Subscribe Via RSSA Guide to Choosing the Perfect Domain Name For Your Website
In this video I’m going to reveal some tips and tricks for choosing the perfect domain name for your business website or blog. The perfect domain name is memorable, unique, easy to spell, and will rank high in search engines. Here’s what to do.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
First we need to begin by getting some of the technical stuff out of the way. Let’s start by talking about a URL, or uniform resource locator and domain name.
The URL is the online address where a page or post on your website can be found. For example, http://kingsolutions.org.uk/wordpress/ is a URL, which directs you to my WordPress website. The domain name, in this case, is “kingsolutions.org.uk“.
What are you going to choose for your domain name?
When deciding on a domain name for your website, you should think about it from your visitors point of view.
Which do you think is more memorable and compelling:
- the-witch-website-with-the-red-barn.com
- red-witch-barn-doors.com
- RedWitchBarn.com
People need to be able to remember your domain name, they need to be able to spell it easily, it needs to be memorable. It should also have something to do with, and preferably describe, your business.
If your business is purely local then try to indicate that. One of the things I see a lot is people with small, local businesses trying to be international. Don’t. Choose a domain name that relates to your business’s to your locality. This is a huge opportunity. If you’re based in Kent, for example, include “Kent” in your domain name.
- KentRedWitchBarn.co.uk
If possible, you also want to try and include your area of expertise in your domain name.
The person reading your URL, they’re trying to gather as much information as possible in the space of a few seconds to make a decision, “Is this a URL worth visiting? Or should I move on and continue my search?”
Domain Name Endings
When deciding upon a domain name ending you will find there’s a lot of really interesting endings to choose from.
.me, .us, .mobi, .biz, .com, and many more.
Most people still default to .com if possible. The .com ending is very popular, it’s got history on its side, and people naturally type it in if they have to guess.
That having been said, if you’re business is country specific, i.e. trades locally in the UK or is targeted specifically at a UK consumer base, getting UK in your domain name is a great way to rank higher in the search engines. The primary extensions for United Kingdom websites are .com and .co.uk.
Why Shorter is Better
Which of these domain names would you prefer to type?
- the-witch-website-with-the-red-barn.com
- KentRedWitchBarn.com
Which do you think would cause the fewest mistakes if you had to tell someone the name over the phone. Which would look better on your business card?
I think we would all agree, a short domain name is always a lot better. It’s easier to spell and easier to remember. Sure, it’s fine to have a long domain if someone finds your site by using a search engine, a long domain name won’t cause any problems in such cases. But, most people have too many passwords and pin numbers to remember as it is, lets make it easy for them to remember your domain name.
- Keep it simple.
The shortest and most direct domain name is always the best. You’ll have to get creative to find it though. Most of the best domain names being registered today are a company name, a person’s name, or two-word combinations.
What’s in a Name?
Should you make up a name?
It’s hard to get a short, four, five or even ten letter domain name that’s an actual word. It’s tempting to create a word that isn’t in the dictionary. However, if the word(s) you choose do not exist in the dictionary, people probably will not remember how you spelled it.
- That is, unless you become a household name.
- Are you an IBM, ICI, Kodak?
From a marketing point of view this means you’re going to require a large marketing budget to ingrain that name into peoples minds. You’ll need to establish the brand. When, you’re just starting out, however, it will be tough to get people to remember a made-up word.
So, try not to use creative spelling. Your customers aren’t looking for a puzzle, they’re looking for you and your product. You can use a number in your domain, i.e., BeCre8ive; but no one will ever find it and it means nothing to the search engines.
Some Confusing Names
When deciding upon your domain name, check similar names and brands. Don’t get your name confused with others.
Here’s some confusing brand examples:
Do you know what a 3 Musketeers bar is called in the UK? A Milky Way.
So what do you get in the UK if you ask for a US style Milky Way? A Mars Bar.
Confusing isn’t it!
Should You Use Your Name?
Many business brands are the name of the proprietor, Sainsbury, Sears, McDonalds. So should you use your own name? Well, there’s no reason why not. Is it memorable, short, easy to spell, distinctive?
But first think about this. If you’re not a brand name, wouldn’t it make more sense to have your domain name reflect the purpose of your business? People will not be searching for your name, they will be searching for a product for service, a solution to a problem, an answer to their question.
If the domain name you choose can help facilitate a connection to that answer, you’re going to have a lot more success.
- Think: Campbell’s Soup
Domain Name Fails
Lastly be very, very careful on the spelling and concatenation of your domain name. It may suddenly become very inappropriate and not what you intended.
| Website | Domain |
| Pen Island | penisland.com |
| Experts Exchange | expertsexchange.com |
| Speed of Art | speedofart.com |
| Benjamin Dover | bendover.com |
Tips and Tricks
You can research your domain name choices at any of the registrars listed in my article, Where to Register Domain Names. Most of these registrars provide domain name registration, domain name hosting, free domain name search facilities and some even give you a FREE domain name if you accept their domain name hosting package.
- Avoid buying a .info or .org extension unless you’re running a non-profit business as few people look for these.
- If more than one popular extension is available for your domain name, you should try to buy them all; domain names are not expensive, and you can point multiple URLs at your web site. Buying multiple similar names ensures that you keep the competition away from your name, and that any search for your domain name will bring you up. Most large corporations use this trick.
- When you register a domain name, as soon as the traffic starts picking up on it go ahead and renew it for multiple years. This is an investment. Even if you don’t keep the site yourself, you can resell your valuable virtual real estate at a profit later. Renewing it for a long time can keep someone from sneaking in and registering your domain name if you miss the expiration date.
