Your domain name is more than just your online address. It’s a representation of your online identity as well as the face of your brand. The more creative and memorable a domain name (much like a business name) is, the more likely you are to draw in more visitors organically. On the other side, having a dull, generic name can also drive them away. Choosing the best and most worthy domain name for your personal or business presence online is one of the most important decisions you’ll make and getting it right can be hard in of itself. Here are some tips on how to pick the perfect domain name.
- Think like a Visitor
- What kinds of domain names related to your specific niche are the easiest to remember or to type?
- Write out a list of 10 domain names that you think are great, write a list of 10 domain names of competitors, and compare the two.
- Which ones stand out the most for their originality and representation of your brand? Look for phrases and keywords that might help display those ideas.
- You can also look online for free domain name generators, our topic about Blue Host also helps with domain name generation.
- Make your Domain name Brandable
- Like your business name, your domain name is an online representation of your brand, so it’s paramount that you stand out from your competitors. This will allow potential customers to remember your business easier.
- It’s also important to look into the future for how your domain name will work. In the long term, it can be difficult to make a change later if it appears that your domain name doesn’t really express what your business is about, or if your company opts to expand into other areas.
- It is important to have keywords wherever possible, but overstuffing your domain name with keywords makes it wordy and insufferable. This also creates limitations if your business does decide to change focus later on.
- Make your name Memorable
- Studies have shown that the most familiar domain names in the world (Apple, Google, Facebook, and Twitter) share some key characteristics: they’re memorable, short, easy to pronounce and most of all, easily recognizable.
- The easiest to remember sites online typically have shorter, more impactful names that are between 6 to 14 characters long.
- Domain name experts recommend choosing a name that is easy to say as well as to type. Avoid names using numbers, hyphens and special characters.
- If your company does have a long name, use it’s initials with a combination of a keyword.
- Choosing the Best Domain extension
- The most significant extension in the world is “.com” and because of its familiarity and associations with commerce, ‘“.com” remains the best choice in most cases.
- While most companies use “.com,” if “.com” is not available, consider other neutral extensions such as “.net” or “.info.”
- Some new extensions like “.church” or “.photo” can help convey what the site is about, they may not convey the right image – or withstand the test of time
- Claim your Name
- Research as many possible alternatives to as desired name and purchase those domains if possible. Stated in the chapter beforehand, having extra domains or alternatives help you in the amount of options you can have or take.
- This also includes social media accounts, make sure that you brand consistency, and your representation can be found everywhere.
Carefully consider what you can create as an unforgettable domain name, as it is the online face for your brand and company. Once you have picked the perfect domain, make sure to pick a web host (which we will be showing you how in the following topic).