What’s in a name? Turns out if it’s your domain name, a whole heck of a lot! Picking a domain for your website can be tricky, but a memorable domain name is a very important part of your online presence.
Here are a few tips to help you pick a domain that will stand out and help your business get seen online.
Keep your domain name simple.
This is how your customers are going to find you online. It’s going to be included on business cards, in your email signature, and on various marketing materials. You will be verbally instructing people how to find you online using this domain name. It will be what you use for your professional email account.
A short domain name that includes your business name, and is easy to say without needing to spell out or explain specific elements is best. Try to avoid numbers or hyphens – you’ll spend more time clarifying if it’s 4 or four than you would like. Practice with a few options – say them out loud and see which one seems to roll off your tongue the easiest.
Keep your domain name branded.
Ideally, your domain would be www.YourBusinessName.com. However, that domain may not be available, or maybe you have a business name that’s difficult to spell or really long. You may have to get creative, but try to keep your domain as closely related to your business name, or what your business does, as possible. Brainstorm several options and test them with friends and family – they can be a great sounding board for you in this process.
If your domain is taken, an option is to add a local element to it, assuming you’re a local or regional business. For example, www.YourBusinessNameSC.com or www.YourBusinessNameCharleston.com could be two options for you.
To check on the availability of any domain, the Whois search function is great, especially because you can look at a domain’s registry details if it is taken. This is a valuable resource if you’d like to try to purchase a domain from someone who already owns it.
Don’t forget search engine optimization when it comes to your domain!
Keywords are important to your SEO, and they shouldn’t be overlooked when it comes to your domain. Let’s use a plumbing company for example: Your primary domain might be www.MyBusinessName.com. However, you may also want to purchase www.CharlestonPlumbing.com or www.CharlestonPlumbers.com and point them to your website.
Pro Tip: You can point multiple domains to the same website!
.com is best.
.com is just one of the many TLDs (top-level domain) available. There is also .net, .org, .edu, .gov…in fact, there are hundreds of TLDs.
We often see business who wanted a specific domain name, but the .com version was already taken, so they opted for .net. Our recommendation is to always try to use .com. Even though there are many TLD options, most internet users assume .com when typing in a website domain. Of course, if you have no other choice than to use .net or one of the other options, it’s not the end of the world.
It might take a little brain power and creative thinking, but landing on a domain name that people can easily remember and quickly type into a browser will both benefit your business, and save you the headache of repeatedly explaining how to access your website. If you need help claiming your domain and creating your website, call us at (800) 759-7996 or fill out our free consultation form.
