Understanding how to choose a domain name for your business can help you:
- Distinguish your brand from the competition
- Attract new customers to your website
- Prevent spammers from stealing your traffic
If your domain is too confusing or generic, customers will most likely end up on a competitor’s website. Internet users usually don’t want to work hard to find your business, so make it simple for them.
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Create a balance with Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
An existing business name is a pretty obvious place to start, but getting an exact match is not easy these days. Domain registrations are growing approximately 6.8 percent or 21 million year-on-year, according to the domain and server management firm, Verisign. For two reasons, you should focus on creating a strong brand name.
Credibility: For years, domain names filled with keywords ranked higher in search results. Generic names like BestCoffeeMakers.com, captured most of the traffic. Many of these sites are full of junk content, and Internet users have learned not to trust them.
Longevity: Thanks to improvements in Google’s algorithms, SEO has become secondary to branding. SEO trends are always changing, so a name focused on keywords that works today can be positioned much lower in a year. Obtaining stable traffic through inbound, from reliable sources, is the best way to achieve a good positioning. In the long term, having a reliable brand gives you much more credibility online.
Keywords are not everything, but try to include at least one whenever possible. Large companies have a large budget to promote a branding choice, so they can afford to be more abstract. As a small business owner you get more customers when your name explains what you do.
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Use a domain name search tool
If you are brainstorming for a name for your company and domain name at the same time, reduce your list with a domain search platform. Enter the values or keywords that describe your business, to get domain suggestions. Keep in mind that you don’t have to limit your business name options to the availability of URLs. You can modify any of the names as much as you need them until your brand is just what you want.
Think of a company that sells pillows and that, in a minor matter, also sells beds. Happy Siesta and Happy Dreams are possible names for a physical address. To create impact online, the owner could use HappySiestaBedSheets.com or HappyDreamsPillows.com as a domain. Both domains describe the product and its values – making pillows and keeping customers happy.
Add domain name modifiers
Currently, business owners are opening online stores in piles. That means that 20 other people around the world could have the same company name as you. In most cases, you don’t want to change the name of your business when it is already a local success. A better option is to add simple words to increase your chances of getting an available URL.
Another problem is the price. Commonly, some people monopolize great names and charge premium prices for them. If you can not pay $ 2000 USD for the perfect name, using a slight variant is much more economically effective. Consider the following common modifiers.
Nouns: Include the type of product or solution you offer. “Sweet Bakery” could become “SweetDesserts.com” and “Cycle Pro Bicycle Parts and Equipment” can become “CycleProBikes.com” or “CycleProBikeParts.com”. Home Care Boost is a perfect example of a great domain name for a home care SEO agency.
Verbs: Use a simple call to action. Let clients know what you want them to do. BuyQualityFabric.com, ComeToVenezia.com. The possibilities are endless, but use only short terms that don’t make your domain too long.
Location: Tell your clients where you are. If “Awesome Pianos” only sells in Toronto, take advantage of it becoming “AwesomePianosToronto.com”.
Use simple words
If you’re doing a good job promoting your business, customers will hear about you in more than one place. Word of mouth is the most powerful advertising, so you want to find a domain that people can easily remember and share. Consider the domain name Del.icio.us. This well-known company has a URL that is difficult to write intuitively. Most businesses should avoid this approach, since it is more difficult for people to find you online.
Your other problem is competition. Have you ever searched for a specific website and found a different business? If other companies have a similar name with a more natural script, they could steal your traffic.
With the above in mind, use real words whenever you can. If you prefer invented names with created or misspelled words, make sure they are as phonetic as possible. Think of Microsoft, or FedEx. Avoid numbers as much as possible, since people will not know if they should write them or not.
How and where to register your domain on the Internet
ICANN is the only entity that is responsible for registering the names of the web domains. However, to handle the paperwork between ICANN and the final buyer there are many intermediary companies that work as accredited.
One of them is Namecheap, based in Los Angeles and voted in 2012 as “The most popular Domain Name Registry”. Namecheap stands out among its competition for four factors:
- Very competitive prices, cheaper than the most common options in Canada.
- Protection of your privacy. If you don’t want your competitors to know what domains you have purchased, you can do it for no additional cost for the first year.
- A bulletproof DNS management. Always available and safe.
- Transparency in prices. You will not find any surprises at the end of the purchase process. No stupid Upsell that causes you to end up paying $49 USD to buy a domain.
Quick guide to buy a domain in Namecheap:
1. Write down the domain name you want to register in the main box of the Home.
2. Namecheap will check the availability of your domain and in case it is not available it will give you more options to register.
3. Check if the domain you want is available. Once you choose the one you need, click on the purchase button and it will be added to your order.
4. Create an account in which you will give all your data and thus make the final payment.
5. The purchase process is very fast and simple. It shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. You already have your new domain name registered!
Article originally published at Free Logo Services
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