It’s important to choose the right domain name for your website because it can have an impact on your success. If you choose a domain name that isn’t ideal, it can be difficult to switch to a new one later on without damaging your brand or your search engine ranking.
It is important to choose a good domain name from the beginning.
But wait, why is your domain name so important?
- It’s your “first impression”. Your URL is the first thing your visitors will see. A good domain name can make a positive and lasting impression, while a bad domain name can send visitors running.
- It affects SEO. While exact match domains (EMDs) are no longer a necessity, keywords in your domain name can still help your SEO ranking.
- It defines your brand. We’ll talk about this in a minute – your domain name is a branding opportunity! The right domain name can increase brand recognition.
We’re going to share some tips on how to choose the right domain name.
1. Stick with .com
There are many domain name extensions available today, from .com, .net and .org to .pizza, .photography, and .blog.
Choose a .com domain name when starting a blog for the most credibility. Newer domain extensions may be tempting, but .com is still the most established.
Dot-com domains are the most memorable because many users automatically type “com” at the end of every domain.
If you want your website to be successful, you should use a “.com” extension. This is the safest option.
The .com domain extension is the best option to go with. If that is not available, then try .net or .org. If all of these are taken, you should brainstorm a new domain name. Also, avoid using weird domain extensions like .club, .space, or .pizza.
2. Use Keywords in Your Domain Name Search
The keywords you use in your domain name can help improve your ranking in Google searches. Using relevant keywords in your domain name, along with quality content and a good user experience, can help you earn a higher ranking.
Domain names that contain target keywords are difficult to find because they are often already taken.
You will need to be creative in order to make your domain name stand out. This can be done by combining your keywords with other words.
3. Keep Your Domain Name Short
Use caution when picking a domain name so that it is not too long and easy to remember. A domain name that is too long will be difficult for users to recall. Try to keep the domain name under 15 characters.
If your domain is too long, users will be more likely to make typos when they try to visit your site. This can lead to lost traffic. It’s a good idea to keep your domain name short to avoid this problem.
Registration.com’s research indicates that the average length of a website name is 12 characters. This research is based on assessing the popularity of a website, which is determined by the amount of web traffic it receives.
This data suggests that it is best to keep your domain name brief.
Keep your domain name short. Domain names should be kept short for two main reasons. Firstly, shorter domain names are much easier to remember than longer ones. Secondly, shorter domain names may be less likely to be registered by someone else.
4. Make Your Domain Name Easy to Pronounce and Spell
Make sure you can remember and pronounce your domain name easily so you can share it with others when needed.
If you want to use your domain name to create a professional business email address, make sure it is easy to understand and spell.
As easily as your domain name comes to mind, it should come out of your mouth.
This allows people to share your domain name more easily through word-of-mouth, and makes it more convenient for you to share your site with friends and potential customers.
Simply ask a friend or family member to read the text out loud to you. If they stumble over any words, or if you can’t understand what they’re saying, then you know you need to work on that sentence. You can test your writing by having someone read it out loud to you. If they stumble over any words or if you can’t understand what they’re saying, then you know you need to work on that sentence.
You should ask 10 people to pronounce your domain name to see if it is too difficult for people to say. If more than a few people have trouble pronouncing it, you should make it simpler.
5. Keep it Unique and Brandable
Your domain name should be related to your blog’s topic. In order to make your blog memorable, your domain name must be unique. Look into what other blogs in your niche are using for their domain names to get an idea. Ideally, your domain name should be related to the topic of your blog.
Choose a domain name that is not trademarked and cannot be accused of being copied from another blogger. Also, choose a domain name that is more brandable.
Domain names that are brandable are unique, memorable, and catchy. For example, “Amazon.com” is a more brandable name than “BuyBooksOnline.com.”
A brandable domain name is unique and not easily forgettable, while a generic domain name is usually full of keywords and not very memorable.
Here’s how to find a more brandable domain name:
- Create new words. You can make up your own catchy, new words. That’s what Google, Bing, and Yahoo did.
- Use existing words. You can use a thesaurus to find interesting words that fit your brand.
- Use domain name generators. These tools can help you create a unique, brandable domain name from your initial domain ideas and keywords.
6. Avoid Hyphens in Domain Name
Do not create a domain name with hyphens as they can be associated with spam domains.
Hyphenated domains are also more likely to have typos. If you choose a domain name with hyphens because the domain you want is already taken, then your users are more likely to end up at your competitor’s site if they forget to type in the hyphen.
Now imagine explaining Hyphen-Facebook. It would be quite difficult to explain Hyphen-Facebook to someone if Facebook already had a hyphen in its name.
Have you seen the new Facebook site? I don’t think it would have been as successful if it was called Face-Book with a hyphen.
The main point is that your domain name should be easy to say and remember – hyphens and numbers get in the way of that.
Stick to the letters!
7. Avoid Double Letters
It’s best to stay away from domains that have repeating letters because it ups your risk of losing traffic to typos. For example, a domain like Presssetup.com is more likely to get typed wrong, which would then lead to lost traffic.
You should avoid doubled letters in your domain name to make it easier to type and more brandable.
8. Leave Room to Expand
Picking a domain name that is connected to your industry is a good idea because it will give users some information about what your website is about. However, you also don’t want to restrict your future options by choosing a name that is too specific.
If, for example, a florist chose a domain name like orchidblog.com but then decided they wanted to blog about other flowers as well, the domain name might prevent them from attracting readers interested in reading about other flowers.
Picking a flexible domain name from the start is important to avoid losing search rankings when properly moving your site to a new domain.
9. Research Your Domain Name
Before registering a domain name, check to see if there is already a registered business using the same name. You can do a trademark search to see if there is already a similar or exact name trademarked.
To avoid any potential problems, it’s a good idea to check if the name you want to use is available on popular social media websites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If there is already a name that is similar or matches the one you want, it could create confusion and have legal implications that could cost you a lot of money.
After you have created your website, you can look into how to trademark and copyright your website name and logo.
10. Use Domain Name Generators for Clever Ideas
At present, there are in excess of 360 million registered domain names, which has led many people to say that all the good domains have already been taken. Searching for an individual domain name manually can be very time-consuming.
Domain name generators are free tools that help you find clever domain name ideas by automatically searching for your defined keywords.
11. Act Quickly Before Someone Else Takes it
Every day, people from all around the globe register thousands of new domain names. So if you’ve found a name you like, don’t wait to scoop it up!
Domain names are in demand, like real estate. Thousands of people are looking for brandable domain names that they can register for future use.
You need to act quickly if you don’t want someone else to register your domain idea. Domain names are relatively cheap, so it’s always a good idea to reserve one as soon as you can. If you change your mind later, you can let it expire.
12. Make Sure It’s Easy To Type
Some of the most popular websites are easy to spell.
It should be easy for your visitors to type in your domain name. If you have to explain the spelling to people more than once, it’s too complicated.
If potential visitors mistype your domain, they might end up on a different website.
13. Consider Using “Niche” Keywords That Reflect Your Website
There is a website that is mainly focused on web development and helping people to create websites. Therefore, they chose a name that reflects all of it – “website”. Unfortunately, website.com (or .org, .net) was no longer available, so they simply chose “WebsiteSetup”.
If you use your keywords thoughtfully, they can be a major asset to your SEO strategy. Keywords can help improve your SEO, but you need to be careful not to stuff them into your domain awkwardly, as this can make your site seem generic. If you use keywords thoughtfully, however, they can be a major asset to your SEO strategy.
If you want your domain to be more successful in terms of ranking, put the keywords at the beginning. That is where they will be the most powerful.
Make sure your domain name is simple to spell so your visitors can type it without any issues. If you have to explain the spelling more than once, it’s too complicated!
The last thing you want is for potential visitors to mistype your domain and end up on a different website!
14. Think Long-Term Over Short-Term
It can be costly to change your domain in the future, in terms of money, branding, and SEO rankings. It’s advisable to choose a domain with a long-term perspective in mind.
You could choose a domain name like “OptimizedSEO.com” if your company helps businesses optimize their websites for SEO.
If you think you might want to offer digital marketing services like email marketing and PPC in the future, you should think about whether your domain name makes sense for that.
15. Check If It’s Not Trademarked Or Already Used
Make sure the domain name you want is available on social media sites and that there are no trademarks registered to that name before you move forward.
It is best to have the same name for your brand across your domain and social networks to build familiarity and make it easy for visitors, fans, and customers to find you online.
You can avoid potential legal issues by avoiding names that are already trademarked.
16. Use Domain Name Generators When Stuck
You should come up with a list of some possible words to include in your domain before settling on one. Some of those words may already be taken by another website or company, so do your research before making your decision.
Domain name generators can create domains from your ideas that are available to be registered.
Here are some of our favorite domain name generators to try out:
- Wordoid This tool allows you to plug in a word; it will come up with ideas that either contain that word, begin with that word or end with that word.
- Lean Domain Search This tool matches your keyword with other keywords and generates a list of available domains.
- DomainHole This tool allows you to search keywords, find expired domains, generate new names, and more.
Best Places to Buy a Domain Name
With so many domain registrars to choose from, it can be difficult to know which one to choose. Prices for domain registration can vary from $9 to $24. You may even be able to get your domain name for free*.
Free Domain Registration with Web Hosting
A lot of web hosting companies also give you the option to register a domain as part of their services. Some of them will even let you do it for free if you’re just signing up for a new hosting account.
If you’re just starting a website, then get your domain name for free.
Below are the two WordPress hosting companies that are offering our users over 60% off web hosting, free SSL certificate, and a free domain name:
Bluehost is a brand name that is synonymous with quality web hosting. They have been in the business for many years, and are an official provider recommended by WordPress.
HostGator is offering a free domain name and affordable website hosting options.