William Shakespeare once famously wrote, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Well, that’s quite true. But the same cannot be said for a domain name. Your URL is the first thing potential site visitors would notice. The right domain name can make a great impression, and the wrong one can send them running. Plus, it affects search engine optimization and provides an opportunity for branding. Therefore, it is important you choose the best domain name possible. Here’s how you can do just that.
1.Act Quickly
Thousands of domain names are taken up each day from hosting providers. If you are not quick, your preferred name might be snatched up by someone else.
2.Choose the Right Extension
Extensions are the suffix used in a website address. You can choose from various extensions, including .com, .net and .org. There are even niche extensions such as .pizza and .photography. But in most cases, going with the .com extension is the best option. It is the most popular extension, with around 51% of websites using it. This indicates people are more familiar with this extension. When typing an address, many people automatically add .com at the end.
3.Use Keywords
Keywords allow you to tell the search engines what the website is about. Along with great content, keywords can help you climb up the Google rankings. For instance, if your business is about glass repair, you might want to use glassreplacement.com as your domain name.
4.Use Domain Name Generators
Many domain hosting services provide name generators as well. They can tell you if a domain name is available. If not, they provide you with names that resemble your preferred URL. This can help you save a lot of time.
5.Keep it Short
Do not go overboard with the length of your domain name. This increases the chances of the customer getting the name wrong or forgetting it. It is recommended to keep the character count below 15.
6.Make it Easy to Spell and Pronounce
This makes it easy to share your site via typing and even speaking. Plus, potential visitors won’t be mistyping the name and going to different websites. Avoid using words with multiple spellings or slang.
7.Keep it Unique
There are millions of domains registered. For people to remember your domain, it should be unique. Once you have come up with such a name, ensure that it is catchy.
8.Avoid Copyright Infringement
Your domain name should not be easily confused with another brand or site. Not only does this create confusion, but it can also attract copyright liabilities as well. You might then have to give up the name and even pay a fine.
9.Avoid Hyphens and Numbers
People often misunderstand hyphens and numerals. They might have heard that your website has 5 in it. They might type it as “five,” whereas the correct way would be to type “5.” Plus, people can get the placement of the hyphen wrong.
10.Use Domain Hosting Services
You can get your domain name for free if you choose the services of the right web domain hosting provider. It is free for a year, after which you will need to renew it.
One piece of final advice – avoid double letters in your domain name. It raises the possibility of the user mistyping the name.
