Updated January 11, 2023
Reading Time: 3 minutes
The Name Game
Choosing the right domain name for your business is tough. You don’t want to make the wrong decision and find yourself changing your domain name once you’ve picked one. Having a relevant, easy to remember, URL can be the difference between a successful website, and an unsuccessful one. So how do you pick a dominant domain name?
Before we get started, you might not be able to achieve all of the points in this list, but if you can you should. If it isn’t possible, try to get as many as you can.
Can You Say It Out Loud?
Is it possible to read your domain name out loud? Remember that it isn’t just going to be used in text form. You may be discussing it over the phone, or in person, so it needs to be something you can actually say. As well as being able to say your website also try to make spelling it intuitive. For example, something like www.koolcatzz.com sounds very clear when spoken, but most people will try www.coolcats.com before they think of your spelling.
Brandable
Another thing to remember is that your website URL is going to be in almost all business communication. From business cards to your email signature (and probably your email address). So it needs to fit with your brand. That doesn’t mean it has to be exactly the same as your company name, but it should be closely linked if possible. This will make it fit well with your brand and also easier to remember.
Give it a Shelf Life
Fancy domain endings like .io are cool at the moment, especially in the tech world. But they will look dated in time. To keep things simple, and to give your site an SEO boost, stick to .com. A .com address is internationally respected and trusted. It isn’t going to go out of fashion any time soon.
Keep it Short
Keeping the URL length as short as possible is key for it to be remembered. Also having hyphenated URLs is not ideal (yes, we know!) as it stretches the length of the URL and, going back to the first point, makes it more difficult to say.
Stand Alone
Try not to have a domain too similar to other brands. Especially large brands. MacDonalds.com, for example, wouldn’t be the best website URL for anyone to have, as a large amount of traffic is probably going to be accidental. You don’t want accidental website visitors. It’s going to add unnecessary load to your server and confuse your website statistics.
Add A Prefix or a Suffix
If you can’t get what you want initially try some variations. If you run a shop called Hardware Store but hardwarestore.com is taken, then try thehardwarestore.com or hardwarestoreonline.com. You get the idea. Think outside the box a little and don’t be afraid to add or tweak your company name a little to get a good website URL.
It’s All in a Domain Name
If you follow as many of the steps above as possible you’re sure to have a memorable, simple, domain name for your website. Do you have any more tips on how to make sure you choose the right URL?
Photo credit – Top: Public Domain Pictures
Photo credit – Bottom: Pixabay
Key Metrics You Should Be Tracking (If you Aren’t Already)
When you are choosing a domain name, make it easy to type. If your URL is hard to type, people won’t visit you. Difficult words to spell and long URL strings can be extremely frustrating to end users.