Sometimes Dont Go For The Com
Sorry. I know Im making things confusing, but please bear with me.
There are some exceptions to the .com rule:
Chiefly, if your website is meant to cater to a local audience, consider going for a local TLD. For example, building a blog for the German market? How about getting a .de address?
Doing this will give your users that little bit of additional awareness and boost your trustworthiness by making it clear youre in their country .
But even with that, you shouldnt limit yourself to just that local domain name. You may still want to expand your brand in the future, and, if that happens, you dont want to find out that someone has already taken your .com.
So, at the end of the day, even if you want to cater to a local market, you can still benefit in the long run by getting the .com version as well. And, in the meantime, you can link the .com to your local domain, so, no matter which address someone visits, they still end up at the same website.
What If The Dot Com Domain Is Already Registered
Dot com is the prime version in the United States.
If someone else already has a site on the .com and only .net or .org are available, unless its a keyword domain, then maybe it isnt worth it to spend the time developing a site that someone else owns the dot com version.
If someone is simply hanging on to the domain and not doing anything with it, its possibly OK.
But site visitors really like to see that dot com in the URL.
You May Like: How Much Does A Domain Name Cost
Tips To Choose An Effective Domain Name For Your Real Estate Business
So, you are thinking about getting into the real estate business, right? You have a rough plan in mind, and now you want to create a real estate website. Thats great.
The first thing you need is to choose a relevant, and proper domain name for your real estate website. But how do you do that? How can you come up with such domain name ideas?
If you choose the wrong domain name, then it can be a hassle to switch later without hurting your brand and search rankings.
That is what todays post is all about. Below, you will find 10 proven tips to choose a fantastic domain name for your real estate business. By the time you finish going through these techniques, you will have several exciting domain name ideas.
So, are you ready to find those fantastic names? Lets get started.
Don’t Miss: Does It Matter Where You Register Your Domain Name
Attributes Of A Good Domain
The good qualities in a domain are actually very similar to the qualities of a great business logo:
- Search Engine Optimized
- Legally/Ethically Compliant
These features will make it easier for your prospects to remember you, keep top of mind awareness, stay on top in Google, and stay out of trouble with the authorities.
Leverage The Creativity Of Others
An unfortunate reality is that a majority of domains you will be interested in are taken. Real estate agents have had websites for decades now, and theres stiff competition in most cities. I would try to remain steadfast in your commitment and not settle on a domain that you do not truly love. It could very well be around for decades!
If youre like me you may occasionally struggle in the creativity department. Ive spent many hours staring at the screen trying to come up the perfect domain. In the end, I had to put away my pride and reach out to others for input. Contacting your friends and family for input can be extremely helpful during the brainstorming process. They arent short on opinions or ideas and will provide you with valuable feedback.
There are actually people that you can hire to find available domain name ideas. I have found extremely talented people for as cheap as $15 on Fiverr. Some of these freelancers brainstorm domain names for a living! They can take abstract instructions and deliver catchy and available domains. Reach out to a freelancer if youre in desperate need!
Lastly, there are some free tools that you can find to generate domain name ideas. Ive had minimal levels of success with these tools, but they are an option!
Recommended Reading: How To Setup Your Own Email Domain On Gmail
Agent Image Is A Real Estate Pros Best Friend
If you feel that youre spending too much time running your website and populating your social media channels, youre probably right. Your business is to sell property, after all.
Why not find a professional who understands the marketing end of your business, and let them do what they do best while you focus on your passion?
Search no further as Agent Image offers outstanding website design and internet marketing services for real estate professionals.
We will get you up and running with the best domain name, search engine optimization, content development, and social media marketing.
Well also fine-tune your website so that it appears properly on mobile devices, giving visitors an optimal browsing experience no matter what gadget they use.
We understand what you need and offer stunning websites so that your business stands out among your competitors.
Contact us to see what we can do for you!
Dont Expect Your Website To Rank On Google Just Because You Include Your Farm Area
Want to know a secret most SEO companies will never tell you? A huge percentage of the work they do is based on nothing but guesswork. Even worse, a guess that might be right on Monday might not be right on Wednesday, and might even switch BACK again on Saturday!
So that means pretty much all of the rules that SEO experts swear by are the online equivalent of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. Some guess better than others, but at the end of the day, theyre still guessing.
The biggest myth by far is that adding your local town name will help you rank on Google local searches. Again, there is no hard evidence to back this up. It might work, it might not.
So should you or shouldnt you? Well, if you can squeeze your town name in and it sounds professional and the result is easy to remember, then go for it. Of course, if the only way you can include it leaves you with a 60-character domain name with hyphens yeah, not going to work.
You May Like: Do You Need Private Registration For Domain Name
Why Are Domain Names So Important For Your Real Estate Website
Your domain name is a vital part of your real estate website as it allows people to find your company online. It also plays a significant factor in driving more potential clients to your website and increasing your lead generation. Having the right domain name can help drive more traffic to your real estate website and increase your ranking on search engines. Additionally, it represents your company and adds credibility to your business, making your customers more likely to trust your products and services. Investing in a domain name streamlines migration, which means that you will be free to switch hostings or change things up without it harming your SEO or ranking.
Check Out Social Media Availability
It is always great to have the same name as your domain name and the social media username.
That means you need to check out the availability before purchasing a domain name.
Luckily, you dont have to do it manually. The same Knowem site can help you in this case as well.
This tool will help you to search 25 most common social media networks for your preferred username.
In some instances, you may find a proper domain name but couldnt find the exact social media usernames. In that case, you can add a number or hyphen to your social media username. Unlike the domain name, people wont actually type the usernames to visit your social profiles, which makes it a safe strategy.
Also Check: How To Make Your Own Domain Name
Why It Pays To Put Some Thought Into Your Domain Name
Your domain name is your websites home address on the Internet. And while its not the only thing that affects your sites success, there are tons of reasons its important to choose a domain name carefully:
- A unique, memorable name is more likely to stick with visitors and encourage them to return.
- Your domain name can immediately give new visitors an idea of what your site is all about.
- Domain names have an impact on Search Engine Optimization .
- Changing your domain name after creating your site can lead to time-consuming complications.
Names have power this is as true for a website as for anything else. Picking the right domain name should therefore be a careful process, and youll want to consider all of your options before settling on a winner.
You May Like: How Much Does It Cost To Purchase A Domain Name
Dont Use Numbers Or Hyphens
Since most of the good domain names are already claimed, it is really hard to find a suitable domain name that is short and memorable. That might tempt you to use a number and hyphen in your domain name. But that also is not a good strategy.
First of all, adding a hyphen to the domain name makes it harder to pronounce. Most people will forget the hyphen and end up visiting another site.
Adding a number also does the same thing. When people hear the name of your website for the first time, they will wonder whether the number is spelled out or written in the numeric form.
Along with being short, brandable, and easy to pronounce, it is also important to choose the right extension for your domain name. Read on to know how to do that.
Also Check: How To Get Domain Name From Ip
Buy Old Domain Names At An Online Auction
Domain age plays a small role in determining how well your overall website will perform for local search results. If you cant get any of your preferred names then its time to hire a domain broker.
Domain brokers help you score a domain name already taken by someone else. Often, people buy multiple domain names when they are brainstorming or starting a new company. Most of these domain names never get used and your domain broker helps you secure them through a secure escrow platform.
The owner sets their own price for selling the name. If its a premium one or two word name it can be expensive. However, if you are going local, chances are the broker can get a good deal for you.
Some websites to search for taken premium domain names
The New Realtor Domain And Your Real Estate Website
Now that you understand how to register a real estate website domain, setting up your .realtor domain should be much easier. But what exactly does the new domain offer Realtors? And what are the specifications for setting one up?
In November 2013, NAR officially filed a request with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to secure exclusive rights to the .realtor real estate domain. The main reason? According to NAR, itâs to let consumers who search for a new home online and arrive on a .realtor domain âunderstand that they have located just that, a source of specialized expertise and unparalleled local market knowledge.â In other words, this new offering from NAR for its members aims to underscore credibility with consumers.
NAR is giving away 500,000 .realtor domain names to its members for free, on a first-come, first-serve basis. It appears the organization will have little issue getting its members to sign up for new real estate domain names using .realtor: An Inman News poll of its readership found more than 80% will register for the new domain at some point.
Many Realtors are still unsure about what the new .realtor domain offers and the setup process. If you need further assistance getting the new .realtor domain for your real estate website, or you simply want more explanation about the domain offering, NAR , where you can ask any questions that come to mind.
Don’t Miss: How To Make A Company Domain Email
Be Creative With Your Domain Name: Have Fun
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.
Pro Tip: Scale Your Website Slowly
One all too common mistake agents make building websites is signing up for an all-in-one real estate website platform and loading it up with bells and whistles on day one. There is a big problem with this approach: The price. These platforms sell you on upgrades by tiers for a reason. They want to try to get you to spend money today on features you wont need for years.
Instead of feeling pressured to upgrade to the next tier, try the number one rated agent website platform on Facebook and Google with an average rating of 4.9 on Facebook and Google Agentfire. Agentfire lets you add features to your site as you scale your business. If your business scales slowly, you upgrade your site slowly. Simple.
Recommended Reading: How To Sale My Domain Name
Simple And Limiting Your Letters
LasVegasDiscountForeclosurePropertiesForSale.com, or something like that, would be way, way too long. Las Vegas Foreclosure Properties isnt too bad. Thats probably about the max amount of words that I would want in one of my own domains.
Make it simple, simple that someone can remember at least when someone is reading it, it makes sense. Las Vegas Foreclosure Properties makes sense, but Foreclosure Properties Las Vegas might not make quite a as sense when you read it literally.
Just make sure its simple and has as few letters as possible.
What Your Real Estate Domain Name Should Include
When choosing a domain name, its important that it accurately represents your business. You can create a domain thats simple or complexas long as its available. Although it may be easy to purchase and register domains, its best to choose one that will work over the long term as it can be difficult to redirect website traffic and prospective clients if you want to change your domain name down the road.
Here are some things to consider when choosing a name for your business website domain:
Read Also: Where Do I Purchase A Domain Name
Avoid Unique Spelling Or Symbols
With so many good real estate domain names already taken, it can be tempting to add a funky spelling, or God forbid, a hyphen to your name. Unless someone literally has a gun to your head, you should resist this temptation at all costs.
You only need to think for a minute or so in order to understand why. It makes your name harder to remember, it doesnt look professional, and it can lead to people confusing your site for another real estate site with a simpler name.
So if you come up with a clever domain name like reeealestate.com, chances are people are going to miss an E and Google will suggest the obvious realestate.com instead. As a general rule of thumb, if someone needs you to clarify how to spell your domain more than once, its not a good name.
Where To Get A Domain Name For Your Real Estate Website
Choosing a domain registrar is the initial step to obtaining one for your business. Each registrar provides different services, from the basics of registering a domain to a full-service platform with web design and tools to help you nurture website leads. The best domain registrars follow best practices to help reduce potential website issues and help protect your online brand presence long term. Some even provide additional features to help you make the most of your domain service.
For example, Domain.com also provides website hosting, website creation, and design services, and its easy to transfer an existing realtor domain to domain.com. In terms of website costs, the affordable packages offered by Domain.com enable you to get your website online quickly, and 24/7 expert support means youll have assistance when needed.
Alternatively, here are three more great options for registering and hosting your domain:
| Company | |
|---|---|
|
|
You May Like: How To Flip Domain Names
Value Benefits And Usp
There is a reason that sellers and buyers come to you for help. You offer them some kind of beneficial value. Theres something unique about your real estate solution that makes you the preferred choice for that seller or buyer. The hard part is for you to figure out what it is.
But once you know, you can incorporate that into your domain name as well. Do you provide really fast service? Are your offers all in cash? Can you close in two days? Do you do business in a different language? There are many reasons why someone would want to do business with you and your domain name is a place to highlight some of those reasons. FastCashRealEstateOffers.com or FreedomTurnkeyInvestments.com are a couple of examples.
Action: Think about the reasons that people do deals with you instead of your competition. What unique benefits do you offer that no one else offers?