10+ pro tips for choosing The Perfect Domain
What is a domain? In simple terms, domains are like addresses to our websites. We can as well say they are the names given to websites. These names usually relate to the services we offer on our websites and what is contained in them. By the time you read this article, most of the domain name that come first into your head are taken. Domains which contain words that are commonly searched on the internet are usually referred to as premium domains and are usually expensive. But don’t get discouraged just yet. There are several factors that if you put into consideration, you will land a perfect domain to represent your brand online.
Among the factors that you should consider include:
- Make it easy to type
Make sure that you choose a domain name that can easily be typed by others. Avoid ambiguous names that would otherwise be problematic to type.
2. Include your Brand name
By including your brand name in your domain, it makes your audience or clients reach you easily. For instance, if you deal with mobile phones and your company name is Dayeli, then you can have your domain as “dayeliphonedealers.com”. That way, people will easily know your brand (Dayeli) and what you deal with.
3. Keep it short
Long domain names often do not appeal to most people. Try to keep your domain name short and avoid irrelevant inclusion of unnecessary words.
4. Use Key words
Key words are those words that are popular on the internet. If such words are included in your domain, this means that you will easily have a high preference from search engines by ranking you higher (however you should keep in mind that this is not always true).
5.Target your area
If your business is location specific, you can include the name of your location in your domain to help clients from that location see your business online. For instance if you deal with mobile phones and you are located in phoenix, then you can have your domain as “phoenixphonedealers.com”. That way, people can easily know you are a phone dealer located in Phoenix.
6. Avoid numbers and Hyphen
Using numbers and hyphens might get your users confused. e.g. if your domain name is phone5.com, some users might get confused whether it’s the number 5 or spelled out as “five”. At times hyphens and dashes might be left out by users as they type your domain. If you must use numbers, then it would be best if you register all the variations e.g. phone5.com as well as phonefive.com.
7. Be memorable
Keep your domain name catchy. Make it easy and appealing for users to understand. Remember there are millions of domains on the internet but you still want to stand out from the rest.
8. Conduct a Research
Conduct an intensive research on the name you intend to use. Make sure that it is not trademarked, copyrighted or being used by another company. Apart from landing you in Legal issues this could cost you a lot in cash.
9. Use a relevant extension
Extensions are suffixes at the end of a web address. These extensions would include, .com, .org, .club, .biz, .net etc.
here are some extensions and how they can be applied:
.co : an abbreviation for company, commerce, and community.
.info : informational sites.
.net : technical, Internet infrastructure sites.
.org : non-commercial organizations and nonprofits.
.biz : business or commercial use, like e-commerce sites.
.me : blogs, resumes or personal sites.
10. Protect and build your brand
Ensure that you protect your brand. Don’t let someone else pose as you online. A point in case, you might own a domain; metoo.com, you might want to register meto.com and me2.com. Doing this will ensure all the domains that look similar to your domain point to your site and your brand will be safe from imitators.
11. Get your Domain name before it’s taken
After making up your mind on the domain name that best fits your brand, don’t hesitate to purchase it. This is because domain names sell really quickly.
Make a quick check of your domain availability here:
