Though finding the right internet service provider is important for your growing business, choosing the right domain name is the single most important aspect of your online marketing plan. Customers rely on your website to get the information they need, and any extra step could send them in the direction of a competitor.“A good domain name is that domain name which brings you traffic.” – Olgizenullari.comThough choosing a domain name seems like a simple task, there are a number of aspects to take into account.
You want to be found and talked about, both of which take a few extra steps to achieve.
Easy To Find
The most important aspect of your domain name is that it’s easy to find. A customer wants to do a quick search and find what their looking for; if the process becomes daunting, they’ll turn the other way. Making yourself easily accessible, however, can be tricky. There are two factors to consider in this process:
- Relevant: Make the URL your business name, if possible. If taken, be sure to use relevant, branded keywords or phrases.
- Extensions: Ideally, you want a .com domain name – while the other extensions are just fine, this is the most common domain form.
Short and Simple
Not only will your customers never remember an extensive domain name, but it’s a pain to type into the URL box. You want to make your domain as easy to talk about as possible – word of mouth marketing is an important enhancement to your overall marketing plan, and doesn’t cost a penny.
- Numerical substitutions: Stay away from numerical substitutions – this is difficult to remember, giving customers one less reason to visit your site.
- Character length: It’s suggested by many to keep your domain name under 7 characters – though that may be out of the question for many businesses; just keep it as short as you can.
- Easy to understand: Upon seeing your domain name, you want people to know what you do, who your company is, etc. Keeping it simple, and closely tied to your business with proper keyword use, will be integral.
Unique
Finally, you don’t want your domain name mixed up with anyone else. It’s imperative that you choose a name that is unique to your business and your business alone. SEOMoz suggests, “Never choose domains that are simply the plural, hyphenated or misspelled version of an already established domain.” So, how can you make your domain unique?
- Copyright infringement: While this is a rare occasion, it could bring your website down faster than it took to choose the name. Be sure to check your preferred domain name with the US Copyright website first.
- Add.com and go: A customer wants to type your name, add .com and find you. Consider taking part in a domain auction if this isn’t readily available.
Author Bio:
Jessica Sanders is an avid small business writer touching on topics that range from social media to business management. She is a professional blogger and web content writer for ResourceNation.com.
I went with a branding agency when choosing my domain/business name. The branding experts over at www.namella.com were very helpful and affordable, but I'm not sure if there are others out there.
this is also a great tool http://domainandregistration.com to find the right domain name.
I tried www.namella.com and had a horrible experience. They took weeks to get back to me although they promised "a few business days". The names they came up with were really lame, one made it sound like i was running some type of spy business, not exactly confidence inspiring for prospective customers.
Thank you for the suggestion! I used them as well and they did a great job!
I always try to get domain name which is catchy and easy to remember, almost 5 caracter domain names are finish so if its long it s ok for me only matter is how it feels when we pronounce it.
You look like a spy though?
I tried www.namella.com and had a great experience! Maybe they changed since you ordered?