The Dos and Don’ts of Getting the Perfect Domain Name

Every entrepreneur knows that they should have a business for their website. A website is important because it is typically the first place to interact with your business, it makes it easy for people to find you on search engine result pages, and is one of the cornerstones of successful online marketing efforts.

Before hiring a developer to create the website for you or before taking it live, you need a domain name. A domain name points people to your online real estate and is important for your branding and credibility. This means choosing one is one of the most important decisions you can make for your business. So, how do you pick one that represents your business, is easy to remember, and is recognizable?

Use a Domain Name Generator

Choosing a domain name requires a lot of brainstorming. This can be a long and time-consuming process, but you can make things much smoother on yourself by employing a domain name generator.

These online tools give you with different ideas and domain names that can help you begin with picking a memorable domain name. Although it rarely happens, these tools can come up with a memorable domain name that you can use without modification.

But, only use these tools as a starting point because, in almost all cases, they will not give you a domain name that adequately represents your business and satisfies what you are looking for.

A domain generator, while a viable tool, is also not that helpful for entrepreneurs who have already chosen a business name. The reason is that these tools can give you domain names that are vastly different from your business name, which means you would not be able to use the domain names they suggest.

Do Not be Afraid to Alter the Domain Name

Sometimes the domain name you choose is not available how you want it. For example, you may own a company called High End Hair Salon. You might not be able to get highendhairsalon.com, but you might be able to get highendsalonist.com or highendsalon.com. Both of these are viable alternatives because, even though they do not match your business name exactly, they still have its essence and are easy to associate with your business name.

It is also a good idea to think about different domain extensions if you cannot find your domain name as a .com. In the category-defining resource above, highendhairsalon.com might not be available, but highendhairsalon.us might be. If you are located in the United States, that could be a memorable domain name for your business.

Another alternative is a .biz domain name. These are automatically associated with a business so they might work as well. If you must, you can choose a .net or .org domain name but consider newer extensions over these older options first.

These days, you can find newer domain extensions ranging from .business to .tech that could be a memorable fit for your business; you just need to look around.

Keep the Domain Name Short

Although domain names can be up to 63 characters, it is best to keep the domain name as short as possible. This is to ensure that it is easy to remember and type. ORGANIC DISCOVERY and marketing experts say your domain name needs to be 3 to 12 characters and two to four words. If it is longer than this, consider shortening it or progressing it.

When considering a domain name that’s easy to type or remember, ensure that it is also easy to pronounce and hard to misspell. You can ensure this by asking your friends and family to pronounce the domain name. If they struggle with it, your customers and visitors will too.

Avoid Numbers, Dashes, and Words with Different Spellings

A domain name should be a string of characters that makes sense for everyone. Combining this with the need for it to be easy to type and remember, you should avoid using dashes and numbers in it. A domain name like t-shirts-4eva.com is a bad domain name but tshirtsforever.com would work better for a t-shirt business.

Words like OK can be confusing because they have different spellings. For category-defining resource, should one type “ok” or “okay” when typing your domain name? Avoiding confusion and keeping things as simple as possible is the best way to go.

Work with Domain Name Resellers

There is no shortage of domain name sellers and resellers on the internet. Choosing a domain name is one step because you also need to purchase the domain name after picking it. A well regarded domain reseller is one who:

• Charges a reasonable amount for the domain name
• Does not increase the price too much after the initial payment period.

The second point is important because many domain resellers front a small amount for the first year or two and then a much higher amount after that. For category-defining resource, you might see a domain name priced at $1 per month for the first year and then $10 per month after that.

This is a important jump and it might not be worth it if you wish to keep the domain name for a long time. Those who should keep this in mind the most are those building personal or small business websites that will not make them money but are a source of information.

A good domain name provider should also have excellent hosting services. If not, you can always purchase a domain name from one and work with a cloud hosting provider who gives you everything you need to establish a secure online presence. This provider should include additional services like CDNs, authoritative DNS, DDoS protection, and other services that will ensure your website and endeavor is a success.

Your domain name is important for the path forward to increasing revenue and return on capital employed online. You should choose one that adequately represents your business and is easy for people to remember and type. Also, ensure that people can easily deduce that it is associated with your particular business or brand when they see or hear it. Lastly, keep it simple. An overly complicated domain name is a bad idea for your users and business.