Choosing the right domain name is crucial as it significantly impacts your online presence and brand. Finding the perfect domain can be challenging, but with a simple process and a little creativity, you can still secure a domain name you love.
A creative and memorable domain name is always better than a generic one. Your domain name is how people find, remember, and share your business online. A domain name that aligns with your brand will be far more effective than using generic keywords.
For example, can you see the difference between cheapcarinsurance.com and affordableautoinsurance.com? Which website would you trust more to buy insurance from? Probably neither. Both sound spammy and incredibly generic.
Conversely, you probably know where the domain names progressive.com or geico.com lead. These companies have invested in their brand and use it in their domain name. You can trust that these websites are credible. Even if you haven’t built trust and loyalty yet, you can start by choosing a strong domain name that aligns with your brand.
When choosing the extension or TLD for your domain name, “.com” is still the best choice unless you have a reason to choose something else. While Google confirms that the TLD choice doesn’t affect search rankings, it does still impact consumer perception. Many people view other TLDs as less trustworthy.
However, a .net or .org extension isn’t unusual, so they can be good secondary choices if you find the perfect name and your desired .com extension isn’t available. But if you decide to choose a domain name extension other than “.com,” make sure you look into what kind of website currently has the .com extension. It’s possible that someone searching for your brand might accidentally end up there. If the website has questionable or offensive content, it’s best to avoid that name.
Regarding domain name length, shorter is better. Search engines, especially Google, prefer domain names that are easy to understand, simple, and true to what they promise. URLs filled with numbers and special characters can hurt your ranking in search engines. Your domain name should be as short as possible while still reflecting the website’s content. Short domain names are easier to read, take up less space on marketing materials, and are easier for visitors to remember.
The downside to short domain names is that fewer are available. But if your brand name is 100% unique or has another creative element, you can likely find something that will work for you. So, what’s an acceptable length? Try to stay within 6-14 characters, ideally on the shorter end.
No matter which domain name you choose, it has to be memorable. It needs to be simple enough that anyone can spell and type it. If the domain name you choose passes this first test, make sure it’s also easy to pronounce for word-of-mouth marketing. Write the domain name down and ask your friends to pronounce it. If no one has trouble with it, you’ve made a good choice. Think of some popular websites like Yahoo, Amazon, Reddit, and Twitter. They’re all short and easy to spell. If you choose poorly, chances are many of your visitors will mistakenly land on a different provider’s website.
Avoid using numbers and hyphens in your domain name. Imagine asking your friends to spell or pronounce a domain name full of numbers and hyphens. It just won’t work. If you choose a domain name with these elements, you’re likely to lose traffic to people who can’t remember your domain name or can’t explain to others how to find it.
Both large and small brands run into problems when others use their protected name. Even if you make an innocent mistake, the hassle associated with legal disputes and having to redesign your web presence can be costly. You can avoid these situations by using a trademark search engine before making your final selection.
Your domain name and website are a long-term investment. Therefore, you should avoid choosing a domain name that contains this year’s or the current top trending keyword. Consider where your business or brand will be in five or ten years. If you offer basic SEO services now, you might expand your services as your business grows. Therefore, the words “Marketing” or “Digital Marketing” might be better descriptors than “SEO Services.”
If you are out of ideas, you can use a domain name generator to help with your search. Just enter a few words or phrases that describe your brand or website, and these tools will show you a list of ideas that you can check for availability.
