The domain name is your online identity and the most important part of your website; therefore it is important to make the best choice. You might choose your business name to be the domain name however if that is taken, opt for the next best domain name. Basically your domain name must be easy to remember, it must be impressive and it must represent what your business is all about. Selecting the domain name is as important as selecting the company name.
Before we get into the essentials of a domain name, let’s have a look at how the domain name works! Here is an insight on domain name functionality:
In order to understand the importance of domain name and for making the website live on the internet, it is beneficial to understand what happens behind the scenes when you open a website. The moment you type the name of the website, in the address bar of any browser (Mozilla, Internet Explorer, Chrome etc.) The browser sends an immediate request to the web server where the website is located.
This request is managed by the DNS (Domain name system) that converts the domain name into the actual physical address of the website on the server; this is also known as the IP address. The name servers or the NS Records store information about the respective IP’s that correspond to the requested domain. Once the information is read, the server responds back to the browser and the website shows up online.
The domain name substitutes the IP address that is the real address of the website. In case you type the IP address in the browser, you will be taken to the website that relates to it. However, can you imagine typing a meaningless string of numbers every time you want to open a website? This will not be convenient at all times! This is the reason why we use domain names – they are simple, easy-to-remember and they stick in our minds and help to find the website easily.
In short, domain name is your online identity! It has to be good, it has to be impressive! Consider the guidelines mentioned below for selecting a great domain name that helps you to create a great online identity in the future.
Combine The Top Keywords
When you begin your domain name search, keep 5 terms or phrases in mind that best describe the domain that you have in mind. Once you are ready with the list, you can start putting them together and adding prefixes or suffixes for creating good domain name ideas.
Keep It Short
Sure you might be tempted to have a long domain name that represents your brand, however from the point of your online visibility, this is not a good step. Long domain names are difficult to type and they have higher possibilities of errors. It is also not easy to say it over the phone to the customers or clients, or even for putting on the business cards. Preferably the domain name must be easy and simple, the moment you say it, people must be able to understand how to spell it.
Using Alternate Endings
It is true that .com is a popular domain name ending however you can get creative with alternate domain name TLD’s without losing on the traffic. Take the example of del.icio.us; they have used .us as the ending. This domain name is created in such a way that people can easily put all the letters together for reading what it says. Some of the other commonly used endings include .me, .net and .biz. Although the .com TLD gets a good response, it is perfectly alright if you use any other TLD if you think it is best suited to your domain name.
Singular vs Plural Words
This is a small thing, but makes a great impact. At times it is beneficial to use the singular version of the domain name instead of using the plural one. There are more possibilities of the plural domain name being searched more often thereby resulting in more website visitors. A good example of this would be cakeandcookie.com and cakesandcookies.com. Keep yourself in the consumer’s shoes and ask yourself which name is easily remembered by your mind? Another trick is to obtain both the singular and the plural versions of the domain name so that you are not a victim of cyber squatting.
Future Plans Of Your Website
Keep the future plans of your website in mind before selecting the domain name. For instance, if you are operating the business of selling roses, and you are thinking of registering the domain – ‘tulipsonly.com’. However in the future, if you intend to sell other flowers, the ‘tulipsonly.com’ domain name might not sound right. Therefore in accordance with this example, you might consider registering ‘flowersonly.com’; as it provides with a better scope of business expansion.
Domain Name And Website Relevancy
When someone hears your domain name, they should be instantly able to guess the content of the website. Some examples of the most relevant domain names include – CareerBuilder.com, Hotmail.com and Auto-Trader.com, with these domain names establishing a brand becomes easy. Also make sure that the contents of your website are in perfect synchronization with the domain name.
Avoid Hyphens And Numbers
Both hyphens and numbers make it hard to pronounce your domain name and they are also hard to remember or type. It is also preferable to avoid the use of spelled out or roman numerals as both can be confusing and might be mistaken for each other.
If you have a domain name in mind, you can also check its availability in the website of the web hosting company that you are considering. Be creative while selecting the domain name; this specially holds true if you would like to establish a brand. The domain name must reflect the nature of your website, it must be unique, something that captures the minds of the visitors. A domain is a once in a lifetime investment for your website, therefore it is crucial to select the best domain name.
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