Based on years of marketing research and website performance stats, it is evident that a domain name makes a massive difference. It is a proven fact that the right domain name can help increase traffic many times over.
This article discusses how to choose a domain name for your website. You might think that choosing a name is a fast and easy process, but research proves otherwise.
So, let’s get to it and provide you with all of the information you need to make an informed choice in terms of choosing your domain name.
Tips – How to Choose Domain Name
The following is a list of tips for how to choose a domain name for your purposes.
1. Always Stick With ‘.com’
When working out how to choose domain name, one of the best tips is that you should stick with ‘.com.’ Ok, so ‘.org’ and ‘.info’ may be fine too, but names that have random words at the end are no good. If you have a website called joe.snowplow, many people who are not very familiar with technology might enter joe.snowplow.com, which would result in them receiving an error message. If people can’t find your site on the first try and end up with an error message, chances are they will never attempt to revisit your site. Choose your domain name and brand name at the same time to ensure they relate well.
One tip we can also give you is to buy up the .org and .info domain names to protect your brand. You won't actually use these but at least you will own the domains so other people can't use them against your brand.
2. The Shorter, the Better
SEO is crucial for your domain name, but that said, it might be better to have a six-letter domain that is not overly SEO friendly than a 20 letter domain that includes four keywords. The simple reality is that the longer your domain name is, the harder it is for users to remember, and more often than not, when people cannot remember the name of a site, they will go to Google and choose the first thing that pops up.
The longer the domain name is, the more likely people are to spell it wrong, resulting in them getting an error message. The official recommendation is that domain names should be 15 characters or less.
3. SEO Keywords
Yet another crucial factor is SEO or search engine optimization. If you have any hopes of really growing your site and getting a lot of traffic, Google needs to like you, and a whole lot at that. Using keywords in the domain name will automatically tell Google and other search engines what type of website content you have. Furthermore, when combined with high-quality website content and great user experiences, it will go a long way in producing high Google search engine rankings. However, finding good domains using keywords that are not already taken is not easy, so you may have to get creative here.
4. Uniqueness Counts
Your domain name should be unique and different from all others. One thing you can do is research terms used in the niche you’re in and then looking at domain names your competitors are using. You don’t want to be similar to the competition, and you definitely don’t want a domain name that risks copyright or trademark infringement. So, a domain name needs to be unique and catchy yet also relevant and on-brand. Remember, the name of your brand also matters.
5. No Double Letters or Hyphens
This might sound like an odd point, but it increases the chances of somebody misspelling the site name if you have double letters (‘xx,’ ‘tt,’ ‘ss,’ etc.) in your domain name. If someone doesn’t spell the site name right, they may find themselves on a different site than intended (and not yours!) or with an error message. So, unless necessary, avoid double letters.
On that same note, domain names with hyphens often suffer from the same problems. The point we are trying to make is that domain names should be as simple as possible. Put it this way, your domain name should be easy to remember and spell for minimally literate people. Simply put, you are better off dumbing things down, at least when it comes to a domain name.
6. Always Research Your Domain Name
We have gone over the crucial tips for how to choose a domain name, but there is still more, with in-depth domain name research being one of them. Many apps and programs are designed to help research domain names in terms of popularity, how well it ranks for SEO, if it is of a good length, etc. If you need a program or app for in-depth domain name research, check out one of the services we discuss in our recommendations section below.
We also suggest sorting out your brand name at the same time when choosing your domain. If you're looking for a service where you can buy branding, logos, and a domain at the same time, we recommend checking out the branding packages that Brandbucket offers.
7. Take Advantage of Domain Name Generators
There are around 400 million registered domain names. This can make finding a good available domain name on your own difficult. Therefore, a domain name generator is an excellent tool to use. These tools allow you to insert keywords and other parameters and automatically generate a list of the best domain names. One suggestion is to go to namechk.com and run your domain name options through some of their tools. They have a number of name generators for domains, business names and brand names that you can use to double check everything fits because remember that domain and brand naming goes hand in hand.
Refer to our recommendations section below for other good domain name research tools or domain name generators.
8. Scoop it Up Before it’s Gone
The final tip is that you need to scoop up a good domain name if you find it. There is so much competition in this space that you may lose the domain if you wait too long, which could mean waiting just a few minutes. There are always thousands of people looking for good and brandable domain names at any given time. With so much competition, it’s evident that time is of the essence.
FAQ
How Do I Find a Unique Domain Name?
The best way to find a unique domain name is with a domain service such as those we discuss in our recommendations section.
What is the Shortest Domain Name?
Unsurprisingly, Google purchased the shortest domain name ever recorded, which is ‘g.cn’ (designed to make it easier for Chinese users to find Google).
Is ‘.info’ a Good Domain?
Yes, info domain names are good because they generally mean that the site is a source of legitimate information.
Are Any Three Letter Domains Available?
Three-letter domain names are so rare (especially with .com) that you probably won’t find one that suits your needs. That said, four-letter domains are much more readily available.
Recommendations
We recommend looking at various applications or programs designed to help choose catchy and SEO-friendly domain names. Many domain name research tools will provide all of the information you need to make an informed decision.
These tools can help you research specific words and their popularity, compare existing domains, do research based on SEO, and find the most popular words and phrases to use too. Some of the best domain name tools include
Conclusion
Remember, a domain is more than just a basic name or identifier. It builds trust in your brand; it creates awareness, and it should be catchy. In addition, a good domain name should be beneficial in terms of SEO. When looking how to choose a domain name, always consider your businesses branding because ideally you want the brand name to be the same or highly relatable to the domain name you settle with. Our recommendation is to use one of the domain name research tools or applications mentioned in our ‘Recommendations’ section above.
