What Is A Business Domain Name
A business domain name is the web address of your business website it’s what you type into your web browser to reach a website. Instead of entering the address of your physical address, you enter the domain name to access your business website.
A domain name stands in for an IP address, which is an unwieldy, hard-to-memorize string of digits unique to a website. A business domain name includes both the portion that’s unique to your business and the extension , such as .com, .net or .org. These suffixes are known as top-level domains .
Conduct A Brainstorming Session
Once you have a sense of what you want your business name to represent, it’s time to get creative. In fact, the more creative and free-thinking you can be during this stage, the more ideas you will generate, and the more possibilities you will have to choose from.
Conduct a series of brainstorming sessions, some with just you, some with a colleague or partner, to come up with as many business name ideas as possible. During your brainstorming, keep the essence of your business in mind, but also let your ideas flow unrestricted. Some common ways to start a brainstorming session include brain dumping, list-making, mind mapping, and word association.
Set Your Domain To Auto
Generally, when you register your new domain name, you get to choose the registration period the time span during which the registrar keeps the domain active on your behalf. Most commonly, everyone registers their domain names for either 12 or 24 months.
After that initial period, your domain name needs to be renewed . Otherwise, it becomes inactive. And then, after a short while, if you miss your window, the domain goes back to the pool of available domains, which means anyone will be able to register it.
What usually happens in case someone doesnt make it in time with renewing their domain is that the domain gets snatched by a domain broker or someone similar. Basically, aged domains are valuable in the domain market, plus theres higher chance that the person who originally failed to renew the domain will want to buy it back at some point.
In the end, stay safe by opting to renew your domain name automatically whenever the time comes. Nearly all domain registrars give you this option. Heres what it looks like with Namecheap:
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Choose Domain Extensions That Represent Your Industry
Search engines attribute websites to their top-level domains. If you used a .co.uk, it gets the message that youre targeting people from the United Kingdom. A .ca is for people in Canada or interested in topics related to Canada.
Hence, Google, Bing, and other search engines classify contents partly by their top-level domains. If your website is an eCommerce store, youre better off using a .STORE instead of .com or other non-related TLDs. Using .STORE signifies that your website is an eCommerce store, whereas a .com domain name could be anything.
A domain name such as www.sweethome.com could be anything but www.sweethome.store indicates that its a store that sells home-related items.
Stay Away From Hyphens And Numbers
Never use hyphens in a domain name. Hyphens can indicate spam domains you would not want to link yourself.
Typographical errors are also common in hyphenated domains. If you choose a web domain with hyphens because the one you wish has an owner, your users will most likely land on another brand’s sites if they fail to type in the hyphen.
On the other hand, people who have heard your website address don’t know if you’re using a numeral ‘1’ or if it’s written out ‘one.’ To be secure, register the various versions if you require these in your domain.
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How To Choose A Domain Name For Your Ecommerce Business
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Domain names were not always for sale. They used to be free.
Until 1995, you didnt have to pay for a domain name. Thats a full 12 years after Paul Mockapetris and Jon Postel invented the domain name system.
Today, you have over 1500 brandable choices on what goes to the right of the dot on your domain name. You dont have to settle for a .com when you have more relevant options such as .STORE, .ONLINE, .SITE, and more.
There are over 366 million domain names registered today.
Oh, and we pay for them too. Someone even paid a whopping $49.7 million for a domain name.
Most domain name acquisitions go unannounced. But thanks to an SEC filing, the most valuable domain name acquired is Cars.com at $872 million.
Thus its safe to say that individuals and businesses are comfortable pulling out their wallets to buy domain names. Thats because they are extremely important to an online business. A domain name is your brands online identity. Its one of the most effective marketing tools that can not only help you stand out but also help you build a credible online presence.
Your eCommerce business is no different. To survive the competition and make its mark, youll have to think about every detail of your business including its domain name.
Stay Unique And Branded
Your websites domain name must be unique so that it can stand out among the ones who read it. It is wise to research other blogs in your niche and find out what domain name they use.
You dont want to accidentally use a registered brand name or be accused of plagiarizing other bloggers. You can also buy a domain name thats more brandable. Such brandable domain names are unique, attractive and easy to remember. For instance, Amazon.com is a more brandable name than BuyBooksOnline.com.
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Stay Clear Of Copyright Issues
If youre pretty much settled on a domain name, then you need to spend some time looking into the past of your domain.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Have there been any associated domain names that have a negative public opinion?
- Does your domain name contain any words that have a double meaning?
- Are there any existing trademark issues with the words used in your domain?
The last thing you want is to find and register the perfect domain name, only to realize that your domain is creating brand confusion, or that youre accidentally stepping on someones trademark.
Double-check social media, too. You want to make sure any relevant social media handles are still available. This will help you build brand consistency and make it that much easier for your visitors to find your business on social media.
Stay Away From Trademark Infringement
Trademark Infringement is one aspect that you have to be very careful about. It is not about getting your domain name confused with that of another business, it is all about what a judge within a jurisdiction thinks when another firm takes a legal action against you for having same or similar domain as theirs.
This is because it creates brand confusion, which is very dangerous for your brandability. In case of real issues, you can consider talking to a legal professional or a legal attorney.
Trademark owners can sue domain name owners, those who legitimately own the domain and use it for business.
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Avoid Business Domain Names That Are Similar To Other Companies
When youâre coming up with your business domain name, nowâs not the time to be a copycat and go with a domain name similar to an existing company.
First off, youâll have the added trouble of trying to separate your brand from the brand that has a similar domain name. It will be an advertising and marketing nightmare.
And further, you might be legally crossing the line if your businessâs domain name is too similar to anotherâs.
As youâre brainstorming for your business domain name, check to make sure youâre not infringing upon someone elseâs copyrights.
If your business domain name is considered to be too similar and easily confused with another business, that business could take you to court for it. And in that scenario, itâs up to the judge to decide whether the two names could potentially be misrepresented and confused.
These are dangerous waters that you should do your best to avoid at all costs. So, as youâre coming up with your business domain name, check to make sure itâs totally unique.
Domain Privacy And Protection
When a domain name is registered personal details of the domain holder like name, address, contact number and email address are reported on the WHOIS database.
Keeping your domain contact information private helps prevent unwanted spam calls and emails, and makes sure youre in control of what information is publicly available.
All of our domain names include free basic privacy and protection which automatically hides your name, street address, phone number and email address on the WHOIS database.
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Does Your Choice Of Domain Affect Seo
Your choice of domain name does matter for search engine optimization , but probably not as much as you think.
Having target keywords in your domain name matters, but not nearly as much as it used to. It’s much more important to have a high-quality website, and your website builder can help you with that. Don’t worry too much about how the domain name will affect SEO, as there are many other ways to improve SEO.
Include Keywords If Possible
Having keywords that describe your business or its product/services in your domain name does help improve search engine rankings and helps customers realize what you offer at a glance.
But keep in mind that keywords are nothing more than a mere bonus. Keywords shouldnt be included at the expense of length, originality, or perceived brand integrity of your website.
That is, prioritize having a branded domain name thats unique, punchy, and memorable.
For example, heard of HubSpot? Its unique, catchy, short, easy to type, spell, and remember. The company certainly wouldnt have succeeded with a keyword-oriented name like marketinghub.com. Still, if you search for the super-competitive keyword marketing, HubSpot is one of the top results.
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How To Choose The Right Domain Name For Your Business
A domain name is the unique name that identifies a website, like the worldsourcetech part of www.worldsourcetech.com. Choosing the right domain name for your business can take almost as much thought as choosing your businesss name in the first place. Since we regularly help clients choose domain names, we have picked up several tips over the years to simplify domain name selection.
When it comes to choosing a domain name, its important to keep in mind how it will be used to identify and promote your business. People will need to be able to spell it, remember it, and type it, and they should also be able to guess how its spelled when they hear it. You will probably use the domain name in all your other marketing efforts, and you may use it for your email addresses, so it will become closely tied to your business for years to come.
Short domain names work best, and its a good idea to incorporate keywords related to your business or services. Many simple domain names are already registered, so if your business is local, you could also try including your city in the name. Including the city or state will make it less likely that the name is already in use, and will also help local customers find and remember it easily. When you choose your name, also keep in mind that you have other options besides a .com address. You may also be able to use .biz, .info, or .net, for example.
How To Choose A Registrar
When you find your perfect .CA domain name, you will need to choose a certified .CA registrar to purchase it from. Here are some things to consider for evaluating which company will best meet your needs.
Prices and promotions
Compare prices to determine how much your domain name will cost and what is included in your purchase. Find out if they bill monthly or annually, and in Canadian dollars. Cheapest isnt always best – you are investing in an important part of your business.
Customer service
If you’re new to this whole website thing, chances are you’ll have a few questions and run into a few issues along the way. See if your registrar offers 24/7 support, live chat, and other helpful services.
Additional services
You may need email, hosting, and/or e-commerce to make use of your domain name. You can mix and match services with different companies or keep things simple and use a one-stop shop. See what registrars have deals with web builders, such as a free one-page website or a free trial.
Recommendations
Contact your favourite tech-savvy friend and see which companies they think highly of. If you don’t have any friends, seek out customer reviews and testimonials online.
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Register Your Business Name
Protect your business name by registering it with your state authorities. If you have a limited liability company, a corporation, or a limited partnership in the U.S., you’ll need to register the business itself, which will also register your business name. If your business is a sole proprietorship or a general partnership, you generally don’t need to register your business entity with the state, but instead through the county and/or city where your business is located.
If you are a sole proprietor, you may choose to file a “doing business as” name so you can use a business name other than your own legal name. You can register a DBA with your state or county clerk.
It’s not required, but you may also want to register your business name for a trademark, to protect it from use by someone else.
Choosing a business name can be a lengthy process, but it is well worth the time you put in. Once you have chosen your business name, not only have you made a significant step toward officially launching your new venture, but you have also started branding your business and carving out your own niche in the small business world.
Pick A Trustworthy Domain Registrar
Once you finally choose your perfect domain name, your next step is to purchase the name from a domain name registrar.
Make sure you choose a domain name registrar that’s accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers , a non-profit organization responsible for managing domain names.
If youâre not sure which registrar to purchase from, here are a few options:
1. Bluehost: One of the largest web hosting companies in the world, Bluehost offers free domain registration with all their hosting packages.
2. Domain.com: This is a good option if youâre looking to purchase a domain name only without website hosting services.
3. GoDaddy: GoDaddy is one of the oldest and most popular domain name registrars. You can choose from a wide variety of popular domain names and TLDs.
4. HostGator : HostGator offers a domain name search, domain management, and shared website hosting.
5. Namecheap : Focused on the cheapest available domain names, Namecheap has a domain name search and suggestion tool and offers free domain privacy with all of their domain names.
Once you register your domain name with an accredited registrar, you’re ready to start using it. Many website hosts let you use your own domain name on their platforms.
For example, if you through Podia, you have two domain name options:
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Your Podia account comes with a free customizable subdomain, like yourbrandname.podia.com.
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You can use your own domain name, like videosellingbook.com.
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