What is in a Domain Name, and Why You Must Choose Carefully

There is so much competition in all sectors online; websites are sprouting from all corners, new products and services are being launched daily and entrepreneurs are exploring new sectors with a zeal never experienced before. Furthermore, the tough economic environment in many economies has led to joblessness. Most professionals who lose their jobs turn to the web either by setting up private online businesses of offer their services online.

So many domain  extensions to choose

The competitive nature of online business means that only the very best get the recognition, those who get everything right; from website design, to domain name, topnotch web copy, and search engines optimization. Finding the right domain name for your website is a step towards the right direction. A good name is characterized by a number of factors discussed below.

1. Keep it Short: Who said anyone is interested in reading your life history just from your domain name? Very long names will not be remembered, even if they are read. It is very likely that your desired domain name is already taken, but you can still come up with a close version that won’t sound like an essay. At its worst, settle for a three word name, but two and one are the best.

2. Business Name and SEO Friendly: Whenever search results are brought up by the search engines, the surfer is likely to choose one that is placed higher in search results, but with the right most appropriate name and content. It is very unwise to go for a domain name that is not related to your core business. This will not only confuse your site’s users but also affect the branding of your business-which is essential to its success. Furthermore, your domain name plays a tremendous role in optimizing your website for search engines.

3. Unique: Just like your business and products, your domain name must stand out from the crowd. There are many names that have already been taken but keep working with the words and if your desired .com version is taken, and you are so convinced that the same name is your best, then settle for .net or another version. 

This should however be done based on the geographical proximity of the other name. If the other site targets same customers in similar regions, try finding a new name-you might lose customers to competing site in future.

4. .Com Extension: You might think that you are spoilt for choice when it comes to domain name extensions, but it is not true. There are various extensions to choose from like .net, .tv, .org e.t.c as well as country-specific extensions. Of all the extensions, .com is always the best and should therefore be your first priority when choosing a domain name for your business. If you target users from your country of residence, you might want to purchase a country-specific name extension like .US, .UK, .AUS, among others.

5. Avoid Hyphens and Numbers: Many people who find out that their expected domain names are already taken usually resort to hyphenation and use of numbers. This is not recommended as surfers are unlikely to memorize the hyphens and numbers on your name, if possible, just don’t use them.

Registering the right domain name for your online business is important to the success of your venture. You must therefore come up with a perfect name that reflects your core business, memorable and unique.