A domain name is the IP (internet protocol) address of a website aka the website’s name and it’ll likely be the very first thing that’ll come to mind when your seeking to have a website built for your business. Choosing a name for your website is a crucial part of the web design process (yes, it begins with a domain name) but it’s a deceptively simple decision however and it is easy to get it wrong. A domain name should have the following critical elements met:
- Easy to remember, spell and is short. Whether your website’s name is given out in conversation or printed on business cards, people should be able to recall it as easily as possible, which ties in with it’s spelling. If not, you risk losing visitors (and therefore potential clients). An ideal name one word or two words that make sense when put together. It can be a made up word (think Google) but it adheres to the above elements
- Is easy for people of any nationality to pronounce. People much prefer words they can say without effort and will give a domain name the advantage of it easily being passed onto others in conversation (as in the case of a recommendation)
- Use only letters. It is important to consider that your domain name influences your website’s SEO (search engine optmisation) and search engines such as Google will not give your website as much credibility if it’s domain includes characters such as hyphens, numbers or anything other than words
- Include keywords relating to what your business is offering. If your business is a law firm try to include ‘lawyer’ in the domain. Doing so will help your audience associate you strongly with what your offering. This can also have a powerful influence over your website’s SEO as Google can give preference to domains that include keywords
- Representative of your brand or business. Ensure your domain ‘fits’ with what your business is all about; if you are a law firm, avoid names that inspire playfulness and creativity and go for something serious and assertive
- Stand out. Uniqueness is the name of the game, so to speak. In an ocean of brands and businesses, you should consider inserting your brand name into the domain title, making it more unique and people will be more likely to remember your website
- Consider the domain extension. This may not affect an audience for ecommerce but it might if your business is of another type. Depending on where you are located and therefore where your target audience is located, you might want to consider using, for example, ‘co.uk’ for a UK based audience but if your audience is worldwide, you might want to use ‘.com’
- Look up the domain name history. Why is this important? There’s every chance that your chosen name has had a previous owner (unless it’s super unique) and it’s also quite possible that it they may have used the name for nefarious ends or an illegitimate business, such as a scammer’s website. Such activity will affect it’s relationship with Google and you’d do well to stay well clear of it so we recommend you do this due diligence
In what is now a web bursting with saturated markets of all kinds, your business is going to belong to one of them, and so you need to do everything you can in order to stand out amongst the competition. Your domain is a piece of internet real estate, so to speak and it’s vital to get it right the first time. You definitely don’t want to have to change domains once you have established an audience and following. Once you’ve decided on a domain name, it’s best to buy and secure it immediately, as there is every chance it can be taken at any point. Because the web is saturated with websites with hundreds of thousands more going live each day, choosing a domain name that meets these guidelines is not as simple as it may seem.
You will likely discover that your chosen domain (s) are already taken or have been bought up by individuals who are looking to resell them at (often) extortionate figures. However if your chosen name is already owned and you’ve got your heart set on it, you may contact a domain registrar to communicate with the domain owner on your behalf. You may also contact the domain owner yourself and circumvent the registrar’s broker fee. In the case that you are stuck for domain name suggestions if your chosen one is already taken, most registrars, domain providers and hosting websites will offer up similar suggestions for you.
As already mentioned, domain extensions are what follow the name itself such as .com, co.uk or net however there are now many more extensions that have been created and are in circulation. The aforementioned extensions (there are many more) have been around for decades and were amongst the first to exist but are the most commonly used and also the most trusted. The extension can also indicate the geographical location so if your business is located in the United Kingdom you might want to consider an appropriate extension, as you will get more interest on the whole from UK based audience. On the other hand if you want to appeal to a more worldwide audience, it’s more appropriate to go for .com.
Ready to purchase your domain name? There are many companies offering domains for rental as well as packages which include hosting and web space. Ensure you do your research on their pricing and policies and consider recommendations before you purchase from any company. When you choose us for your web design and development project, we consult with you to help you choose and obtain the best domain name for your business. Get in touch for a friendly chat, today.