How to Choose the Right Domain Name
Choose .com or .co.uk over anything else
.com extensions are far more common and memorable than the aforementioned. It’s almost a default, go-to ending for a domain name, so you want to benefit from this going forward when choosing a domain name for your business.
Many internet users, especially if they aren’t tech-savvy, will automatically stick ‘com at the end of what they’re looking for, so don’t confuse potential visitors by choosing something else. Also, .com buttons are installed on smartphones and devices automatically so people will be able to access your website faster than if it had any other domain extension.
.co.uk domain extensions however are also great, especially if you are a UK based business, .co.uk TLD’s can help with your SEO.Incorporate keywords
It’s important that keywords are incorporated into your domain name. By doing this, you’re telling the search engines, including Google and Bing, exactly what your website is about. This, together with relevant content and an SEO-optimised website, will help your site to rank in the SERPs (search engine results pages).
This means that your website will appear higher up in the list of results given when a user searches for a specific product or service. It can be difficult to find a domain name that contains your relevant keyword that hasn’t already been taken, so it might be that you’ll need to combine a couple of keywords or blend one keyword with another word that optimises what your company is about. You’ll likely need to be creative in this instance.
Keep the domain name short & sweet
Keeping your domain name short and sweet also means ensuring its level of memorability. A domain name should be kept at around 15 characters or below in order for a domain name to stick in the minds of your relevant target audience. Making it catchy is also something that will benefit your brand.
This way, people will be able to enter your URL straight into the search engine, bringing them immediately to your website as opposed to having to scroll through the SERPs looking for your site or company name. If a prospective customer goes straight to your website, then you’ll limit the likelihood that they’ll head to a competitor of yours, almost as if, metaphorically, putting blinkers on your relevant target audience and funneling them straight to your website.
Make the domain name simple & easy to spell
A domain name that’s easy to spell and is simple by nature will not only add to the memorability of it, but it’ll also make it easy to pronounce. This is important when it comes to word-of-mouth advertising.
It could be that one of your customers is meeting up with a friend who needs something you’re selling, your customer will then be able to say “I’ve bought one of those from a great company in the local area. Their website is [domain name].com in case you’re interested.” This will help to increase your leads and sales, subsequently.
Ensure it’s individualistic & brandable
You need to make sure your domain name is unique and brandable to ensure future success and growth. This will also help with adaptability further down the line, something that’s hugely beneficial when it comes to moving with the times.
For example, with the Covid-19 pandemic came a change in the way people were shopping online. Internet sales surged and it forced companies to move online as opposed to having a store on the highstreet.
Companies then had to act quickly in order to meet the new, relentless demands of the consumer and this was much the same across a wide range of industries. Those with a unique and brandable domain name found it far easier to transition to this “new normal”.
Avoid hyphens in your domain name
You shouldn’t include hyphens in your domain name, and for one simple reason: it can be a sign of spam domains. This is something you want to wholly avoid when looking to establish yourself online. Google algorithms will demote your ranking position considerably as it’ll view your website as being low quality, irrelevant and risky.
Hyphens can also be confusing to your audience and so typos can occur. This then means that those looking for your site won’t reach it and, in turn, might turn to your competitors who have a far more simple domain name.
You should also refrain from adding hyphens as a way of getting the domain name you want that was already taken. For example, if you wanted the domain name “deliciousdesserts.com” and it was taken, don’t add a hyphen to it, making it “delicious-desserts.com” instead. This increases the likelihood that your audience will end up on your competitors site as opposed to yours.
Refrain from using two of the same letters consecutively
Having two of the same letters, one after the other, in your domain name will make it more likely that typos will occur when people search for it directly. Take the following domain name, for example: “robusttyrefittings.com”.
The word “robust” ends with a ‘t’ and the word “tyre” begins with a ‘t’, when put together, this can be confusing for those typing your domain name directly into the search engine. They might type in the following alternatives instead:
- “Robustyrefittings.com”
- “Robustttyrefittings.com”
