Many website owners regret the domain name they registered for their online business because they didn’t put much thought into it. It is going to remembered every time someone types it into the address bar.
Benefits of choosing a good domain name
Branding
If you think of Nike or Google you immediately understand how using your business name in your domain helps brand your business. Your domain name can even be your business name if you’re lucky enough to still find a .com business name.
Professional web site address
Sometimes business owners try to save money by using a free service for their online business such as getting a free blog at WordPress. For example if I got a free blog for my web design business my website address would be something like http://isitebuild.wordpress.com instead of my registered domain name iSiteBuiild.com. Registering a real domain name shows visitors you are running a professional online business.
Professional email addresses
Using a gmail, aol, or yahoo email address for your online business doesn’t project a professional image. Many of these addresses are automatically blocked or not accepted by online professionals because they are often used for sending spam emails that can’t be tracked.
If you register a real domain name you can include it in your email address. This makes it easy for your visitors to identify where it is coming from and which business it belongs to.
How to choose a good domain name
A good domain name is one that clearly reflects your business, is easy to spell and remember.
1. Business name
My web design business in called iSiteBuild.com so I registered that domain name to brand my business. Try to do the same for your own online business. If the name is not available try keywords associated with your business.
2. Keywords related to your business
Search for a domain name that identifies your business keywords. For example if you’re selling red widgets, look for redwidgets.com. If the obvious keywords are already taken research other keywords related to your business and use them instead.
3. Domain extensions
Most .com names may already be taken so you’ll have to get creative e.g. use dashes between the words (red-widgets), numbers (1redwidget), add extra words (theredwidget) or try different suffixes (.net, .org, .info, .us, .biz)
4. Easy to remember
Has someone ever given you a domain name that was impossible to remember? It may have been too long or had several dashes or numbers in it. You want a domain name you can easily pass on to others that will stick in their minds without having to write it down on paper in case they forget.
5. Keep it short
The shorter the name easier it is to spell and remember. It will also be easier to fit on business cards and other offline stationary.
6. Hyphenated domain names
If you can’t find a domain name that matches your business, register one that has a hyphen e.g. I registered ihost-websites.com because ihostwebsites.com was already taken. It will contribute to your search engine rankings because every time someone links to your website your main keywords will be included in your domain name.
7. Purchase a currently registered domain name
There are people whose business is buying a selling domain names. For example the person who first registered business.com could now sell it now for thousands of dollars. If you are willing to pay for a domain name you’ve set your heart on first check if it’s for sale and how much it costs. Sometimes they are not very expensive. Read this article for more information about buying and selling domain names:
8. Expired domain names
Sometimes people purchase domain names but never do anything with them because they haven’t had time to develop them or lost interest. First check if it’s available, then check who it’s registered to at whois.com. Contact the owner and ask if they are willing to sell it..you may get lucky.
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