Domains That Convey Meaning
Sometimes it makes sense to register a domain that conveys a meaning.
SearchEngineJournal.com is a great domain because the words Search Engine tells you its a website about search engines. Then the word Journal conveys that this is a news site.
There used to be a trend to add the suffix watch at the end of domain name, with keywords in the prefix of the domain name, like WidgetWatch.
I never liked it because if you think about it, that word, watch, is adversarial within that context and in my opinion, needlessly so.
So a visitor unacquainted with a -watch site might assume that WidgetWatch was a site that keeps tabs on Widgets in order to report the latest negative thing the widget did.
When choosing a meaningful domain name, it may be useful to think about the qualities you want your site to be associated with.
So just write down the words of those feelings or qualities that you want the visitor to feel.
- Friendly.
Now, review synonyms for the quality that you want a site visitor to associate with your site and play around with the words to find the right match.
Keep It Short Memorable And On
Bigger is not always better, especially when it comes to domain names. Shorter names are simpler to remember and type for your visitors.
Also, its easier to stand out when theres less to read. So try to keep it a maximum of two to three words, hovering around 6-14 characters.
Unfortunately, the short, catchy domain name you want was taken a time ago and sold for thousands of dollars. Try these domain hacks if your domain name isnt available while focusing on keeping the name in sync with your brand.
3. Avoid hyphens, numbers, and doubled letters
Hyphens, numbers, and doubled letters all serve as snags for people trying to reach your website directly. Its not exactly instinctive to keep these characters in mind, is it? Neither is it mobile-typing friendly.
Having these elements means inviting typos and user frustration. Especially if youre hoping to rely on word-of-mouth, it could be harder to convey the domain name when its made up of hyphens, numbers, or doubled letters for no good reason.
Include Information About What Your Business Does
At first, your business’ logo can’t be as instantly recognizable Nike or McDonald’s, nor can the services you provide be known intuitively by your potential customers. Descriptive logos are easier to process and will elicit stronger impressions of authenticity from your audience. A descriptive logo is one that includes visual design elements and clearly communicates the type of product or service you offer. A study of 597 logos revealed that “descriptive logos more favorably impact consumers brand perceptions than nondescript ones, and are more likely to improve brand performance.”
Choosing a business name that indicates what you’re selling is a practical way to define your brand and makes it easier for potential customers to find your business online or in local directories.
Read Also: Is Club A Good Domain
Use Keywords Related To Your Niche
Whatever you specialize in, let people instantly know what you offer by using keywords in your domain name. Lets imagine you own a pizzeria. You might consider pizzaplanet.co.uk. Try to keep a healthy balance between keywords and uniqueness, or you could end up with a generic domain thats easily forgotten.
Include Seo Keywords In Your Domain Name If Possible
Try to use keywords in your domain name search, but only if it makes sense. A keyword in your domain tells search engines what your website is about. If you have a good user experience and quality content, you could rank higher in Google search results.
Youll need to get creative and mix keywords with your brand name to make it stand out. Start with a few broad keywords that represent your products, then add your company name.
If you sell apparel, for example, the term apparel could work well in your domain name. Try the formula + = :
- Sunday + apparel = sundayapparel.com
- Dianes + candles = dianescandles.com or candlesbydiane.com
- Cosmik + masks = cosmikmasks.com
Stick to one or two keywords. More can feel spammy and drive people away from your site.
A great example of this comes from Verve Coffee Roasters, a coffee brand from Santa Cruz, California. It chose the domain name vervecoffee.com, which covers both brand and broad keyword and is memorable and relatable for site visitors.
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How To Buy The Perfect Domain Name For Your Website: Availability Tips
July 14, 2020 by
Entrepreneurs, need a domain name for your website but have tons of questions? How to search name availability, what to do if your domain name is unavailable, and how to properly buy and register ? Keep reading for sound business advice from a seasoned webmaster and fellow entrepreneur.
Contents
How To Choose A Domain Name
Your domain is your digital street address. Even if you throw a fresh coat of design on it, get the wrong address in the spammy part of the neighborhood, and you could be losing customers before they ever see your website.
Get the right one, however, and your address opens the door for visitors to come in and stay a while. It instills a sense of professionalism and polish that starts at the address bar.
And with almost 2 billion websites in circulation, the competition for the perfect domain name is fiercer than ever. So how do you pick out the perfect name for your website? Weve got eight tried-and-true tips to show you how to choose a domain name thats perfect for your goals.
Heres what were going to cover today:
Without further ado, lets talk about what a domain name actually is and why a rose by any other name isnt quite as sweet.
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Tips For Choosing A Business Domain Name
If youâve never started a business and had to come up with a business domain name before, you have a few unknowns ahead of you.
You might be tempted to dive right in and choose any domain name that comes to you first. But whether youâre registering a domain name for your brand-new business or launching an ecommerce platform for your business, choosing the right business domain name takes thought and consideration.
Thereâs a variety of different ways that your domain name affects how your business doesâfrom your brand authority to your presence in the search engines, online marketing efforts, and traffic to your website. Its the reason certain business domain names are worth millions of dollars.
Put simply, itâs an important step to making your business succeed.
Here are the 12 things to think through when choosing your business domain name.
How To Pick Domain Name: Tips Tools And Strategies
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When youre starting out a new blog either just for fun or for business youre faced with a pretty big decision right at the beginning
What do you CALL it?
Of course, this inevitably also leads to the question of your domain name and what it should be. How do you pick your domain name?
You end up going to a domain registrar and you start looking for available domain names. Inevitably, some of the ones you think of first wont be available. You might make a list of some that are available. But, what should you pick?
It is a bit of a loaded question, to be honest. It feels like a fairly permanent decision and you dont want to be stuck with a bad name.
First off, it isnt a permanent decision and you can change the domain name of your blog down the road. But, still, its better to feel good about it from day one.
So, in this article, well address it as specifically as we can. How exactly do you choose your domain name?
Well also look at it from the perspective of creating a brand and an online business. Weve got big goals for what we do here. We need a domain name that will fit the bill. So, lets roll
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What Should I Name My Company
It all depends on your business idea. Naming a company is a first step in the business world and it is the main one. A great brand name can give you an advantage in the business marketplace. Never use weak words in your business name. For example second. People will feel that you are not the best one in the industry and will look for your competitors.
There are many directions where you can go with your catchy business name. You can use made-up a word that can be brandable, or you can use your own surname as your company name. naming is a process where you need creativity and a creative naming option can help you build your business much faster as catchy business names stick in your customers minds and they will come back again.
What To Do If Your Domain Name Isnt Available: 13 Strategies
Its part of the struggle of running a business in the digital age.
You come up with the perfect business name.
You design business cards, start all of the official paperwork, and tell everyone about it.
But when you go online to register the domain name, you discover something horrible.
Your perfect domain name is taken.
What do you do?
Do you give up your perfect name? Do you modify it somehow? Add a couple random dashes or underscores? Choose a weird domain name ending ?
Its one of the toughest situations to face as a business owner. It can bring your progress to a screeching halt.
This situation makes you rethink your entire brand.
The question remains: What do you do when this happens?
Ive gotten this question hundreds of times before, and Ive also heard some solutions to this problem.
Quite frankly, not all of those solutions are good.
Your domain name is a big part of any SEO campaigns you run, and it will affect your performance.
If you make a misstep with your domain name, it can negatively impact your SEO in the long term.
A large amount of your traffic will come from users who search your brand name. Its called navigational search. Thats why its good to use your brand name as your URL.
But if you cant, dont worry. There are alternatives that will still work for you.
Over the years, Ive seen what works and what doesnt. I want to share what Ive learned so you dont have to make any mistakes.
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Lock The Domain So It Cant Be Stolen
Even though it may seem odd at first, domain hijacking actually happens more often than youd imagine.
Not going into the boring technical details, your domain can be stolen via several means. Most commonly, this involves either hacking your password or convincing you to give out your password via a phishing attack, plus some other fun things.
Basically, if someone gains access to your registrars user account, they can do whatever they wish with your domains.
Some domain registrars offer a feature in which they keep your domain in Registrar-lock status, which prevents unauthorized attempts at domain transfers. In this state, your registration information and DNS configuration cannot be changed until you unlock your domain name.
Luckily, enabling this option is often very easy and only requires you to select a specific box in your registrars user panel. Heres what it looks like at SiteGround:
Search A Brandable Domain Marketplace
If youre still not finding your perfect domain, then Brandable Domain marketplaces can help.
Sites like Brand Bucket and Brandpa list a host of brandable domains in one huge marketplace.
The domains are acquired new, or on the secondary market and then re-sold by the marketplace for a profit.
While prices are premium compared to the un-registered market, in my experience, obtaining a domain via a marketplace can be cheaper than direct from an owner.
The other advantage is the domains are sold with a logo:
Just be careful to make your selection on the domains merit alone and not the branding.
Since youve been reading this post, you know precisely what to look for in a brandable domain.
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Short Is Better Than Long
In general, when it comes to the length of your domain, shorter is better.
According to research from DataGenetics.com, a blog by Nick Berry, the most common name length is approximately 12 characters.
All of this data shows that you should keep your domain name concise.
Aim for 6-14 characters and remember the shorter, the better. Most likely the shorter domain names are taken a LONG time ago and sold for thousands of dollars. If you cant find something short, make it brandable.
Our own site websitesetup.org is exactly 12 characters.
You Cant Go Wrong With A Com
The.COM is known throughout the world and is part of the original line-up of six TLDs. Each had a different purpose, .COM stood for commercial, .ORG for an organization, .EDU for education, and so on.
Partly because of its age, and the fact that domain usage isnt so strict anymore, .COM was used for all kinds of purposes, and so it became the most popular TLD. Find out more in our article, What is .COM?.
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Domain History Is A Skeleton In The Closet
Checking the domain history can help check its content at different periods. This is crucial because it can affect your sites karma if you dont know what youre getting.
Say you proceeded with domain search and went on to buy a domain with history/trust/recognition. Itll be wise to check if the name was previously occupied by another business to see how relevant it will be to your niche.
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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!
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