In today’s digital age, businesses are creating websites and registering domains to keep up with the times. There is hardly any survival without an online presence. About 363.5 million domain names were registered in the first quarter of 2021 alone across TLDs (Top-level domains).
To stand out among this overcrowded global network, you need to choose the right domain name for your business. An attractive domain name definitely can have an affirmative impact, and choosing the wrong one can break your business, for sure.
In this article, we go through the importance of choosing the best domain name for your business and will help you choose the best one for you.
How Important Are Domain Names?
One of the most expensive domain names ever sold was Cars.com, with a price tag of a whopping $872million (according to the parent company, Gannett Co., Inc’s SEC filing).
So why would anyone in their right mind pay that much for just a domain name? Well, simply because domain names carry a lot of significance.
They are the face of your brand and act as its calling card. The domain name is also the first thing visitors see, which is why you need to make sure the first impression you leave is a positive one.
Additionally, domain names that include keywords can also give you a much-needed boost to your SEO ranking. Just make sure they are short, memorable, and brandable, as short domains are easier to remember and far less likely to be misspelled.
Some Important Factors You Should Consider Using to Make An Effective Domain Name
There are several important factors you need to consider when choosing a domain name for your business. Some of the important things to consider are.
- Using the appropriate domain extension.
- Keeping the domain name short but sweet.
- Avoiding numbers and hyphens usage in the domain name.
- Incorporating keywords into the domain name.
- Checking the availability of a domain name.
Using the Appropriate Domain Extension
There are many different domain extensions available such as .com, .net, .org, .co etc. But if you want the higher chances of success with your domain name, choosing the .com extension is always the safest bet.
For most internet surfers, typing and using the.com extension into our search engines has become second nature. Statista reported that an estimated 52.3% of websites used a .com extension in their domain.
We have become accustomed to seeing .com extensions the most, and it is definitely easier to remember in most cases. Domain names with the .com extension also seem more trustworthy and reliable than other less popular extensions like .biz.
The only downside of this extension is that you may not find the domain name you’re looking for due to its popularity, as someone else may have taken it beforehand. If that is the case, you can choose to go with another extension or end up thinking of a new domain name altogether.
Keeping the Domain Name Short But Sweet
As a general rule of thumb, shorter names are always better than longer ones. Short, clever, and catchy domain names are easily recallable and less likely to be misspelled by people.
According to datagenetics.com, the average domain name length is about 12 letters. This shows that most websites prefer to keep their domain names short, and you should too!
Additionally, shorter URLs are easier to advertise on posts and are far easier for users to type.
The downside of shorter domain names is that most of the short names have likely been taken by now already. But if possible, try to find a name that fits between 5-15 characters as most effective domain names lie in this range.
Avoid Using Numbers and Hyphens
The previous tips mentioned keeping domain names short and simple. Adding numbers and hyphens into the mix results in long and difficult recall URLs.
The biggest problem with using hyphens is that many users forget to add them when searching for the website. Numbers also result in a confusing scenario. For example, a website called 7dayshop.com might also be typed by users as sevendayshop.com.
Incorporating Keywords Into The Domain Name
Choosing a domain name with keywords that help define what the business is about is always a good practice. Be careful as stuffing in keywords can result in a generic sounding and difficult to remember domain name.
A good example of a domain name that properly uses keywords could be billyswatches.com. The name of the website alone can tell visitors a lot about the website. It could be the name of a website that sells watches with the keyword “watches” is also used naturally here.
Always Check If The Domain Name You Choose Is Already Trademarked Or In Use
Last but not least, always remember to check if the domain name you came up with is available on most social media sites and is not trademarked already.
Every successful brand should have the same name on multiple social media sites. Having the same name across multiple networks makes it easier for users and clients to find you on the internet.
To avoid getting into legal matters in the future, make sure to steer clear of already trademarked names. You can check if a domain name is already trademarked and registered with the United States Patent And Trademarks Office.
How To Pick The Right Domain Name
If you’re still not quite sure about what domain name to go with, don’t worry. There are a lot of domain name generators that make the job of coming up with new domain names a whole lot easier.
These generators can give you a wide variety of options to choose from and help get those creative juices flowing. They can inspire you to come up with catchy, unique, and purposeful domain names that aren’t taken for your business.
So if you’re ever stuck and can’t think of any names for your domain, these generators are always worth trying.
