It’s all in a name…
Your domain name is your identity on the web. It is the starting point of your journey online, but more importantly it is the go-to destination for all your traffic – and therefore it needs to be the right one to showcase your business. Choosing your domain name is a decision not to be taken lightly. You want to make sure you choose one that reflects your business or venture, so people instantly know they have found the right website. But you also need to ask yourself how easy it is to find and to promote.
To make the decision process just that little bit easier, we’ve put together a few key points for you to consider when choosing your domain name:
- Keep it short and make it easy to type
A short and concise domain name that is easy to type, can help prevent your customers from mistyping or misspelling it. Put yourself in your customer’s place for a moment and consider how they might type out your web address. Do you have any words which could be misinterpreted? For example instead of writing crossfit, you may use xfit in your business name, but this may make it harder for customers to find your website. A domain name that is easy to type will help people reach your website on the first go.
- Use keywords
Using keywords in your domain name can be a good way to tell your potential customers about the products or services you offer. For example, if you are a bakery specialising in cupcakes, you may want to choose a domain name with the word cupcakes in it rather than just bakery. This will help you improve your rank on search engine rankings, thereby increasing your traffic. An alternative option is to register a few domain names covering core areas of your business and re-directing these to your main website. In the cupcake example, you may look into registering domain names which include bakery, cakes and desserts to help broaden your reach online.
- Put yourself on the map
Letting people know exactly where you are located may help you close a sale earlier rather than later. Think about the kind of services you offer. Would someone need to find and call you at a short notice, like a locksmith or a plumber? If so, you may want to consider choosing a geographically based domain name such as .LONDON or .ISTANBUL to make it easier for your customers to find, and remember your business.
- Avoid numbers and hyphens
Numbers and hyphens can be a cause for confusion. If you are spelling out your domain name over the phone or your customer hears a radio or TV ad, they can’t be certain if you are using a numeral (8) or if you have spelled it out (eight). Dashes can similarly be misplaced or forgotten. If you do need to include either in your domain name, it is a good idea to register the different variations just to be on the safe side.
- Research and register it
I’ve heard stories about entrepreneurs changing their brand name because the domain name they wanted wasn’t available or was trademarked by someone else. Be thorough in your research to help ensure that the name you have selected isn’t trademarked, copyrighted or being used by another company. You may find that .CO.UK is available for registration, but the .COM isn’t, so you need to determine if there is any conflict of interest that could result in you losing the domain, and more! And don’t forget to keep your domain name registration up-to-date. You would not want to lose your domain name, or have to try and buy it back, because you forgot to renew your registration.
Do you think you’re ready to give it a go? Use the domain name search tool to determine which domain name choices are available to register for your small business or venture.