Consider Registering Domain Name Variants
People mangle words in all kinds of crazy ways.
I remember a theatrical venue that had a Cabaret Seating section and I was told that half the people calling for tickets were asking for Cabernet Seating.
So, this may be arguable but based on my experience, I believe its important to register reasonable domain name variants.
If your domain name is WidgetExpert, then you might want to consider registering WidgetExperts because people tend to add an s to the end of a singular domain name.
People may remember your domain name wrong in many different ways, so try to anticipate that and register the domain name variants then redirect them to the correct domain.
Singular and plural variants are common mistakes but also actual spelling mistakes might be something to think about.
Redirect all of them to the actual domain and you might even pick up some links from sites that linked using the wrong version.
One last benefit is that this is also a proactive defensive measure that will block future competitors from registering a variant of your domain name.
Your Choice Of A Domain Name Is Important Here’s How To Make Sure You Choose The Right Domain Name For Your Business
A business domain name is like online real estate. It’s where your brand conducts business, drives potential customers to buy your products and services, and builds your expertise and authority.
That’s why it’s so important to choose the right business domain name. Here, you’ll learn the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about domain names. The answers should help guide you through making the right choice for your next domain name.
Should You Consider Domain Misspelling Alternatives
This is another area where trying to be too clever can end up getting you in trouble. Again, you want your domain name to be easy to remember and type, and the best way to ensure that is to keep it simple.
If you try to capitalize on a misspelling in a domain name, you’re likely going to miss out on the people who are actually spelling it correctly, and that could be a huge segment of your audience. In general, your best bet is to avoid complex or misspelled domain names.
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Use Domain Name Generators When Stuck
At this point, you should have at least a general idea of some possible words to put in your domain. Some of those words may already be taken, trademarked, or just dont have the sound youre looking for.
Thats where domain name generators come into play. These generators can turn your ideas into fresh, available domains.
Here are some of our favorite domain name generators to try out:
Avoid Hyphens And Extra Characters In Your Domain Name
It happens all the time
Someone cant find their desired domain name, so they decide to add a few hyphens and a couple of numbers, and perfect! Right?
Not even a little bit.
Lets revisit Garys Coffee Shop and see what wouldve happened had he done this when choosing a domain name. If instead of selecting garyscoffee.online or garyscoffee.shop hed selected garys-coffee-736.com, he wouldve made a big mistake.
Take your customers and site visitors into account when choosing your domain name. The more random characters and numbers you have in your domain, the less likely it is for them to remember it. And that means they could misspell your domain name and end up on a competitors site, or assume your website is no longer functioning and youve gone out business.
Unless your business name is hyphenated and has numbers, and your customers are very familiar with it, dont include them in your domain name.
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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:
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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What To Do If Youre Taking An Existing Business Online
Theres less space to be flexible with an existing business, as clearly you cant draw up a list of potential names and then pick one. If you find your business name is still available as a domain name, snap it up as quickly as possible. If its not then you have a couple of options.
Embrace the new domain extensions With so many new domain extensions now on the market, its easier to find a suitable domain name. Consider using a geographically appropriate domain extension such as .London or .Scot, or alternatively, a sector-specific extension such as .cab or .accountants. There are literally hundreds of domain extensions available, making it easier to grab a suitable domain name. Just make sure you dont infringe any trademarks.
Consider rebranding If you cant get the name you want, this may be a good time to rebrand. Its a major step, but it can help your business grow especially if youre offering services in new areas. If you choose to go down this route then youll end up with a list of names to pick from, just as you would if you were starting a new business.
Unlock The Power Of Keywords
Internet search is based on a framework of keywords and phrases when indexing addresses and sites, so why not take advantage of this when choosing your domain name?
Brainstorm keywords related to your organization and use these in shaping your chosen name. For example, your butchers shop might name meat, butcher, smoked, cured, savory, friendly, and service as descriptive keywords for your business. An appropriate name might then be SavoryService.com or TheSmilingButcher.com. Either domain respects the fact that search engines work off of such keywords when indexing and fetching information for users, while providing a description of what customers can expect in the process.
What keywords do people use to search for businesses like yours? Use them in your domain name if you can.
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Choose A Brandable Name
We all know that branding is crucial to long-term success, but what exactly makes a domain name brandable? There are many factors that come into play here, but the most important ones are as follows:
- A brandable name has no specific meaning .
- Its unique your competition doesnt use anything similar.
- Its easy to memorize not too wordy, no complex vowel combinations.
- Its easy to pronounce and dictate over the phone.
- It sounds trustworthy some names can be a little shady by definition, for instance, WinTheLotteryToday.com may be too bold, but Lotterio.com sounds way better.
To make the brainstorming process easier, you can experiment with some combinations of actual words and random suffixes, like I did with the Lotterio.com example above. The main goal here is to create a potential for the domain name to build brand value over time.
In other words, as much as possible, try making sure the name has a good ring to it. It should be fun to say out loud, and not difficult to memorize immediately. Think about the likes of Uber: Its short and snappy, and theres no confusion as to how to spell it even when mentioned in passing in a conversation.
Some Tips For Naming Your Website
Shorter the better: In general, when it comes to the length of your domain, shorter is better.
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.
Easy to spell: Whats common between Facebook, Google, Twitter, Instagram, and TechRadar? They are all easy to spell, thus reducing the chance of your visitor ending up on the wrong website.
Think Long term: The name of your website will be one of the biggest elements of your brand for years. You should always think long and hard before choosing a website name because if you decide to change it in the future, itll not only cost you money but also in terms of SEO ranking and brand recall.
Research it: This flows from the above point. Take the time to research about the name to make sure it isnt copyrighted or trademarked, since this could be a legal nightmare and you might even end up losing the right to your website.
- Eva Alexandropoulos is NamecheapCMO, one of the world’s largest domain name registrars.
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Do You Need A Web Host And A Domain
Its common for domain registrars to offer web hosting services. Its also common for web hosting providers to offer domain registration.
These bundles might seem tempting, but in most cases, you should keep each service separate.
This gives you a lot more flexibility with changing web hosts and/or domain registrars in the future. It also improves the quality of service on both.
Id only recommend registering a domain and getting hosting with the same company if youre not planning to buy more domains in the future.
If youre going to bundle your domain and web host, you should use Bluehost. They are the only provider that is able to nail both of these services.
This is a great option for something specific and simple, such as a blog or small personal site.
Set Up Your Hosting And Website
If you do not have a web host, you can let the registrar park your domain name at a temporary website specially set up for you. This lets you secure your domain name before it’s too late and take your time setting up other aspects of your website.
After registering your domain name, learn about building your website from a number of sources. The most popular option for building a website is using a self-hosted WordPress blog. Most web hosting companies support WordPress.
Your registrar, web hosting company and the World Wide Web should offer ample documentation and ideas for you. Now that you’ve read through the domain name registration process, get started as soon as possible to get the domain name you deserve!
Getting your website up and running is just the start. Once you’re live you’ll want to focus on the important things like getting website traffic, building your email subscriber list, and converting visitors into sales.
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Why Your Domain Name Matters
Your domain name is as much a part of your brand as your business name or logo. Even if youve nailed your branding in every other respect, if theres something about your domain name that puts potential customers off, theyll likely go elsewhere.
The opposite is also true. If your web address is accurate and as fun to say as it is to use, people will be eager to check it out and share it. First impressions matter, and sometimes your domain is the initial experience people will have of your brand.
Its also not easy to change your domain name after your site is online. You can do it, but it can be time-consuming and does have consequences. It can lead to a loss of traffic and unnecessary downtime. In other words, life will be a lot easier if you take your time now and come up with a name you love.
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Stop With The Unique Spelling
Everyone is unique and so are businesses.
In fact, you must have a differentiator that sets you apart from your competitors. Just dont make that differentiator a uniquely spelled domain name. You might think that having an interestingly spelled domain means its memorable, but thats usually not the case. Hyphens between every other letter and random numbers at the end of your domain name are difficult to remember.
If you want your domain name to be memorable, make sure it passes the Radio Test.
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Keep It Short And Simple
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.
Consider Using Niche Keywords That Reflect Your Website
Our website mainly about web development or helping people to create a website. Hence we chose to add a name that reflects all of it website. Obviously website.com was no longer available, we simply chose WebsiteSetup.
Keywords can help to improve your SEO you need to tread carefully here! If you try to awkwardly stuff keywords into your domain, it comes across as generic .
If you choose to use keywords, put the keywords at the beginning of your domain. Thats where theyll be the most powerful for your ranking.
You can find keywords with tools like and Keywordtool.io.
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