The No-Brainer Guide to Picking The Best Domain Name For Your Website
Starting a blog or online business? Picking a domain name is one of the most essential parts of a successful website, hands down. It’s got to have pizzazz, it’s got to explain what you do, and (most importantly) it needs to be memorable.
Creating any kind of website – whether it’s a personal site, a consumer-oriented business site, or a niche blog – is a big job, but you don’t have to waste tons of time and energy finding the right domain. Read on to find out everything you need to know about picking the right URL for your website.
Creating any kind of website – whether it’s a personal site, a consumer-oriented business site, or a niche blog – is a big job, but you don’t have to waste tons of time and energy finding the right domain. Read on to find out everything you need to know about picking the right URL for your website.
Use Descriptive Keywords
There are two different types of domain names:descriptive and branded domain names. Descriptive domain names may or may not be the actual name of your company, but it does describe what you do (for example, take webhostingdeals.org who review & promote hosting deals). A swimming instructor might opt for a domain name like learn2swim.com, or a financial services firm could pick a descriptive domain such as crushdebt.com or buildaportfolio.com.
Descriptive domain names can be important because they can actually help out SEO and help you rank higher in Google and other search engines – if you use keywords. If you’re going for a descriptive URL, take the time to do some research on good keywords, then fit those keywords into your domain name.
Of course, not all domain names are descriptive. Branded domain names use the actual name of a company. Take Google.com for example, which has nothing to do with search engines; or Target.com, which doesn’t necessarily suggest a one-stop-shop for everything you need. It’s perfectly acceptable to pick a branded domain name – just remember that, in the future, you’ll have to really market your site so that your target audience can build name recognition.
No-brainer summary: branded or descriptive domains are both fine. Keep in mind that descriptive domain help with SEO, and a branded domain can get your company name out there.
Shorter is better
Long URLs are hard for people to remember – and even harder to type. Avoid anything over 15 characters if you can (and steer clear of hyphens that stretch out the URL)! This is where picking your domain name gets tricky, but with a little patience you’ll stumble on something short, sweet, and to the point.
No-brainer summary: K.I.S.S. (Keep it Short and Sweet!)
Avoid slurls
Slurls happen when seemingly good domain names go horribly, terribly wrong. Before buying a domain name, double check that it doesn’t spell something potentially misleading or funny (for example, the website for WhoRepresents.com, a celebrity agency finder, can be mistaken for WhorePresents.com). See our previous post on awesome slurls (and what you DON’T want people thinking when they type in your URL).
No-brainer summary: read your domain name (very) carefully before buying!
Pick Your Domain Extension
Sure, “.com” is the most common, easy to remember domain extension. But a .com domain extension can also be 1) pricey and 2) limiting (because there are already so many registered domains out there). Consider using an alternate domain extension, like .org (if you’re an organization), .net, .co, .biz, or .info. Don’t let a domain extension box you into a less-than-ideal domain name – try a different extension to get better keywords in your domain name.
No-brainer summary: you don’t have to have a .com extension to be cool or successful.
Now on to the exciting part…
Final steps: Registering your domain
Once you have the perfect URL, it’s time to register it. Don’t wait long to do it – until you’ve officially registered your domain, it’s up for grabs. There are tons of domain registrars out there – some are reputable, some aren’t.
To make sure you don’t get scammed, take the no-brainer road and go with one of the pros:
All of these domain registrars have search tools to help you pick your URL – the search tool will let you know if your URL is available. If it’s not available, they’ll give you alternative suggestions. No thinking required!
Of course, if you’re not wild about any of those suggestions, then it’s back to the drawing board. Time to try more online tools to help generate a name – and there are plenty of free websites out there. Try a search service like NameStation, Nameboy or do a quick Google search for “domain name generator”.
Still can’t find a suitable URL? Consider Buying a domain. It’s usually not necessary to buy a domain from a previous owner – and in many cases it may not be worth the extra expense. If the domain you really, really want isn’t available, consider an alternate domain (with a .net, .biz, or .info extension, perhaps). If your branded domain isn’t available, consider opting for a descriptive URL, or vice versa. But if, in your heart of hearts, you won’t be happy until you have the perfect domain – especially if it’s the exact name of your company – then it’s probably worth shelling out a few extra bucks.
For those that are just jumping into the web, finding the right domain can be a trying process. But with luck, some smarts, and this guide, you’ll stumble on the right URL without wasting tons of brainpower.