Domain Name Selection Tips for Boosting Your Online Presence
Your domain name is your online identity. Picking a domain name is important to your branding.
It affects search engine optimization, online marketing, and click-through rate.
Whether you are a new business or an existing company that wants to brand your product online, picking the right domain name will go a long way.
It can aid in memorable referring links and type-in traffic.
In addition, you would want your brand to have a strong online presence and be easily identified. This will aid in marketing, brand awareness, increasing traffic, and making sales.
7 Questions that will Help you Choose the Right Domain Name for your Brand
Here are the 7 questions you should ask yourself and answer appropriately before picking a domain name.
Is it Easy to Type and Pronounce?
Your domain name should be easy to type. Don’t use slang or try to change the spelling of a word. This will make it difficult for your site visitors to type in the correct name.
Don’t use numbers or punctuation marks as part of your domain name. You’ll just end up confusing people if you do so.
How are they really going to know that you meant one instead of 1 when you told them your domain name?
It’s better to avoid names that can easily lead to mistyping, especially when you’re building a new website.
Make the name pronounceable too. People remember what they can pronounce and associate images with it more quickly.
The more pronounceable you make your domain name, the easier it is to create brand awareness and ensure that people type the correct name into the browser bar.
What Keyword does it Contain?
While domain names affect SEO less than it did before 2012, adding the keywords of your product or service to your domain name is still important.
It will make your site’s visitors know what you do. Don’t make it too keyword specific though, so that if you want to expand and add more things on your website you can.
However, search engines are shying away from keyword-rich domain names.
Unique names like Google and Moz can be well branded and advertised so much that they become keywords by themselves.
If you already have a registered company name, use it.
That way, your domain name, and company name are the same and your brand can be built around it.
Using a keyword-infused domain name or opting for a keyword-less domain has distinct advantages.
The most important thing is not to avoid both by using a non-intuitive bland name.
What is its length?
Short domain names are better. They are catchy and can easily be shared on social media.
Short and simple is better.
Most times it’s better to use one word as a domain name than two or three.
However, if you have no other option than to use a long domain name, make sure it’s catchy.
Is it Already in Use?
Using a name that is copyrighted, trademarked, or already being used is asking for trouble.
It can cause people to mistake your brand for another.
It can also result in legal action taken against you. How would you feel if after you registered your domain name, built your online presence, and gained lots of traffic, you are sued for using a trademarked name and told to shut down your site?
That will be disastrous. It’s better to avoid such situations from the beginning.
Is it Ready for your Target Audience?
If your website is targeted to a particular locality, you can add the name of the country or state to your domain name.
You can also add a language or word to your domain name that is peculiar to that geographical area or use a country code Top Level Domain instead of a generic one.
For example, .uk is specific to Britain and Northern Ireland.
Your site can also be targeted to attract certain groups of people. In such situations, you can add group-familiar words or names to the domain name.
Choosing a Domain Name: What Extension Should the Name have?
The most popular domain extension is .com and is recommended for your brand. Unless you’re opting for a location-specific extension, it’s better to use a .com extension.
It is recognized worldwide and people associate with it easily.
On the other hand, if the .com extension for the name you desire has been taken, you can choose other generic Top-Level Domains such as .net, .biz, .org, or .info depending on what your website is for.
What Alternative Should I use if my Domain Name is Not Available?
You can add a prefix or suffix to your domain name if it’s not available. For example, if business.com is already taken, use businessinfo.com instead.
Be creative when adding to the name. Make it catchy and knowledgeable.
Choosing a domain name is important for brand marketing and sales, so do consider the factors mentioned above or visit https://www.openhost.co.nz/web-hosting for more tips when creating one.
