Never underestimate the value of a domain name for your business. A great domain name stays at the forefront of someone’s thoughts, drives website traffic, and helps you become a player. A lousy domain name can prevent all of those things from happening.
How To Pick A Domain Name
Picking a domain name requires careful thinking. It can’t be chosen lightly. Thankfully, there are several things you can do that will make the selection process much easier:
1. Look at the selection of your domain name as the creation of a branding tool. A good domain name is going to generate positive buzz for your brand. A branded domain name is good for word-of-mouth marketing, establishing credibility in earning links, and creating mass appeal.
2. Catchy and short will help you come up with something memorable. What do Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter have in common? All of those names are catchy, short, and easy to remember.
3. Think about your extension: You probably know that .com is the most popular extension with those registering domain names. The .com is the most popular with consumers and is therefore the most ideal. However, if you’re selling in a specific country, a country-specific extension may not be such a bad idea. You may also want to consider purchasing a variety of extensions (.net, .biz, .info), and then using 301 directs to send all of them to the same singular location. You should also look into the possibility of generic top level domains (gTLDs).
4. Make sure you’re safeguarding your trademark. Cybersquatting is a potential problem that you definitely want to take seriously. Be wary of competitors registering your domain with different extensions in a bid to steal traffic. If you can, invest in domain names that sound similar.
5. Consider branding yourself. Even if you don’t have immediate plans for a domain that features your own name, it could prove to be an investment that pays off later on.
6. Get creative. Look to the creative examples of established brands. Compound two words, slap a prefix or suffix onto a word, tweak a word, find a popular phrase, or mix portions of two words together. Domainr or DomainTyper can help you.
7. Stay away from hyphens. A hyphenated domain name looks clumsy, offers little SEO potential, and realizes little branding value.
8. Make sure your name can be used across social media.
9. Do not let your domain name expire under any circumstances!
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