Choosing a relevant and thoughtful domain name is one of the important steps in building your business website and establishing your brand. It plays a key role in driving web traffic, increasing user interest and creating your brand’s first impression.
While there are no absolute rules, here are a few guiding principles to select a name that helps and reflects your brand.
- Choose simple words
Uncommon or complicated names or words can be hard to remember and spell correctly, keeping people from visiting your website. Therefore, prefer using simple words that can be remembered and typed in easily.
- Keep the characters within the limit
Technically, a domain name can use up to 63 characters (excluding the domain extension).
It is always recommended to have shorter domain names as they are simpler to type and remember, increasing the chances of users finding you easily. Also, it is easier to stand out when there is less to read.
- Include brand name
As we mentioned previously, your domain name should look relevant and reflect your brand. Therefore, it is highly recommended to include your brand name in the website domain as it will help your brand develop and gain recognition. This may eventually increase visitors to your website.
One thing that you should remember while creating your domain name and brand is to not use any existing trademarks or brand names.
- Use relevant keywords
Relevant words help the users find you in a search and immediately understand what to do. Keywords can include your products/services (like “tea” or “cleaning”), or even your location. Having a location in your domain can help you target local users and customers.
- Do your research
Ensure that your chosen domain name is truly original to you such that you can avoid dealing with the legal troubles and then the painstaking process of searching for yet another unique and SEO-friendly domain name.
There is nothing worse than thinking of a domain name which seems perfect only to find yourself infringing on an already taken and trademarked domain.
- Website name
Though it may seem obvious, your domain name and brand name should be the same or as close as possible such that users get what they expect on visiting the website. You wouldn’t want to confuse or mislead people with different names.
- Avoid numbers, hyphens, and double letters
All these elements are hurdles for the users to access your website. It isn’t really intuitive to remember all these characters. Moreover, double letters can make the domain name hard to read and messy.
If you or someone else is verbally sharing your website with clients, it is harder to convey the domain name clearly when it contains numbers, hyphens, and the same letter back-to-back.
Establish your brand identity with the right domain name
While domain name may seem to be a minor detail in the process of creating a website, it is of great importance and reflects your business to the audiences or potential customers right away.
A thought-out domain name can help you boost your rankings on SERPs and provide your audience with a clear idea of what to expect while visiting your website. Therefore, it is important to take enough time to find the right domain name.
The right domain name and robust website hosting are two important foundational factors in creating a successful website. Explore different reputable service providers to find an affordable domain and hosting price and make the best choice as per your business needs and budget.