Choose The Best Domain Name

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Choosing the best domain name for your website?

Choose the best domain name for a business, website, or blog is so important when you are starting a business! The correct name lets customers & google quickly understand who you are and what your business is about.

This is the first impression a customer will have, and that’s when the decision is made to click your link, and start a connection.

Check Pricing of Domain Name

There are so many name servers you could use. Each Nameserver has a different cost structure or offer. I will give you a list of just a few of the most popular. I like to have a name server open so I can check the availability of names as I think of them and compare pricing.

BlueHost

BlueHost is the easiest place to get your domain name. The reason is, once you have chosen the name and registered it and any variants, you can simply click to have BlueHost as your hosting company and add SSL Certification. From that step, it is just another click to set up WordPress.

So if you are thinking about using WordPress I would choose BlueHost as the nameserver and hosting company. PLUS, I have two of my websites with BlueHost and I know their customer service is amazing.

Crazy Domains

Crazy domains have been around forever! They offer great support and they provide website hosting and SSL certification. They provide great customer service and if you’re from Australia you will notice they have AU offices.

Use a Keyword in your Domain Name

What is a keyword?

A keyword is a word or term that a customer might type into the search engine when searching for a business matching your niche.

By using a keyword in the name of your business you are giving clues to Google and your customer about the nature of your website. You strengthen these queues by writing content that reinforces your keywords and domain name.

There isn’t really an SEO advantage to having a keyword but it does help “explain” your website purpose to potential visitors.

Finding a good name with a relevant keyword in your niche that isn’t already taken can be a little tricky. Think creatively and perhaps use an interesting domain extension to give context to the website name. You will find that some nameservers will provide alternative suggestions which can be helpful.

Consider Using “Niche” Words That Reflect Your Business

Like keywords, niche words are things that customers may type when they are looking for a business like yours.

An example; a Vegan recipe-sharing site might use a word that tells potential readers they’re plant-based in the website name.

Being specific in your name, about what your site offers avoids the problem of a high bounce rate. A high bounce rate occurs when the traffic to your website leaves because they were looking for something different.

Choose The Right Domain Name Extensions

So first of all, what is the domain extension or TLD?

After the website name, you will notice .com, .com.au, .org, .edu.au. These are all extensions, otherwise known as TLD, top level domains. They have been used historically to show the geographical location of the website or the purpose of the site. Initially, there were only a handful of possible extensions, like .net which was used for tech sites, .org for community nonprofits, .gov for government sites etc. The extension tells the reader and the search engine more information about the website.

For example, if you have an Australian business that only operates in Australia, by having the .com.au you are clearly telling customers they are visiting an Australian website. This can be important to a consumer if purchases are being shipped or the customer wants Australian quality controls and an Australia point of contact.

If you are intending to be an international brand or website .com is the first preference for the domain extension. Ideally, the business should register the .com extension PLUS their own country extension. Registering your country extension prevents someone from registering the local equivalent and gaining traffic from your reputation.

So if I was operating an international business out of the UK I would register my domain name with the extension .com and also .co.uk. Both of these Domain names would point to the website homepage.

What about other Non-standard extensions?

There are other extensions that can be used other than those that depict the country of origin, and the type of business (.gov or .edu). Over the last 20 years or so more TLDs have been released which provide more flexibility in naming. These can provide an opportunity to be more creative in naming your website.

A recipe blog may choose to register the extension, .kitchen or .blog or .website, or .online. This can be helpful in branding and further describing the purpose of the site without giving away the country of origin. This is particularly relevant if the website is aiming to have international appeal.

Short Domain Names are Better Than Long

Keeping your domain name as short as possible is a good practice. Long domain names look messy and are cumbersome to type.

It’s better to have a short and memorable domain name.

We recommend a domain name of between 10 to 15 characters. The more characters a user needs to type, the more chance of entering a typo. This can lead to a loss in traffic.

Make Sure It’s Easy To Type

What do I mean… easy to type?

Some names are harder to type accurately than others. Let me give you some examples;

No Hyphenated Names, Numbers, or Symbols

Don’t be tempted to add a hyphen, number, or another symbol to your name, if the domain name you would prefer is taken. People will inevitably forget to use the extra symbol and your traffic will go to the competitor.

Also, spam sites masquerading as legitimate sites use the tactic of adding a hyphen or other symbol when they want to dupe consumers. You don’t want your website viewed as suspicious by customers or Google.

No Double Letters

It may sound like a weird rule but it looks messy and it’s easy to forget a letter when there are doubles in the name. For example, mrbigsshop.com. When typing this URL it would be very easy to miss the second “s”, which would lead to traffic loss.

Don’t Choose a Name that’s Often Misspelled

Not only should your name be easy to remember and easy to type, but it also needs to be easy to spell! Using a name that is commonly spelled incorrectly will lead to a lot of dead-end searches.

Is Your Name Easy To Pronounce

You will be saying your name a lot over the course of a day. Make sure it is easy to pronounce so the person jotting the name down doesn’t make a mistake or miss hear you.

Is Your Name Brandable?

Branding is everything! Making your business name unique, catchy, or quirky is one aspect of making the business more recognizable and memorable. Choosing a domain name using words that look and sound good together can really help.

Branding is such an important part of any business that we will be covering it further in upcoming articles.

Check if your business name can be registered or trademarked if applicable

This can be a very important step depending on the country you live in and whether a Trademark or legal business name is already in existence.

In Australia and New Zealand, it’s illegal to operate a business using any name, other than your name. The exception is if you register a business trading name. The law precludes operating an unregistered business name on social media or on a website. It is a breach of the Business Names Registration Act 2011. England and New Zealand have similar legislation in place.

So before you register your domain name in Australia, check the business names register. Is the business name available? A company may be trading using the name without a website and therefore not be using the domain name.

What About Trademarks?

Just because you own the Business Name and the Domain Name doesn’t mean you are the sole owner. It’s crazy but it’s true! If you really want to protect your brand you will need to register a trademark. This offers complete protection of the name and any registered logo.

You may decide not to Trademark your business in the short term. Longer term, the bigger your brand becomes the more chance a competitor will see it as an opportunity to swoop in. For an example of this take a look at the Ugg Boots business. In the 1980’s America TM ugg boots. It became a legal fiasco with expensive business repercussions. Thankfully we now have Ugg Australia®, but it would have been a stressful and drawn-out exercise.

Conversely, checking for registered business names and trademarks before you register your domain name may avoid you being sent a “Cease and Desist” letter by someone who feels their legal rights have been breached.

Should you reference the local area?

The only time you should include a geographical reference in a business name is when you only serve the local community.

If you are serving just one area it is a great idea to include the town name, it’s clear to customers and google where you are located and who you serve.

Could your name restrict the scope of your business?

If you choose the best domain name and it’s very specific, be careful it won’t restrict the growth or diversification of the business in the future. A name that’s very specific about what your business does, or where it is located, could inadvertently paint you and your business into a corner. burgeronking.com may make perfect sense if the business was located on King St. What would happen if the business changed premises things could become less clear.

Shoesrus.com may be a good domain name for a shoe shop. What would happen if the owners decided to provide accessories also? They may feel they have outgrown the domain name.

Check that the social media handles are available

This is really important! There is no point in owning a domain name if you can’t get the social media handles. A super effective way of checking quickly is the site www.namecheckr.com

Social media is one of the most effective ways of connecting with customers and staying in touch. You don’t need to be able to get every social media handle. The key is deciding which platforms are necessary for your industry and demographic. I will go deeper into social media in a future story.

Brainstorm those Domain Names

My best advice is to make a long list of words that are associated with your business and just brainstorm. The longer the list the better!

Then do your in-depth research on your favourite names once you have checked their availability.

At any given time I usually have about 20 registered domain names! Yes, that’s a lot! In my defense, if I like a domain name for a possible project I tend to buy it! It only costs me about $10 a domain per year. So choose the best domain name from the list, perhaps even register more than one if the names are similar. You can always point these NameServers to your website too.

One of my registered domain names is my name with .com and com.au. Maybe one day I will make a website with all my pet projects under that one banner?

Now you have to Register Your Domain Name?

So it’s time to choose a registrar to hold your Domain Names. Who will you register your names with? Next, consider if you need to register an additional extension such as com.au or .co.nz, or .co.uk depending on your home country.

Then…

Now the fun begins! Choose your Website Host! Don’t worry, I will go through the good, the bad, and the ugly of hosting in the next story.

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