11 Tips for Choosing the Best Domain Names

A domain name is more than an address for your website; it is your identity on the web and creates the first impression about your brand and business. For this reason, you need to choose the right domain name to influence how your clients find and remember you. Read on for tips on how to craft the best domain names for your website.

Use the Right Domain Name Extension

Extensions are the suffixes that come at the end of the domain name. Some of the most common domain extensions include .com, .net and .org. Many newer domain extensions often revolve around a specific niche, including .pizza, .photography, and .blog. While trying some of these latest extensions may be tempting, you should opt for the most common, the dot com. This is because this domain extension is more familiar to users and is also one of the oldest types of domain extensions, so it helps make your website appear trustworthy, leading to increased site traffic.

The .com extension is also simple and memorable. You will often find that users, primarily those not tech-savvy, will type .com at the end of every domain name without hesitation. If you find that the domain name you intended to use with the .com extension is already taken, you should opt for an alternative. You must ensure that the extension you select makes sense to your target audience.

Opt for a Brandable Name

Your domain name is your brand’s foundation and helps users find, remember and share your website. To make your domain name brandable, you should ensure that it is unique, easy to memorize, pronounceable, and genuine.

The Best Domain Names – Avoid Doubled Letters, Hyphens, and Numbers

While hyphens, doubled letters, and numbers can help distinguish your brand from the competition, they’re not easy to remember, and you risk losing your website traffic to typos. Hyphens, numbers, and double letters in your domain name are also difficult to read. This limits sharing your website with potential customers through word of mouth, reducing lead and conversion rates.

Use Relevant Keywords

Keywords are essential to your website domain name. This is because the various search engines rely on the domain name to understand what your site is about. By including keywords to your domain name, posting high-quality content, and making your site more user-friendly, you boost your chances of ranking high on the various search engines, including Google. This means more traffic, better conversion rates, and increased sales.

Not all keywords are suitable for your domain, so you should choose a name relevant to your website. If you’re unsure how to generate relevant keywords for your domain name, consider using tools such as Google Keyword Planner. Such tools explore keywords based on search volume to identify pertinent terms to your website. Be careful not to overstuff your domain name with popular keywords. Instead, find creative ways to combine the keywords with other terms to make your domain stand out.

Keep the Domain Name Short

The shorter the domain name, the easier it is to remember. If you cannot find a one-word domain name, add one or a maximum of two memorable words. A perfect domain name should have six to 14 characters. Longer domain names are more difficult for your customers to recall, and they may spell the name wrong, leading to reduced website traffic.

Ensure the Domain Name Is Simple and Easy to Type

Do not opt for a domain name that you have to explain the spelling because it is too complex. Instead, consider using a website domain name that the customers can type without a problem. A complex domain name is more vulnerable to typos, reducing traffic to your site as clients may end up on a different website. Today, customers opt for services that bring solutions to their needs within the shortest time possible. For this reason, a client will choose a website with a simple and easy domain name.

Take Advantage of Domain Name Generators for Ideas

With over 360 million registered domains, finding the right name can be difficult. Searching for a suitable domain name manually can also be frustrating and time-consuming. You should consider using a business name generator. Domain name generators are tools to produce unique and clever brandable domain names based on initial ideas and relevant keywords. A business name generator is relatively easy to use. All you have to do is feed in a keyword, and you get hundreds of ideas and suggestions with valid and available domain names that you can instantly register.

The Best Domain Names – Research Your Website Name

If you already have a domain name in mind, consider doing quick research to verify whether the domain name is available before registering it. It is worth noting that proving that a domain name is available does not necessarily mean it is not written with another brand. As such, you should perform a trademark search to determine whether an entity exists with the exact name.

If you’re only thinking about choosing a domain name and name for your business, you can check to see if business name is available ahead of time and if it’s not, then find another perfect name for your business, domain, and social media.

Registering a claimed domain name creates confusion among your clients, not to mention severe legal implications that could cost you a lot of money, your website, or even the business.

Be Cautious When Buying Existing Domain Names

If you opt to purchase an existing domain name instead of a new one, be sure to conduct extensive research. This helps avoid accruing a negative implication to your website and the overall business entity. An existing website domain name comes with a history since it is not new. If the history involves material such as pornography, gambling, or spam content, it may be banned from various search engines, not to mention ruining your company’s reputation.

Think Long-term

What are your long-term goals for your business? Do you intend to expand to other niches or settle for one? A domain name helps to define your brand and business for years. For this reason, you should consider your long-term vision when choosing a brand name. While you could change your domain name in the future as you expand your business, it could cost you money and your SEO ranking.

Choose a Trustworthy Registrar

A crucial part of choosing a domain name is registered. This is because it gives you full access to the website name. The domain name registrar is the company that writes the website name on your behalf. You should choose a reliable and trustworthy registrar to avoid problems when your site is already established, and losing the domain name could be detrimental to your business. Do not base your choice based solely on pricing. Instead, consider the company’s experience, data protection, and customer reviews. Some of the best domain name registrars include GoDaddy, NameCheap, Bluehost, and Domain.com, to mention a few.

Selecting the Best Domain Names – Endnote

A domain name is crucial when creating a website as it reflects your brand to potential customers. Customers may have difficulty finding your website if it is too long and difficult to spell. A wrong domain name could also make your website appear spammy and unprofessional. A well-crafted and researched website can lead to more traffic to your website, hence better conversion rates. You should take your time to zone in on the right domain name for your website.