.org rather than cabbage.com.
#4 – Make It Easy To Pronounce
On the same note, you should make sure that your domain name is easy to pronounce. If people can say it out loud then they are more likely to remember it, talk about it, and share it with their friends.
That will create the kind of organic traffic will the search engines love to see. Meaning that you might start to rank higher without any effort on your part. Win-win.
#5 – Keep It Short
This tip is tied pretty closely to the previous two – you want to make it easy for your customers or readers to find you, so keep things short.
There is no need to have your domain name be a whole sentence. If you are struggling to find something that works well, why not take a leaf out of Google’s book and make up a word that is easy to spell, remember, and pronounce.
#6 – No Hyphens, No Numbers
Hyphens and numbers will also confuse the people who are trying to look for your brand.
It makes the domain more difficult to remember, to spell, and it makes it more complicated. It is best to stick to something short and simple.
#7 – Represent Your Service And Niche
If you are a website that offers a service – like shed building for example – then you might want to consider theming your domain around the service rather than the brand.
If someone is looking for someone to build a shed for them, they are more likely to click on a website named shedbuilders.com than one that is named after a company they have never heard of.
Think about how you can use your domain name to sell your services in a simple way. This tip is not really applicable if you have a blog or you are trying to sell products.
#8 – Check It Is Not Taken Before You Get Too Attached
It is really important that you check someone else does not have a trademark on a name before you try to buy it as a domain name. This can lead to legal problems on both sides and everyone having to spend a lot of money.
Before you put your domain name on anything permanent – like a business card – you should check that the domain name is available and you should secure it. This will save you money and embarrassment.
#9 – Short Term Decisions Can Be Expensive
Some people like to pick a “temporary” domain name so that they can get their website up and running quickly.
That is short-term thinking and here we are all about planning for the long term. You can always change a domain name but there are consequences to doing this.
It will cost you money to change your domain name. You will need to spend time redesigning your website. You will also notice that it ruins a lot of your SEO and you might even notice that your traffic drops after changing your domain name.
#10 – If You Are Struggling, Bring In An Expert
There are people who plan out branding, social media, and websites for a living. If you are really struggling with the task of picking the right domain name then you should consider making the most of these people’s skills and experience.
This is definitely a choice that you want to get right. You may benefit for a long time if you make the right choice. For that reason, we would definitely consider investing in some help from an expert on this task.
Choosing your domain name can seem like a simple task but the more you look into it, the more you will understand what an important choice it is. The ideas above will help you make that choice easier for you and find the best name.
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