Choosing the right domain name is critical to the survival of your site, no matter what site it is. Very often people get so involved in the process of creating a website that they forget that the first thing people see (and remember) is the domain name of the website. It doesn't matter if you want to create a blog, forum, or online store, there are several things to keep in mind when choosing a domain name for a new website.
Steps
Step 1. Let's figure out what a domain name is
Domain name is a unique URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or address of a specific website that is different from the address of any other website on the Internet. For example, the name of this site is WikiHow, but its domain name is www.wikihow.com.
Step 2. Understand the relationship between the domain name and the site name
When choosing the correct domain name, keep in mind that it should be as similar as possible to the name of the website. Don't confuse your site visitors with a domain name that is radically different from your site name, especially if your site is an online store or other commercial site.
Step 3. Don't make the address too convoluted
Choose a name that is not too long and not too complicated so that it is easy for visitors to remember. In most cases, the shorter your domain name is, the better. This way, users will remember the URL of the site and will go to it in the future. Try to avoid using acronyms and acronyms, dashes and other symbols that can confuse the visitor, especially on the first visit.
Step 4. Think about visitors / customers
When creating a website and choosing the perfect domain name, you should always remember that you should not choose the name that YOU like best, but the name that, according to your data (research data), will appeal to your visitors and customers. Just because you like a name or think it sounds cool doesn't mean everyone will like it.
Step 5. Always have a couple of alternatives
If you are going to register your domain name, it is wise to have a few other names in mind in case the first option is already taken. This is very often the case, so the more unique your domain name, the higher the chances that it is free. Also, remember that there are other domain zones, not just (.com). Depending on the purpose of your website, you should consider choosing a different domain zone such as.org,.net,.co or.mobi (for tablets and smartphones).
Step 6. Short and euphonious
Domain names can be very long or very short (1 to 67 characters). In general, it is better to choose a short domain name. The shorter the domain name, the easier it is for people to remember it. Domain name memorability is very important from the point of view of increasing the competitiveness of the site. If visitors like your site, they will probably tell others about the site as well. These people will tell their friends and so on. As with any business, word of mouth is the most powerful (and free!) Advertising tool to help drive traffic to your website. If the site address is difficult and difficult to spell / pronounce, people will not remember it and, unless they bookmark it, they may not return.
Step 7. Consider the options
If visitors do not get to your site by using a bookmark in a browser or following a link from another site, then they are typing the site's address in the address bar. Many people make a lot of mistakes when typing words. If it is easy to make a mistake in your website address, you should consider purchasing similar domain names. For example, if your site is called "MikesTools.com", it might be worth purchasing the names "MikeTools.com" and "MikeTool.com" as well. You should also secure yourself by checking the domain name with other domain zones ("MikesTools.net", "MikesTools.org", etc.), and not just the one you plan to promote. It is also necessary to check the presence of sites with similar names, which can be accessed by making a mistake in the address of your site. MikesTools.com may be free, but MikesTool.com may host a porn site. You do not want users to leave the site, thinking that it was you who posted such "unexpected" content.
Step 8. Consider domain names based not on the specific name of your business, but on the type of activity or service industry of the company
For example, if your company is called "Mike's Tools", you might want to consider domain names that describe your products. For example: "buyhammers.com" or "hammer-and-nail.com". In this example, domain names, while not including your business name, provide an opportunity for visitors from your target audience to find what they are looking for. Remember, you can buy multiple domain names that point to the same site. For example, you can register "buyhammers.com", "hammer-and-nail.com", "mikestools.com" and have visitors to "buyhammers.com" and "hammer-and-nail.com" go to " mikestools.com ".
Step 9. Hyphens
your friend and your enemy. Domain names are becoming less and less available over time. Many single word domains have already been snapped up, so finding a good and free domain is increasingly difficult. When choosing a domain name, you can include a hyphen in it. Hyphens help you explicitly separate multiple words in a domain name, making it less likely to misspelling an address. For example, the "domainnamecenter.com" address is much more likely to be mistaken or misspelled than "domain-name-center.com" because the words written together are hard to read. On the other hand, hyphens make your domain name longer. And the longer the domain name, the easier it is for a person to forget it entirely. Also, if someone recommends your site to a friend, they may forget to mention that the words are hyphenated. If you choose to use hyphens, limit the number of words they separate in the address to three. Another advantage of hyphens is that search engines treat every word in a domain name as a keyword, thus making your site more easily searchable.
Step 10. Point what?
There are now many top level domain zones including.com,.net,.org and.biz. In most cases, the more unusual the domain zone, the more domain names are available in it. And yet, domain names like.com are far more common than others, thanks to the fact that it was the first commercial domain and received widespread media coverage. If you can't get your hands on an address in the.com zone, look in the.net zone, which is the second most popular.
Step 11. Long arm of the law
Be very careful not to register domain names that include trademark names. Although domain disputes are highly controversial and there are various precedents, the risk of getting involved in a legal battle is not worth it. Therefore, even if you think that a large business that owns a trademark will not care about your domain name, do not risk it - legal costs are very high and, if you do not have bottomless pockets, you are unlikely to be able to defend your position in court. It would be better not to mess with domain names, at least some of which are registered trademarks - the risks are about the same.
Step 12. Search engines and directories
All search engines and directories are different from each other. Each has its own process of issuing search results, and each directory has its own system of creating a directory, and everywhere the method of sorting and displaying domain names is not similar to another. Search engines and directories are the most important areas of online advertising, so before registering a domain name, consider how your website address will affect its positioning. Most directories simply list the links to web pages in alphabetical order. If possible, choose a domain name beginning with the first letters of the Latin alphabet (("a" or "b"). For example, "aardvark-pest-control.com" in the directory will be much higher than "joes-pest-control.com "But before deciding on a domain name, check the directories first. Perhaps the directories you were counting on are already inundated with sites starting with the letter" a ". Search engines crawl websites and sort search results based on keywords Keywords are the words a visitor searches for something on the search engine, and if the keywords are part of your site's domain name, it can boost your search results.
Advice
- If the domain name you have chosen is already taken, don't give up. Many people buy or register domain names and hold them for the purpose of resale - of course, for their own benefit. Check if a real site exists at the address you selected. If not, contact the owner of the domain and find out if the domain name is for sale.
- Do not register your site's domain name with just anyone. There are hundreds of websites ready to help you register your domain. Before registering, do a little research and decide which registrar best suits your needs.