Choose Your Top Level Domain Extension Carefully
A Top-Level Domain extension is the last part of your URL that comes directly after the name of your site. Some of the most popular TLDs are .com, .org, and .net.
Among all the TLDs, .com is often a popular choice. However, if .com is taken, its not the end of the world.
Other popular TLDs such as .xyz, .shop, .club, .online, .art, .inc, and even .party are becoming increasingly common. TLDs like .marketing and .technology allow you to go with something more relevant to your industry. The usage of ccTLDs is also an extremely popular option. In recent years, more technology startups are using .io , .ai , and .co , for example. Ultimately, youll want to choose a domain name extension that is cohesive with your website and signals credibility.
Plurals The And My Forms Of The Domain Name
Very often, if you can’t get the domain name you want, the domain name registrar will suggestalternate forms of the name you typed. For example, if you wanted website.com, andit was taken , it might suggest forms like:
thewebsite.commywebsite.comwebsites.com
and the like, if they were not already taken as well. The question is, should you take them?
My personal opinion is that if you take the “the…” and “my…” forms of the domain name,you must always remember to promote your site with the full form of the name.Otherwise, people are likely to forget to affix the necessary “the” or “my”. For that reason,I always advertise my sites as “thesitewizard.com” and “thefreecountry.com” in their fulldomain name forms, rather than just “Free Country” or “Site Wizard” .
On the other hand, I would not take the plural form of the domain name if Icannot also get “website.com”, since the chance of the visitor failing to type the “s” in thename is very great. Think about the famous name tussle between etoys.com and etoy.com. Manypeople wanting to go to etoys.com were apparently going to etoy.com instead. If it happenedto them, it can happen to you too.
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.
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Avoid Hyphens And Numbers
Remember how your domain name should be easy to spell and pronounce? Hyphens and numbers make it more difficult.
Imagine explaining Facebook if it had a hyphen in there
Have you seen this new site Face-Book? Theres a hyphen in there by the way, between the Face and the Book.
Facebook might not have spread so quickly if that was the case.
The bottom line? Your domain name should be smooth and punchy hyphens and numbers get in the way of that.
Stick to the letters!
Avoid Hyphens Numbers And Doubled Letters
Each of these elements is another hurdle for users to attempt to jump just to access your website. Its not exactly intuitive to keep these characters in mind, and doubled letters can make the domain name messy and hard to read.
Not to mention, all of these elements are susceptible to becoming typos as users try to search the internet for your business website. If youre sharing your website via word-of-mouth to clients, its also much harder to convey the domain name clearly when it is jumbled with hyphens, numbers, and the same letters back-to-back.
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Register Your Corresponding Social Media Handles
Social media is key these days whether we like it or not.
The average web-connected human , and, in total, a month. Thats BILLION.
What Im trying to say is: People are much more likely to check whats going on with your brand on Facebook than by actually visiting your website. This is just one of the reasons why you absolutely have to have your professional profiles set up on the most popular social media sites.
Whenever possible, get the same handles as your domain name. If these are taken, be creative and use some suffixes or prefixes. Some options: now, daily, hq, get, app. For example, my fictional Lotterio.com brand could go by LotterioHQ on Twitter.
How Does Our Domain Name Generator Work
Nameboy is the original domain name generator started in 1999. Our domain name generator analyzes the keywords you entered in our domain name search tool and suggests the best domain name ideas for your business.
Our artificial intelligence algorithm combines common words, random words, prefixes, suffixes, and the search keywords to make domain name suggestions that are suitable for your needs.
In our opinion, most other domain name generators in the market are fake because they dont actually check domain name availability. Instead, theyre just random word mesh tools that waste your time.
Nameboy on the other hand actually checks domain name availability status, so you can save time and find a good domain name idea thats actually available to register.
Aside from the main .com domain, our domain search results also include other popular domain extensions like: .net, .co, .org, .info, .blog, .biz, and more. This allows you to find top ideas for your industry or website name.
Our users often use Nameboy as a business name generator, catchy website name generator, startup company name generator, online store name generator, URL generator, and sometimes just for simple domain name availability search. We believe that weve built the best domain name generator in the market that shows top ideas, faster.
Go ahead and give it a try!
When you find the cool domain name that you like, we recommend that you register the domain name immediately, so no one else can take it.
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Clean Domain History / No Penalties
A good domain name will have a clean domain history and no penalties from search engines that could affect your SEO efforts. If you are looking to buy a domain name, it is worthwhile doing your due diligence and use services such as Screenshots.com and Google penalty checkers to check that your domain name doesnt have a past use that could have a negative effect on your brand or your ability to rank in Google.
A Guide To Domain Names For Small Businesses
As a small business owner, a website is no longer just an option its a virtual necessity. More people than ever are looking for businesses in online directories and making purchases using the internet. In fact, shoppers have spent $52 billion more online since the beginning of 2020 as compared to the same timeframe the previous year. While online shopping has been trending upward for years, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a dramatic increase in internet purchases.
While you may be ready to build a website and establish an online presence for your business, you might not know where to begin. After helping over 3 million small businesses get up and running online, we’re here to offer some friendly guidance. Your online journey begins with a domain name. Lets take a closer look at what a domain name is, how you use it, and why it is an important element of your business and brand.
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Purchase Multiple Domains If Possible
Once you have found the perfect domain name for your business website, you can also buy the domain name with all the available TLDs. This action will save you from a tricky competitor from owning a website that contains your domain name but a different extension.
After purchasing, redirect them to your primary domain. If possible, you should consider buying common misspellings of your domain name.
Get The Best Available Domain Name: 11 Generators That Do A Great Job
Here we look at some of the most popular domain name generators to help you choose the perfect domain name
Disclosure: Your support helps keep the site running! We earn a referral fee for some of the services we recommend on this page. Learn more
Choosing the right domain name is an extremely important decision. Believe it or not, the domain name you choose can make or break your online business. It will be featured in all your marketing and advertising, in online search results, as part of your custom email addresses, and many other aspects of your business brand.
The great news is that you can access a lot of free domain name generators to help you make this important decision. If youre ready now, give this one a try:
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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.
How To Choose A Good Domain Name
Theres no simple recipe for choosing a good domain name. You have to avoid the mistakes we mentioned above and put in a bit of creativity too. Usually, the best domain name is the name of your business or organization with the appropriate domain extension. This means that choosing a good domain name goes back to having chosen an inspired name for your business.
Sometimes, the domain name you want to use may be already registered or taken. In that case, you have to consider whether choosing another domain name wont be detrimental to your business. For businesses based on the internet or that rely on the internet for referrals, this can be a serious problem, and changing the business name may be better than settling for a generic domain name that doesnt reflect your brand identity.
In the end, a good domain name reflects your business and what you stand for. Its short, simple, and easy to share and remember.
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Choose A Popular Domain Name Extension
Sure, there are tons of options for domain name extensions other than .com, but most people still revert to this first when manually typing domain names.
You want to go with something easy, and .com is still the go-to website extension. Besides, if you dont, chances are someone else is already using that name.
If youre set on a name and cant get the .com extension, you can try the next best options, either a .net or .co. You could also choose a domain extension that reflects where you live, such as .ca for Canada or .in for India.
Picking a domain name that works can be easy and fun. Provided you consider these guidelines, your business is well positioned to stand out online. The more visible you are, the more customers you stand to gain.
Establish Brand Identity By Picking The Perfect Domain Name
Your domain name might seem like a minor detail in the grand scheme of creating a website, but it reflects your business to potential customers or audiences right away.
If it’s long or confusing, many people will never be able to find your business or blog site. If your domain name doesn’t match or at least complement your brand name, it can come across as unprofessional or even spammy.
On the flip-side, a well-researched and thought-out domain name can boost your rankings in search engine results and provide audiences with a clear idea of what to expect when they visit your site. As such, it’s important to take the time to find a domain name that is just right for you.
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Dont Miss Out On A Deal
The reality is that no matter how big or small your business is, you likely have a budget. Whats more, if youre launching a small business or youre self-employed, its probably pretty tight.
Domain prices can vary depending on how popular an option is perceived to be. In most cases, your chosen domain will qualify for a low introductory price. In other cases, your desired domain could be considered Premium and go for hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars.
If you think youve stumbled across a premium domain at a deep discount, dont hesitate to act!
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Acquire An Aged Domain To Jump Ahead
No doubt this sounds contradictory to my previous recommendation.
But wait, hear me out.
As I shared above, domain age is not a ranking signal, but factors like backlinks and page rank most definitely are.
You can accelerate your rankings and traffic by acquiring an old domain or website. It may already have some of these factors in place:
- Relevant backlinks.
Even a little boost in each of these areas can jump-start your domain.
Several websites exist like Expired Domains, Moonsy, and Flippa to help you find aged domains.
These sites will show you how each expired domain measures up for metrics like Domain Authority, Trust Flow, referring domains, and traffic, which can help you narrow down to a domain you like.
But before putting in a bid, its essential to dig deeper.
Firstly, its important to check for traffic trends.
Basically you want a domain with a consistent or growing volume of organic traffic and ranking keywords:
If traffic is in decline, then that could be a sign the website is impacted by negative SEO, or worse still has gotten penalized.
If you find an organic traffic graph like so, then its probably a domain to be avoided.
Secondly, you should ensure the websites backlinks are relevant and clean.
For checking the relevance of links, I like to use Majestic.com.
Im interested in the anchor text. This should be related to the business you are in.
As well, as the topical trust flow which should be passed from categories similar to your line of trade.
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Dont Waste Time On The Taken Domain
Its not the end of the world if the domain name you truly want is already taken. You can sometimes still get your hands on it.
But it is a so complicated process.
Read:
I know having that particular domain name might actually mean the world to you. If you can trade if with the existing owner then great. If you cant get it then dont stress too much about it.
First and foremost, getting the idea behind your website or business correct is more crucial than everything else. even the domain name itself. As people say whats in the name.
If you devote yourself to executing that concept and do it purposefully, the absence of the ideal domain name will not hold you back.
Get The Correct Domain Extension
We all know the common domain extensions: .com, .net, and .org.
It tends to be easy to pick the extension which offers you the best version of your domain. For example, if your brand name with the .com extension is taken, you can opt for the .net domain instead.
These domain name extensions tell those who visit the site something about it: such as the type of organization you are, what you offer and your location. With that in mind, its worth taking the time to assess the options available to you and choose one that truly matches the needs of your business and users.
The most professional is a standard .com extension. In the past, if you didnt have this, you wouldve been judged terribly. Thankfully, these days are over, and many online stores now like to experiment with their domain extensions.
There are lots of site extensions available, and wed recommend taking the time to browse and settle on the one that works best for you.
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Select The Right Extension
The great top level .com is still the king for domain extensions, for both SEO and memorability.
But there are a lot more domain extensions than there used to be, and if used strategically you shouldnt have any problems.
Theyve got pretty explosive growth, actually. New, non-traditional extensions grew by 145% from 2016 to 2017.
So while .com claims the crown, for now, trends are changing in the extension world. And thats good news for a new website.
Because the new domain suffixes the .xyz, .tech, .nyc, etc. are by far more affordable than the traditional top-level domains.
And affordability is a factor that, unless youre a monster conglomeration, has to be balanced against the other elements.
If you can snag a .com for a decent price its possible you should go for it, as long as it meets all of the other requirements outlined here.
If not, youre better off going with a new domain extension. Given the trend, the acceptability of it will only increase with time, similar to domestic wines.
Wondering where to register your new domain name? Check out places like Name.com, , NameCheap, and eNom.
Ultimately, the litmus test for an extension will depend on how closely your domain name adheres to the other factors outlined here like brandable, memorable, and typable.
Lets run through a few now.