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Is This A Good Domain Name

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Tips For Choosing A Domain Name

How To Choose A Good Domain Name For Your Online Business

Most businesses will use their brand name as their chosen domain name. There are some golden rules to have in mind when you are deciding on the domain name, or names, for your business:

A) Keep it as short as practical

Short domain names are easier to remember and communicate clearly on mobile devices. Shorter domain names also provide less opportunity for your customer to incorrectly spell your name when searching online. Try to keep your domain to less than 15 characters and avoid complex spellings. It should always be able to be spelled easily. It should not have negative connotations in your current or planned target markets and should ideally reflect your brand name.

B) Avoid hyphens, numbers, symbols, slang and weird spellings.

Domain name best practice suggests that anything that complicates your customer’s life should be avoided. Combining numbers, letters or symbols in a domain name is confusing and difficult to enter on a mobile device. It is not a good idea to use a hyphen in a domain name, even if that is the only way to get your desired name. Hyphens only serve to increase the complexity of finding you online. Slang, too, should be avoided. It may be commonly used in your immediate vicinity but unknown in another target market or geographic location.

C) Include SEO keywords in your domain name

D) Ensure you employ the correct extension or extensions

How Do You Know Which Nameserver To Use

The hosting company you use for your domain name will determine the nameserver names or IP addresses for your domains zone file.

You will need to update the domain names DNS settings via your domain registrar who will then communicate those changes to the domain registry.

After you make changes to your DNS server settings, it can take up to 48 hours to update worldwide domain name servers. This window is known as propagation.

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Choose A Domain Name You Can Actually Legally Own

Infringing on a trademark can mean a really bad day. And, while I realize hardly anyone registers a domain name with the intent to infringe on anything, those things do happen every once in a while.

Therefore, as a rule of thumb, whenever you have a nice domain name idea and youre just about to register it, simply google the name and look through all of the first and second-page results. What youre looking for are businesses that already use this name and operate in a similar market or niche.

If you find anything, you likely need to pick another domain name.

Also Check: Where Do You Buy Website Domain

What Makes A Domain Name Good

Lets consider three of the worlds most popular websites: www.google.com, www.facebook.com, and www.amazon.com. What do all these domains have in common? They are short, simple, and easy to remember. Even a small child can type these into a web browser to access them.

Even if we zoom in on smaller websites, such as popular local online pharmacies or auto repair services, most of these will probably have domain names that are to the point and memorable.A bad domain name is the opposite. Its long, consisting of several words linked up by a dash or else written together. Its generic rather than reflecting the identity of the business, organization, or individual behind it. And because its long and generic, its not usually memorable.

The domain names we mention are catchy and reflect a strong brand identity. Bad domain names, on the other hand, might use generic keywords that refer to the service or products the business provides. Just imagine if Jeff Bezos chose for Amazon the domain name www.best-online-e-commerce-store.com. That would have been clumsy!

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How to get a Good Domain Name? Best for Business

Priced as $35.40 for an annual shared hosting package Bluehost is one of the cheapest web hosting services that offer a free domain name. This package does not include domain privacy, which is billed separately at $15 per domain per year. Domain renewal pricing depends on the extension type, but a .com renewal costs $17.99.

Hostgator includes free domain hosting with its annual-or-longer Hatchling plan . After the free period ends domain renewal averages about $18.99 per year for a .com extension, with privacy protection billed at $14.95 annually.

Hostinger is another option to consider, with reasonable domain renewal rates. Its premium shared hosting plan costs $2.59 per month with an annual commitment, which includes a free domain during that period. Domain renewal with Hostinger costs $11 annually, and Whois protection costs an additional $5 per year.

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Rules For Choosing The Perfect Domain Name For Your Needs

Latest update 7 September 2020 Published 13 July 2020

In 95 percent of the web design projects our team undertakes, the domain name has already been chosen. However, in some cases, its up to us to advise our clients as to what domain name they should use. Below, I share 11 tips indispensable when helping people choose a good domain name.

Choose A Domain Name Without Numbers And Hyphens

Numbers and hyphens in domain names are often misunderstood people who hear your website address dont know if youre using a numeral or its spelled out . If youre using hyphens, people might put them in the wrong place or forget them altogether.

Numbers and hyphens complicate your domain name, making it harder to remember and type. That makes your business harder to remember.

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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:

How Do I Register A Domain Name

How to find a good domain name (easy trick)

If you don’t have a domain name for your Practice you can easily and inexpensively register one at an Independent Registrar. It may take a few tries before you find one that is available that meets your needs. Every Independent Registrar and Hosting company on the Internet provide domain lookup tools. Once you do the lookup, they will then try to sell you that domain if it is available. Therefore it is wise to do your lookup through an Independent Registrar you are comfortable with so that if the domain is available you can proceed directly to the purchase phase without worry.

Once you have chosen your domain name and ensured it’s availability register it for the longest possible time frame. Annual costs for domain registration are low , so it is best to protect your domain and the longer you register for the better your search engine rankings will become. To register choose an Independent Registrar, select the domain and email accounts you would like and follow their steps.

Once you have registered your domain always ensure you have automatic renewal enabled. You do not want to lose that key link to your business!

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Keep Your Domain Name Short Brandable And Memorable

If youre fortunate to already have a brand name, youll definitely want to try and register it as your domain. This makes it easier for people to find you online and connect your business to your website. If possible, youll want to have the .com, but .co and .net maybe suitable alternatives.

Regardless of the name you choose, its incredibly important to keep it short, concise, and easy to remember.

Aim to:

  • Keep your domain name under 15 characters
  • Avoid words with complex spelling and meanings

For example, the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts online store could have used thelacountymuseumofartstore.org. Do you see something off here? Beside the domain being too long, what stands out are the words fart storenot the best look for a brand selling stuff online.

Instead, the brand chose thelacmastore.orga short, sweet, pronounceable domain name people will remember.

Some brands, like Biko, also get creative with their domain name by making it relatable, yet clear. The domain name ilovebiko.com puts shoppers in the right mindset once they land on the page.

You get the idea. Above all, make your domain name simple and brandable so people can find you online.

Dont Sweat It Too Much If Your Perfect Domain Name Is Taken And Cant Be Obtained

Okay, so as much as domain names do matter, and having the right one can mean the world to you, if you cant get your hands on what you want , dont sweat it too much.

First of all, something thats more important than anything else even than the domain name itself is to actually get the idea behind your website or business right. If you dedicate yourself to executing that idea and do it deliberately, the lack of that perfect domain name wont hold you back.

Secondly, domain names can be changed later on. Even if you dont have the right domain today, you can always get it later, and then just redirect your website to it.

For example, that is what Sumo a suite of online marketing tools did not that long ago. The domain name they started with was sumome.com, but then, after a while, when they got enough funding, they bought the domain they really wanted sumo.com. In their case, that domain switch was kind of expensive. Their new sumo.com domain actually cost $1.5 million. But dont worry, yours doesnt have to be this expensive. Sumo has actually turned out to be the 83rd most expensive domain name ever.

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Use Your Domain Name To Build Your Brand

Your domain name almost subconsciously plays a role in growing your brand. Think about it how powerful would the GoDaddy brand be if it had a domain name like BuyWebsites.com?

Businesses should look at the domain name as an opportunity to cement their brand identity into visitors minds.

Not only is GoDaddy.com the perfect domain name to grow GoDaddys brand, but its easy for consumers to remember and type in their browser when they want to visit the website directly. Look for branded domain names whenever possible especially if you can find an exact match brand name.

Be Creative With Your Domain Name: Have Fun

How To Choose The Perfect Domain Name

OK, so this may seem like obvious advice, but it is surprising to find many websites with unimaginative names.

Generic names will be easily forgotten as they do not stand out from the crowd. If you come up with a creative name, then you will have an advantage over your competitors.

Tips on being creative?

It is always a great idea to look at the domain names that are forever etched into the internets hall of fame. Thats right Im talking about YouTube.com and again.

Notice that these websites put two very simple and easy words together to create one smooth domain name.

For example, if you are thinking of creating a website for the purpose of affiliate marketing, then you can come up with something like: RichMarket or AffiliatePro.

Simple and easy to remember.

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Is Co Better Than Com

This depends on what benefit you are considering.

The most popular domain extension is .com. It is the domain that an internet user will usually think of while searching for a website. If you have a .com website, you do not have to worry about not being found.

But since a .co domain isnt as memorable, you will have to place more emphasis on branding the .co extension.

You should also consider how most visitors will reach your website. Is it by directly keying in your URL? If so, then having a .co extension can be confusing as most internet users tend to type in .com. So, your .co domain may get mistyped as a .com, and your visitors may end up visiting a different website.

However, many people use search engines to visit websites. If this is how you get your traffic, the exact URL or domain extension is irrelevant. Using an alternate domain extension like .co will not affect your SEO ranking. So, potential visitors who are looking for services or products that you offer can simply click on search results and reach your website.

In essence, if you can get the .com domain, it is always the best choice, especially when you rely on direct URL input for website traffic. But when a .com domain isnt available, or your visitors could find you through search engines or directory services, .co domains will work just fine.

Another concern regarding the domain choice is pricing.

Recommended Further Reading:How To Register A Domain Name

Stay Unique Specific And On

With all of these things to keep in mind, it can be hard to brainstorm a domain name that is clear and concise while also remaining unique and true to your business.

But it’s certainly doable. Keep your business name and what you sell at the front of your mind, and dig into your niche to make sure your domain name is also attracting the online audience you want.

Recommended Reading: How To Create An Email With A Domain

What Is A Domain Name

The term “domain name” will pop up several times during the initial phases of your online presence creation process. The domain name is the address that people will type into the search bar to find your website, and it will also play a critical role in helping you attract your ideal customers.

Domain names are much like fingerprints. Each domain name is unique to a specific website and cannot be shared or copied by other websites. The domain name you select will be identifiable to you, your website, and your business. A domain name could either grow or hinder your business. That’s why you need to put enough thought into it.

Keep It Short And Simple

How to Find a great domain name! (2020) Tutorial

If your domain name is long, it’ll be harder for people to remember, which could spell out less traffic for you. WebsiteSetup.org recommends a domain name that is 6-14 characters in length.

Beyond that, a short domain name isn’t helpful if it is hard to spell or pronounce, as users will likely lose their way when trying to type your website URL.

Read Also: Can You Use Your Own Domain Name With Shopify

Paid Vs Free Domain Protection

There are precautions to take when purchasing a domain, so luckily, there is Domain Protection. And depending on your domain registrar, its either free or it comes at a price.

Just for context, signing up for a domain also includes providing specifics for a WHOIS directory a resource database of all the registered domains in a country. Its available to lookup users who have purchased a domain and/or created an IP address including the contact info, name, and more.

Its so that the public can find information about any person with a domain name. So, spammers are big fans of this directory. It grants them easy access to different people all around the world.

With WHOIS Protection, the WHOIS data about your contact information will be hidden. However, it doesnt hide any DNS records or IP addresses.

When determining the right domain provider, you may want to consider if theres a fee for WHOIS Protection or if its included. Many other providers have it set up automatically as well.

However, if its not included, expect to pay an extra $12-$15 a year for protection.

Consider Buying The Other Main Tlds As Well

Having your main domain name extension secured be it a .com or a local TLD is only step one. Step two is getting all of the other popular TLDs, and then setting them to redirect to your main TLD.

For example, if your desired address is SeeMeBloggin.com, also consider getting the likes of:

  • SeeMeBloggin.org
  • SeeMeBloggin.co.uk, etc.

While this will contribute to your overall domain name bill at the end of the year, youre also preventing possible trouble further down the line. Mainly, you wouldnt want to end up competing with another site with the same domain name but ending in a different TLD.

Some other things you dont want:

  • People creating imposter sites sites that look like yours but arent .
  • People registering some of those missing TLDs and then trying to sell them back to you at a much higher rate.
  • Genuine visitors mixing up your TLD and not being able to access your website.

Also Check: How Do I Choose A Domain Name

Keep Your Domain Name Short & Simple:

It will also help people to remember your website if you keep the domain name concise. The websites mentioned above all have relatively short names.

In fact, most popular websites only have one or two words.

If you try to make your domain name sound like a passage straight out of Shakespeare, then you wont have much luck with generating traffic.

Basically, do not create a name that is overly complex. Instead, focus on creating a title that is not only easy, but short enough to be remembered.

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