Add A Verb To Your Domain Name
This is a popular method of getting around a domain name thats already taken.
There are two big benefits to this technique.
First, you can still use your brand name in the URL itself. Second, you dont have to consider different TLDs.
Verbs like get and try are popular choices as additions to domain names.
For example, Pocket uses getpocket.com:
These also tend to look a lot nicer than some alternative TLDs, and theyre usually easier to remember.
Risks Of Changing Your Domain Name
When you switch domain names, theres a high chance that your search engine rankings will be affected. But this is only a temporary effect as the search engines adjust to the changes youve made.
As rankings are affected, its a no-brainer that your traffic will also drop. Visitors who are familiar with your brand may also type in your old domain name.
You also stand to lose traffic from any backlinks on third-party sites.
But not to worry, well show you how to minimize the impact on your SEO by setting up 301 redirects and updating search engines on the changes youve made.
Before you make the move, we strongly recommend that you research the history of the new domain.
Youll need to check:
- Blacklists: The name might still be on blocklists of search engines, email providers, and web hosts.
- Spam Flags: Generic email addresses associated with the domain name might be flagged as spam such as or
- SEO red flags: Pages you create may already be flagged as manipulative, low quality, or spam on search engines like Google.
- Previous brand awareness: People may already associate the name to the previous brand/business and may think youre an imposter.
Added to that, third-party websites might still be linking to this domain for its old activities. This means youll attract the wrong crowd to your site.
Learn how to research domains in our detailed guide: How to Check a Domains History
Complete The Domain Registration
As soon as you have completed the payment, youll be redirected to the control panel. Inside, there will be a setup box that youll need to fill out to complete the domain name registration.
Youll need to fill in all the fields with the correct details, such as your name, address, andcontact information. This data will be stored on WHOIS, the official domain ownership database.
After submitting your details, the domain registration will be processed.
Its possible to modify the domain ownership details using the domain management section within the control panel. Once the changes are made, you will have to confirm them via email.
Read Also: Transfer Godaddy Domain To Wix
How To Save Your Website Traffic
Its important to change your domain name without losing rankings and organic search traffic. Backlinks to your website are important for SEO, and there are steps to take to help you keep your audience.
Create a sitemap and set up 301 redirects
Sitemaps show the internal structure of a website. They are used to direct search engines on how to navigate the pages on your site. Once you have sitemaps for both your old and new pages, you can compare and organize, so that each old page points to the correct new page, by using 301 redirects. This permanent redirect will send your site visitors to a different URL than the one they entered into the search bar.
This is important for SEO ranking, getting your , and visitor satisfaction. You can find out more on this topic by reading our Knowledgebase article, How to redirect a URL for a domain.
Use the Change of Address Tool
Connect your old and new site names with the Change of Address Tool. It tells Google about your website change, and helps the Google Search results page to understand what you have done.
Check for 404 pages
You may have come across a Page Not Found page. This is an error page where the correct URL path is missing, and therefore you will not be shown the page you intended to visit. Check all old URLs, and if you do have 404 pages, make sure they are redirected to the new 404 page.
Consider Experimenting With Non
As mentioned in No. 1, these days you can get yourself a multitude of different TLDs that werent available just a couple of years ago.
For example, you can get domain extensions such as: .shop, .club, .store, .blog, .design, .xyz, and so on. Also, you can experiment with some of the TLDs that were originally intended to be local TLDs, but, because of their unique appearance, can be used for various other purposes as well. These are domain extensions such as .is, .io, .fm, .it, .ly, .cc and others.
Just to give you an example of the latter, if it makes sense for your brand and intended name, you can try making it seem as though the whole domain, including the TLD, is one complete expression. You can achieve that by choosing your TLD creatively. For example, Microsoft Translator is available under translate.it thats the whole domain name and quite a creative use of the Italian TLD, .it.
However, the thing with these TLDs is that not every domain registrar offers them. Currently, GoDaddy gives you access to the largest catalogue.
Nevertheless, if youre after some specific TLD, its still smart to shop around with other registrars, too. Heres our other resource, where we talk about the top registrars in the market, plus some of the TLDs they offer.
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Got Any Tips On Finding A Good Domain Name
You bet. While it’s really easy to register a domain, having a good domain strategy helps you register the best domain name possible. Here are some hints:Make it easy to remember. This is why many businesses get domains with their business names in them. Some people even choose their business name only after they have a domain they like.Don’t register one that’s trademarked, copyrighted, or being used by another company. This can lead to losing the domain and legal problems.Shorter is usually better because they’re easier for customers to remember. It’s also easier to get matching usernames for Facebook, Twitter and any other social media accounts you have.Got a local business? Include your neighborhood, city or country in your domain so local customers can quickly see where you are. Check the list of geographic domain extensions .berlin .nyc to see if there’s one for your area.Avoid numbers or hyphens. Anyone who hears your web address won’t know if you’re using a numeral 5 or “five”. If your business name has a number in it, register both versions with the number and with the number spelled out .Get more than one. As traffic to your website increases, you may attract then attention of copycats who’ll snatch up similar domain names in hopes of drawing traffic away from you. Register similar or misspelled domains early so this won’t be an issue later.
How To Buy A Domain Name In 5 Steps
Before we go any further, its worth noting that its only possible to register an existing domain name with a valid domain extension that other people or businesses dont already own.
Were going to dive deeper into the steps to register a domain name from finding a trusted registrar through which to buy a websites address to finally getting into the registration process.
Here are the five steps to buy a domain:
Also Check: Transfer Domain From Wix To Shopify
How To Find Out Who Owns A Domain Name
When you register a domain name, the ICANN requires you to provide personal contact information that will be stored in the WHOIS database.
Basically, as soon as the domain name is in the database, the record is publicly available to anyone who uses the WHOIS search tool.
There are loads of WHOIS tools available on the Internet, but you can try out, for example, the ICANN Lookup tool.
How To Choose The Best Domain Name
Last updated on June 14th, 2021 by Editorial Staff | Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. See how WPBeginner is funded, why it matters, and how you can support us.
Choosing the right domain name for your website is crucial for your success. If you choose the wrong domain name, then it can be a hassle to switch later on without hurting your brand and search rankings.
Thats why its extremely important that you choose the best domain name from the start.
When first starting out, it can be hard to come up with catchy business name ideas with a perfect domain name.
In this article, well share all the tools and tips you need to get domain name ideas, choose the best domain name, and register your new domain .
14 Tips for Choosing the Best Domain Name
When starting a blog, choosing a domain name can be stressful because you dont want to make a mistake.
To make the process easier, we have a simple 14 step framework that you can use to pick the best domain for your website.
Lets take a look at these tips one by one with more details.
1. Stick with .com
There are plenty of new domain name extensions available today, from the original .com, .net and .org to niche extensions like .pizza, .photography, and even .blog.
We always recommend choosing a .com domain name.
In our opinion, newer domain extensions like .ninja, .photography, and others can make your business appear less trustworthy.
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How Can I Get A Free Domain For Com
You only need to register for any of the web hosting plans that offer a free domain name. However, make sure the value is enough for you to buy the .com TLD.For example, if you sign up for Hostingers Premium or Business shared hosting plans, you will get a free domain for one year with the value equivalent of a .com TLD.
Find A Custom Domain For Your Site
Whether youre working on a blog, an online portfolio, or an online shop, Mailchimp offers custom domains that can make all the difference to your online presence. And theres no reason to stop there. Use Mailchimp to build your website and connect it to our all-in-one marketing platform to really make your offerings stand out from the rest.
Learn more about how to get a free domain name from Mailchimp and how our offer compares to the competition.
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Target Your Business And Locality
Not every business has to be globally focused. You can also achieve growth by targeting a particular locality or country. To do so, you can get a domain name that contains a localized web address extension.
For instance, to get a higher ranking in the search engines of France, you may want to get a .fr extension in your domain name. A geographic domain extension will also help you achieve trustworthiness among the local users.
Select The Right Extension
The great top level .com is still the king for domain extensions, for both SEO and memorability.
But there are a lot more domain extensions than there used to be, and if used strategically you shouldnt have any problems.
Theyve got pretty explosive growth, actually. New, non-traditional extensions grew by 145% from 2016 to 2017.
So while .com claims the crown, for now, trends are changing in the extension world. And thats good news for a new website.
Because the new domain suffixes the .xyz, .tech, .nyc, etc. are by far more affordable than the traditional top-level domains.
And affordability is a factor that, unless youre a monster conglomeration, has to be balanced against the other elements.
If you can snag a .com for a decent price its possible you should go for it, as long as it meets all of the other requirements outlined here.
If not, youre better off going with a new domain extension. Given the trend, the acceptability of it will only increase with time, similar to domestic wines.
Wondering where to register your new domain name? Check out places like Name.com, , NameCheap, and eNom.
Ultimately, the litmus test for an extension will depend on how closely your domain name adheres to the other factors outlined here like brandable, memorable, and typable.
Lets run through a few now.
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Use A Domain Name Generator To Browse Your Options
Once you have a few keyword options, its time to brainstorm ideas for your domain name. While you can do this without any special tools, its often difficult because youll keep running into names that are already taken.
Using a domain name generator like Domain Wheel will help simplify the process by both brainstorming for you and making sure that all its suggestions are actually available for purchase:
All you need to do is visit the website and enter a keyword into the search box. To illustrate this, lets imagine that youre starting an advice blog about how to train dogs. For your keyword, youve settled on dog training. Entering that term into the search bar will return these results:
As you can see, there are lots of variations to choose from. If you dont like any of them, you can try a slightly different keyword, or scroll down for random ideas and keyword suggestions. We suggest taking your time and coming up with a few solid options, so you can narrow them down in the next step.
Which Domain Extension Is The Best
You can never go wrong with a .com domain extension. Try to get a domain name that keeps your business brand consistent and also has a .com extension.
Depending on where you live, other extensions also might be good options. For example, if your business is based out of the United Kingdom, it never hurts to have your localized domain extension in this case, .co.uk in addition to a .com.
So, using the above example, here are two great options:
- highstreetplumbing.com
- highstreetplumbing.co.uk
If you can’t find a .com available for the domain name you want, your next best option is to choose a .net. If your business is a nonprofit, try for an .org. These are the three most prominent TLD choices. If it fits your business, you could also try out some of the newer domain extensions. You can find the full list of currently available domain extensions here.
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How To Choose The Right Domain Name
Which is harder: Naming your kid or choosing a domain?
Sure, your bambino is stuck with the moniker you choose until they can get a judge to change it, but you wont need to reinvent the wheel to come up with something to call them. You can look to historical figures, literary characters, or even your favorite TV show for inspiration.
However, when it comes to a domain, youve got to make sure your digital baby is truly unique. No repeats allowed.
So what makes a good domain name?
Generally speaking, youll want something memorable, brandable, and easy for people to type and pronounce. Its also smart to avoid anything too long or overly specific. By following a few simple guidelines, you can pick out a name that helps to drive more traffic your way.
In this guide, Ill explain why your domain name matters and share 11 factors to consider when making this decision. Ill also discuss the best places to register a domain and how you can get a free one along with your web hosting. Lets get started!