When it comes to selecting a domain name for your brand, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. Domain names should be short, relevant to your business, easy to remember and easy to pronounce. If clients can’t find your website easily and recommend it by word of mouth, you are lacking something. This piece takes a look at 20 important domain name tips.

..But first, where can you buy a domain name?

A quick search online would present you with numerous options for registering your company’s domain. You can choose any of the numerous registrars and work with them. Depending on the kind of domain you are seeking to buy, you can expect to spend as little as $10 on a name and as high as 6-digit sums for premium names. If you already have a chosen hosting provider, you should consider getting a domain from them, since many of them offer free domains when you purchase hosting, and it can help to keep domain name and hosting in the same place.

Now to choose your domain name

1 Choose a brandable name

This is why experts advise you to brainstorm domains as well, when choosing your company name. A brand name that is accompanied by the same domain name is beneficial. You only need to look at the biggest brands and their domains, and how they dominate the search engines to understand this point. It’s easy for Coca Cola, Amazon or Apple customers to find the business online because the brand name is the domain name.

2 The .com extension should be high on your list

…But don’t get fixated on it. There have been many arguments on why the .com extension is the king of domains and why you must get one. There is some backing to those arguments as many web users are still addicted to expecting a .com ending for a website following years of dominance by the extension. However, the landscape has changed a lot in the last few years. New generic Top Level Domains have been introduced, with more in the pipeline. Users are slowly acclimatising to the fact that businesses can use other extensions. However, if the .com extension is available for your chosen name, go for it.

3 Ensure ease of typing

The short attention span of the typical web user is well documented. They would rather not visit your company website if they have to copy and paste the address from somewhere else or they have to struggle to remember it. Keep things easy and straightforward.

4 Consider keywords

What is your business about? You should consider using keywords in your niche. This is even more important where you are unable to secure a brand domain name.

5 Choose a pronounceable name

If the name can’t be pronounced, you would not be able to take advantage of word of mouth advertising. Seek the opinion of several external parties to be certain that the domain name can be pronounced.

6 Beware of trademark infringements

If your chosen domain name would be seen as a clear infringement on an existing trademark, you could be courting lawsuits. This is why you should consider legal advice during the process of choosing the company’s domain name. If the domain sounds similar to the name of another company, avoid it.

7 Short and Memorable Wins

Can the name be remembered after a glance? Some of the best domain names are short and memorable. Examples include: Hubspot, Facebook, Twitter, Behance, MOZ, Alexa and more. Notice something about them? They are mostly one or two syllable names.

8 Avoid numbers and hyphens

…And all special characters. They are a drag. Most people would not remember them and those who attempt, could make mistakes that would either lead them to your competitor or to a parked domain.

9 Choose a name for the long haul

You need to carefully complete the selection process as changing your mind years down the line can be debilitating, when the name has built some traction with your audience and the search engines.

10 Confirm social media availability

As a brand, you’ll need to use the same name across your social media channels. Check the availability of the name for the brand’s social media platforms.

11 The right domain name extension is vital

There is no reason to limit your brand with a country specific domain if your brand has a global reach- it sends the wrong signals.

12 Research

If you have read to this point, you’ll understand that the brand name decision is not one you can make lightly. Spend time on research. Which brings us to the next point.

13 Use a Domain Name Generator

There are many of them online. Feed the generator keywords and they can generate good domain names that can also double as your brand name.

14 Avoid personal domains

Even if your brand is a small home based business, avoid using your name as the domain. Apart from the negative impact on marketing and credibility, using a personalised domain is risky because it can be a pain when the brand grows bigger than you expected.

15 Feel Free to Modify

If you find that your brand name is unavailable, you can drop a letter or two or drop vowels to come up with a modified version of the name. Consider swapping letters like using KS for X using Z for S.

16 Stay Unique

Remember, your brand name should be unique. Originality creates a positive impression and also ensures that you won’t infringe on any trademarks.

17 Register other variants of your domain name including country specific domains

When you buy other versions of your brand name, you can avoid cybersquatting cases in the future. You can also redirect the additional domains to make sure you are not losing traffic to “wrong spelling squatters”.

18 Consider the new premium domain extensions

If your chosen domain name for your brand is Xyzcars.com, check to see if you can register xyz.cars. New premium domains have opened up a lot of opportunities with their memorable and keyword rich nature.

19 Avoid trends

Are you considering to make a trendy addition for your domains? Find a name that would stand the test of time instead. Using trendy abbreviations of buzzwords should be avoided.

20 Avoid a naming disaster

Do a quick search online for funny domains and you would find many examples of domain name choices that have gone wrong. If people laugh out loud on hearing your chosen domain, it’s not good for your brand. Similarly, avoid using words that have other meanings in other locations.

Choosing a brand domain name is an arduous task and for good reasons. The name is the foundation of what could to become an empire. Put in all the work with these tips in mind. For more information on domain names and hosting see Freeparking.co.nz