1. Do Your Research on a Potential Domain Name
Even the smallest amount of research can help when purchasing a web address. Browse through a few domains and the companies that supply them to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Remember, a more popular name will be more expensive or already taken, choose one that is new and original for the cheapest possible price. Some domain selling companies (domain registrars) to check out are GoDaddy, NameCheap or Domains Priced Right.
2. Choose a Domain That’s Easy to Remember
However, more importantly, you want to have a web address that people can both easily remember and type. Make sure that you avoid adding too many characters, numbers or weird spellings. It’s important that anyone hearing your domain name can easily type it without any strange hyphens or dashes as well.
It is also important to avoid words that have a double meaning or double spelling, since it can confuse your visitors. Choose a short domain name that anyone can remember and pass onto others. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool that works with domain names as well.
3. Choose a Short Domain Name Instead of Long One
The longer your domain name is, the harder it is for people to remember. Most single word domains are great for a business, but you can still get creative without your domain being too long. If you prefer a one-word URL that isn’t available, try adding a verb or adjective in front of it and see if those alternatives are available instead. If that doesn’t work you can add the town your business is in before or after your business name or keyword. For example, cowlickleamington.com, cowlickwebsites.com, websitesbycowlick.com.
4. Use a .Com if Possible
The majority of online users assume that domains end in .com, so if you use other extensions such as .org, there may be confusion among your website users. with proper branding and by making it clear when mentioning your domain people are getting more accustom to other domain endings.
Country codes are common, for example .ca for Canada or .au for Australia.
5. Check Availability on Social Media Platforms
Check if your domain name is available on social media as well. For example cowlickleamington can be used as an Instagram or Facebook handle and it matches the domain cowlickleamington.com This way, you can get your customers to remember your URL easier.
6. Consider Including a Keyword
If you’re planning on purchasing a domain with the intentions of performing Search Engine Optimization, you will potentially want to have a keyword in your domain. This will help to boost your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and make your website address easy to remember. Again using our example cowlickleamington.com, if somebody enters a search that contains those keywords (cowlick in Leamington), your website will be better positioned to appear at the top of the search results. Regardless of what you do, think about using the location or most pertinent keyword in your web address. For more “Get to the top of Google Search” tips you can read this blog.
7. Stay Away From Numbers
Try not to use numbers in your domain name, regardless of whether they are written out or digits. People may get confused about which form they are supposed to use. If you have a number in your company name or would like to use a number in your web address for another reason, buy a version with the digit and a version with the written word. This will help to avoid any confusion. You should also avoid the number zero, as they can easily be confused with the letter “O.”
8. Don’t Use Slang Words
When choosing your domain name, you want something that will stand the test of time. Try choosing something that will have the same meaning a decade from now. Doing so can also help your domain name to be understood locally and avoid any unwanted interpretations internationally. Cutting out slang can help everyone to understand your business name.
9. Be Careful With Hyphens
Avoid using hyphens in your URL. Though they can make the name easier to read, many people often forget about the hyphen. If you must use a hyphen, try not to use to many. It look tacky, unprofessional and disorganized and it’s confusing.
10. Don’t Forget to Renew Your Registration
Set yourself a calendar reminder to renew your registration. Better yet, when you purchase your domain, set your domain to auto renew and make sure your credit card is always up to date. This is an incredibly important and often overlooked part of owning a domain. Failing to renew could be disastrous for your business. Your website will go down and you may lose contact with your clients. Worse yet, if left un-renewed long enough somebody else may purchase the name and demand a lot of money or refuse to sell all together. You can also solve the renewal problem by purchasing your domain name for five or ten years up front.
Armed with these tips you should be able to purchase the perfect domain name for your business.
