Choosing A Domain Name – Domain names are likely to be your single highest expenditure in the business of developing a large number of Niche sites, or at least near the top if you outsource the majority of your work. Domain names are crucial for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that you do not want to waste money on bad domain names. In this lesson, I’ll provide you the information you need to make sure you’re picking the best domain name for your website.
To begin, for those who don’t know what a domain name is, it’s just the web address of your site — espn.com, for example, is a domain name. A domain name is an important step in getting your website up and running. It is the first thing that your customers will notice. You must make an excellent first impression. Your potential clients will see your name in a variety of places, including:
- Natural Search results such as on Google, Yahoo and Microsoft search
- Video Marketing
- Pay Per Click Advertisements that you run
- Ezines / Newsletters that you publish or run ads in
- Email and Forum Signatures
- Off line advertising such as newspapers, direct mail, business cards or magazines.
When purchasing a domain name, there are several factors to consider (s). The following are the essential considerations you should go over before making your purchase:
Top Domain Name Don’ts:
- Don’t use excessive dashes in the domain name.
- Don’t use unrelated phrases in the domain name.
- Don’t use too many keywords in the domain name.
- Don’t repeat the primary keyword in the domain name.
Top Domain Dos:
- Do use the primary keyword phrase in your domain name.
- Be as specific as possible for your keyword phrase (long tail keyword phrases)
- Place the primary keyword phrase at the beginning of the domain name.
- Include commonly used related phrases in the name like “news”, “tips”, etc
- Use action keywords like “cheap”, “discount”, “buy”, “deals”, “get”, etc.
- Use top level domains like.com,.net,.info,, or.org,
Some additional tips:
1. In your domain name, use a specific keyword – or, better yet, a long tail keyword phrase. I do not encourage utilizing numerous keywords, and DO NOT use the same keyword twice in the domain name.
2. Put your core term at the start of the domain name. As an example, consider the following: Assume you’re in the business of selling gardening supplies. You don’t just sell any old garden tools; you sell low-cost, high-quality garden tools. Garden Tool World is the name of your company. You will purchase domain names for your firm using the advice provided above. What about your product, on the other hand? The goal here is to find product domain names that people will be searching for. Will a potential consumer uses a search engine to hunt for “low-cost high-quality wall art “? Or does the buyer search for “Cheap Wall Art”? You can find out what people are seeking based on our previous research. So, if people are searching for “Cheap Wall Art,” your domain name may be cheapwallart.com. Choosing a domain name is a critical step in the marketing process and should not be taken lightly. Make sure your domain name accurately represents your organization, product, and image, and you’ll be laying the groundwork for future sales.
3. If you’re having trouble obtaining the domain name you want, try adding action words to the end of your domain name. Examples include for sale, discount, on eBay, bargains, and so on. You might also use recommendations, a blog, or information. You could use roofervideos.com if you ran a site that used videos to train roofers. Another option is to include a number after your keyword.
4. Don’t be scared to employ terms that stand out and catch people’s attention. Such terms include the phrases “warning,” “alarm,” “cure,” and “warning.”
5. By all means, DO NOT use words in your domain name that have nothing to do with what it is your site is about.
6. Only use well-known top-level domains like.com,.net,.info,.org, and.us. Domains such as.tv and.biz should be avoided. Credibility is essential, and sticking with top level domain names can help you accomplish that. Of course, if you can get.com, that’s the way to go, but if your desired domain isn’t available in.com, one of the other top level names will suffice. If you’re having difficulties coming up with a domain name for your business, you can go to https://nameSilo.com. Based on the keywords you select, that website will create a plethora of domain name ideas for you. Instant Domain Search is another site I enjoy using. This website “assists you in finding a domain name as quickly as you can type.”
7. Domain names featuring hyphens should be avoided. This was once an excellent idea, but it is no more. Using hyphenated domain names might have a negative influence on your ability to rank highly in search engines.
8. Make it as brief as possible. Although some sites allow you to register a name with up to 63 characters, keep in mind that users must be able to remember it and type it into their browser. Make an effort to register the shortest name that your clients and other site visitors will identify with your website. If at all possible, try to keep it under seven characters (not including the suffix). While the vast majority of your prospective clients will click on a link, some will put in your domain name.
9. If at all possible, use.com. What is a dot? There are numerous suffixes accessible right now. We propose the.com suffix for businesses. When looking for a website, it is the first extension that most people attempt. Also, because it is one of the oldest extensions,.com indicates that your company has been there for a while and has a well-established presence on the Internet.
10. Register your domain name right now. Domain names are being snapped up quicker than St. Patrick’s Day candy. If you don’t register quickly, you’ll be stuck with “the-domain-name-that-no-one-wanted.net.” You don’t need a webmaster, an e-commerce department, a site design expert, or anything else. You don’t even need a website. Just get out there and register before you miss out on the name you really want.
11. Inquire around. When you’ve narrowed down your options, ask your friends and clients what they think. A name that makes perfect sense to you may be difficult for others to recall. Is it simple to say your domain name? Is it difficult to spell? Is it necessary for you to explain why you chose the name?
12. Spend as little money as possible. Companies used to be able to charge reservation fees in addition to a “required” $70 InterNIC cost. It was established a number of years ago that other companies should be able to compete for domain name sales. This has resulted in significant price reductions. At the time of writing, you can acquire a private.com domain for as little as $6.99, which is by far the greatest bargain on the market. 1&1 is the only leading registrar that offers free private registrations.
13. An important part of your domain name is to check to determine if it has ever been used by someone else. It will be incredibly difficult to have your brand new domain name indexed in the major search engines if it was used for spam or unethical internet activity. This is not something you want to deal with. Check https://namecheap.com to see if your possible domain name has ever been registered. Whether it has previously been owned, browse through the archives to determine if someone was violating any rules with this domain. You will thank me if you discover that it has been abused in the past. There is no reason to make search engine optimization more difficult for ourselves if we can prevent it!
If you think you’ve identified the proper domain name and checked for any past use, but you’re not sure if it’s the one… Regardless, register it before someone else does!