If you are considering to start your own website, then choosing a perfect domain name for it is a vital task. There are many web hosting companies offering great choices that can make your task easy, but selecting the best one that suits your business is the one thing that you should do. But the question is how can you select the right domain name and its extension. If you get it wrong, then it can of course be a hassle to switch later on without affecting your search rankings and brand. This is why it is extremely important to choose the best domain name and get registered.
Here in this article, we will discuss some of the most important tips for selecting the best domain name. Since having the right address can make a big difference, similarly your domain is the first impression that your visitors have when they see your content, branding and layout.
The extension: While choosing your domain name, you have the choice to register with hundreds of top level domain extensions:
• TLDs: The top level domains include the.com, .net, .int, .gov, .edu, .org and etc. among all of these only some of them are available for general purpose use, and.com is by far the most important and best one.
• ccTLDs: this include many country code top level domains that include.au (Australia), .cn (China), .in (India), .jp (Japan), .ph (Philippines), and .UK (United Kingdom).
• gTLDs: there are also specific generic top level domains, but their use are not yet very popular and this includes.accountants, .agency, .city, . digital, .photography and.social.
Choose words that are short and easy to type: Lengthy words in the domain names can be difficult to remember as well as type. In the world of ultrafast internet, if your customer slows down due to typing and frequently misspelled words, then they will surely lose patience and go somewhere else.
Avoid cute names and abbreviations: Don’t use shorteners like 2U or 4U in your domains. Since they look unprofessional and are also hard to remember, your visitors will find it difficult. Look for domain names that visitors can easily recall and it also reflects your company’s brand message.
Don’t choose words with double meaning: There are many organizations that have bought domain names from web hosting companies without even realizing that if the space or any capital letter is removed it becomes inappropriate. It may also happen that the result is just the opposite of what your company portrays. So, make sure that the domain doesn’t hamper your business’s brand name.
Use keywords: Business owners are aware that it is important to use keywords on the web pages and posts to optimize them for the search engines. It is a good idea to use keywords in the domain name also as this will help the search engines to discover your website’s relevance and readers will also get an idea about the site.
Avoid using hyphens or numbers: It is good it avoid both hyphens and numbers in your domain name. Since they can really be a burden to type and creates a lot of confusion, it is better not to use. A hyphen should only be used to prevent your domain from sounding inappropriate. With numbers also, it is difficult to remember and often people may type the wrong number and get irritated when the URL doesn’t work.
Avoid trademark problems: Once you have decided on the name of your site, ensure that you are not violating another company’s trademark. To check, you can do a search before registering as it could kill a great website because of your action. And in case if you need to include some big product name, then review their terms and conditions as most of them do not allow their name to be a part of anyone’s domain.
