Let’s talk about domain names! Specifically, how to choose the best domain name. There are so many things to keep in mind when picking a domain for your business, so how can you make sure you choose the perfect one?
Tip 1: Choose the Most Obvious Option For Your Business
Your domain name should be simple to guess and simple to remember. The easiest way to make sure that happens is to choose the most obvious option available to you. If you run a business called Joe’s Roofing Company, the most obvious domain would be something like joesroofing.com or joesroofingcompany.com – For us, it’s as simple as mythicdesigncompany.com
Tip 2: Keep Your Domain Name as Short as Possible
Long domain names are hard to remember and hard to type. One of our clients is Crisis Response International – that’s a pretty long name! Because it’s so long, they often just go by CRI (pronounced cry) – and their domain is criout.com which is much shorter and easier to remember than if they used their full name!
Tip 3: Stay Away From Poorly Known TLDs
A TLD, or Top Level Domain, is the little part at the end of your domain name, usually .com. There are lots of options available for TLDs such as .online, .shop, .io, and many more. The most common option though is .com and we recommend you stick to a .com domain to the best of your ability to help people remember it better. This is only going to get harder as time goes on, and we personally hope that people will be more used to seeing different and unique TLDs so having a .com won’t matter quite as much.
Tip 4: Incorporate Keywords Strategically in your Domain Name
Including keywords like dental or plumbing in your actual domain will make it easier for potential clients to take a quick look at the domain and know exactly what it is that you do. It also makes it easier for Google and other search engines to determine what exactly your website is about, so make sure to include the most important keyword for your business in your domain name.
Tip 5: Keep it Readable
Your domain needs to be READABLE. Avoid things like double letters, random characters, or letters that could be confused with something else. Trust us, you do not want to be the owner of http://llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.co.uk/
Yes, that’s a real domain name, and no, I’m not typing it again. Once was enough to know that I never want to learn Welsh. This is actually the longest registered domain name in the world, and If you’re curious, here’s where that points:
Tip 6: Avoid Hyphens and Numbers
If it’s possible, avoid hyphens and numbers in your domains. Sometimes, especially if your branding includes a number, it may not be easy or possible to do this, and that’s okay. But, if your branding doesn’t rely on numbers, don’t add a number or a hyphen to the domain just so you can get the one “you want” – If bradentondentist.com is taken, don’t go and register bradenton-dentist.com – It’s only going to confuse people and end up leading them to your competitors.
Tip 7: Do not be too similar to a competitor
In the world of the internet, being unique and standing out is so important. Like I mentioned in the last point, make sure your domain name is unique enough to not be confused with one of your competitors. The last thing you want is to be one of the investors who bought the wrong Zoom stock because your domain was too easily confused with someone else’s!
Tip 9: Get Multiple Domain Names
Your website can only have one primary address. But, you can also have other domains that direct to your website – so why not have some? If it’s in the budget, try to get any domain names that could be easily mistaken as your original. Common misspellings or having the words in a different order are good examples of what to buy.
Tip 10: Choose a Trusted Registrar
The last tip is to make sure you choose a trusted registrar when purchasing your domain name(s). Please don’t choose the cheapest option you can find just because it’s cheaper – some registrars have really difficult-to-use tools that make it way harder for your developers (and you) to adjust things like DNS settings. As a bonus, make sure you get domain name privacy! If you don’t, you’ll be the victim of spam calls and emails for the rest of your life regarding your new domain.
Is there really a best domain name?
With all this in mind, we think it’s safe to say that some domains are better than others. But we also don’t think you should stress too much about the choice. For most businesses, there’s an obvious choice for domain. It gets more complicated when the one you want is taken – and if you have the money to pay for the one you want, go for it! But ultimately, proper marketing and SEO strategies can overcome most of the issues above if you were hard enough!