How Should I Choose A Domain Name
Choosing a domain name is a vital step in setting up your web presence because it represents your brand or business online. We recommend choosing a short, easily pronounceable domain name so that visitors can easily access your website. Before picking the domain name, do necessary research on relevant keywords so that you can choose the apt name. While your domain can include letters, numbers, or hyphens, avoid any special characters so that it’s easy to remember and type into a web browser.
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Frequently asked questions
Above all else, we strive to deliver outstanding customer experiences. When you buy a domain name from Namecheap, we guarantee it will be handed over to you with superior standards of service and support. Our primary goal is to build a customer-focused atmosphere filled with the happiest customers in the galaxy. The Namecheap guarantee is our mark of excellence.
Products might be the same, but every customer is different. Thats why we tailor our deals to suit as many people as possible. So you get exactly what you need, for less.
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The Process Of Creating A Memorable Domain Name
- Length
Generally speaking, less is more in terms of a domain name. Users are more likely to find you if you have a shorter name because it is easier to remember and type than longer ones. When there is less to read, it is also easier to stand out from the crowd. Its a good idea to keep your sentences to no more than 2-3 words.
- Simplicity
You want people to remember your domain name and type it correctly when they see it for the first time. It can be difficult to remember and correctly spell words or names that are complicated or uncommon.
- Keywords
Keywords that are relevant to your business help users find you when they are searching and recognize what you do at first glance. Keywords can include things like what you do or offer , as well as where you are located. Include your location in your domain name to help you reach local customers and users more effectively.
- Identifying a brand
Your domain name should be a reflection of your brand, and the reverse is also true. When it comes to building brands, it can take time, and including your companys unique brand name in your domain name can help you stand out, gain recognition, and increase the number of visitors to your website.
Keep in mind that you should avoid copying any existing brand names or trademarks when creating your brand name and domain name.
- The domain name of the website
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How Much Domain Names Cost
Domain names vary dramatically in price. The price for a .com domain is about $10 to $18, but you will find that prices vary by registrar, domain name, and extension. Many registers will deeply discount the domain but you will need to pay full price in subsequent years.
You may also find a list of domains which cost more than the standard fee. These are domains being held by cybersquatters, and you can purchase a domain from them if the price is acceptable they vary from slightly above standard price to stratospheric, depending on how valuable the domain is perceived to be.
Remember that when you purchase a domain name, it is generally for only one year . If you do not pay the fee at annual renewal, you lose the domain and it can be purchased by someone else. Cybersquatters often quickly purchase lapsed domains under the assumption that the owner neglected to renew by accident and will then need to pay an inflated fee to reclaim the URL.
Choose The Most Appropriate Domain Name
This is the point at which youre ready to narrow down your shortlist and complete the process of how to choose a domain name for your business.
A portion of this process is subjectiveafter all, it is critical to select a domain name you enjoy. However, there are some simple criteria that you can use to decide the process a little easier than well.
Youll want to choose a domain name that comprises the following words:
Concise and easy to understand. Long and confusing names are more difficult to remember and are more likely to be mistyped.
Imaginative and unforgettable. The more distinctive you can make your domain name, the more memorable it will be for visitors.
It is simple to read and pronounce. When speaking aloud, avoid using numbers and special characters because they are difficult to understand. Additionally, you should ask your friends to pronounce it correctly so that you do not end up on this list by accident.
Finally, its critical to carefully consider the Top-Level Domain of your domain name before purchasing it .
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Tips For Choosing A Registrar
Determine which services you require
You may want services like email hosting or support offered in French, so find out what each registrar offers. Remember, if you registered your .CA domain name as an individual you have free WHOIS privacy protection already included.
Check references
Seek out customer reviews and testimonials, and ask friends or colleagues for a recommendation. You may find that some registrars come highly recommended by your peers. If you make a mistake, you can always transfer your .CA domain to another registrar.
Shop around
Shop around to get a good understanding of how much your domain name, and additional services, will cost. Registrars may offer bundles, packages, or special promotions. Keep in mind that cheapest isnt always necessarily best.
Web Servers And The Internet
The Internet is nothing more than a large collection of computers attached to a telecommunications network and a set of protocols that establishes the rules for data to be sent and received by them. Most computers are linked to the Internet through a modem that directs traffic to and from a local phone or cable company. An Internet service provider directs the incoming and outgoing data through a local hub to regional hubs.
All the data that makes up a website is located on one or more specialized computers known as servers. Servers can be expensive to purchase and maintain, so companies, known as domain hosts or website hosts, lease server resources to subscribers in return for monthly fees. This allows most anyone to create a website that is available to the public on the World Wide Web , which is the collective network of all websites in the world that can be accessed through the internet.
In order for computers to understand each other, universal codes and protocols have been established. One of the most important of these protocols for websites and domain hosting is hypertext transfer protocol . It is this protocol that allows queries to be sent to specific servers so that the websites on those servers can be accessed.
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Should You Buy Multiple Variations Of Your Website Domain Name
This really depends on the type of website or business you hope to create. If you plan to start a blog, then the answer is probably not. But what if you have ambitions for something larger. Say, a major corporation.
For instance, lets look at something most people dont know. Open up a new tab and type www.Amazoon.com. Notice that there is an extra o on the URL, but it still brings you to the correct website.
This is because Amazon has purchased multiple variations of its domain name so that they can all redirect visitors to the actual website. This helps prevent losing customers due to typos and even helps protect those customers from scams.
Imagine if that website actually sent you to a website that looked like Amazon but was designed to scam customers and steal information. That would negatively impact the real company.
Many individuals or companies actually go out of their way to do this in hopes that their domain name is purchased.
Avoid Numbers And Hyphens
Imagine asking your 10 friends to spell or pronounce a domain name filled with numbers and dashes. It wont work.
If you choose a domain name with these elements, youre likely going to lose traffic to people who cant remember your domain or effectively tell someone else how to find it. We probably wouldnt have Facebook today if you had to go to Face-Book.com to reach the site.
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Your Domain Name And Branding
People often think that the word brand means a company name.
However, a brand is much more than that, your brand is the overall company image that you present to the world.
Its important to make sure that everything in your business, from the company name to the domain name to the website design to the content to the tone of voice, works together and conveys the image that you want to convey.
Imagine that you are conducting a job interview and you think that the candidate is great.
She is professional, she has the relevant experience, she seems like a great fit in terms of the company culture
But when she leaves, you take another look at her resume and you notice that her email address is .
No offense to the sk8ergurls out there, but lets keep it real: an email address like that would make you question your original impression of her.
Well, its the same with branding. If everything about your company conveys a certain image but your domain name doesnt fit that image at all, it will put potential customers on guard.
And the last thing you want to do is give them a reason to be suspicious.
Your Domain Name Should Be Easy To Remember
You want to make sure that your domain name is easy to remember. But what exactly does that mean?
Basically, the more items you ask someone to remember, the harder it is for them to do that.
When it comes to domain names, every word and symbol is a separate item, which is something to keep in mind when you are considering various options.
For example, www.luciddreaming.com is easier to remember than www.world-of-lucid-dreaming.com .
Try to keep your domain short, avoid using symbols, and get a well-known extension.
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Choose A Domain Name Suffix Such As Com Or Net
After settling on the domain name, consider the suffix. The most popular suffix is .com, although .net and .org are also popular. These are considered to be top-level domains, or the highest-level domain suffixes in the domain naming system.
There are also other varieties to consider, such as country code top-level domains. These domain names end in a suffix that is particular to a specific country. A website in Germany might end in .de, for example.
Finally, there is another class of domain name suffixes called “sponsored, top-level domains,” which are sponsored by a specific community related to the domain name. For example, .gov is for the U.S. government and .edu is for education organizations.
For most websites, .com is the best suffix for its ease of use, but if you have a specialized website, you might consider a country code or sponsored top-level domain.
How Much Should You Pay For A Domain Name
Okay, so how much should you pay for a domain name?
Well, it all depends on your budget, if you are a billionaire and want to buy www.lasvegas.com, go for it.
However, you probably arent a billionaire, which means that you need to think carefully about how much you are willing to invest in a domain name.
There is a common mistake that first-time entrepreneurs make. They use their limited startup capital to create an appearance of a serious business. They get an expensive domain name, custom web design, business cards, etc. But all that isnt doing business, its playing business.
Sure, you need to look professional, but you shouldnt let that distract you from what actually puts money in your pocket, which is selling your products or services.
Basically, when you are just starting out, you should only be spending money on things that directly contribute to your bottom line. Everything else can wait.
Thefacebook.com, in 2004
For example, when Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook in 2004, it was called The Facebook and hosted on .
Facebook purchased its current domain name in 2005 for $200,000.
At that point, Mark Zuckerberg had validated his idea, the social network was growing rapidly, and Facebook had already received their first investment from the PayPal founder Peter Thiel.
Zuckerberg wanted to call his social network Facebook from the start, but the domain name wasnt available, so he simply added the word the to it and got to work.
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How Should I Choose My Domain Name
At first, you might think its annoying that the most relevant domain names for your site are probably taken. But now that the obvious names are out of the equation, were forced to think outside the box which can lead to some memorably creative results.
The most important point to keep in mind while you brainstorm is the radio test: in other words, could potential site visitors spell your domain name just by hearing it? By asking yourself this question, youll avoid common pitfalls like including numbers and words with multiple spellings .
Make It Brandable Not Generic
Creative, memorable domain names are always better than generic ones. After all, your domain name is how people will find, remember, and spread the word about your business on the internet. Its much better to have something that aligns with your brand instead of a domain name thats made up of a bunch of general keywords.
For example, can you tell the difference between cheapcarinsurance.com and affordableautoinsurance.com? Which one would you trust when it comes to buying insurance? Probably neither. Both sound a little spammy, and theyre terribly generic.
On the other hand, youll probably know where the domain names progressive.com or geico.com are going to point you to. Those companies have invested in their brands, and theyve used them in their domain names. You can trust that these sites are legitimate.
Even if you havent built up trust and loyalty yet, you can start by choosing a strong domain name that fits your brand.
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