Many people say that the domain name does not carry any importance. They argue that if the website offers quality content, people will visit it. Likewise, if the product or service meets the customer requirements effectively, they will continue to buy it. In short, as long as your website meets the target market’s needs, all is well.
I’m afraid I have to disagree. I believe that the domain name can make or break your business. Therefore, instead of switching your domain name later, choose one wisely from the very start. If it sounds professional and matches the organisation’s name, it will increase your creditability and consumer trust.
Therefore, today’s article is all about how to select a good domain name. Without further ado, let us start.
Why is a Good Domain Name Important?
There are several reasons to focus on it, including:
Search Engine Optimisation
If you set up a website without putting any effort into its name, you will have trouble with SEO. Short names with keywords rank faster than a website with no meaningful name. Hence, if you want your website to rank quickly, we recommend selecting an intuitive name that contains a keyword.
Brand Recognition
Your domain name is your chance to show the world what you offer as a brand. If your website URL does not match your organisation or is poorly thought of, you lose a good opportunity to market yourself.
First Impression
We all have heard the expression that the first impression is the last. Well, no matter how much you disagree with it, it is pretty true. The domain name is the first impression when it comes to a website. It will be easy to remember if it is catchy, rememberable, and relates to something. People will likely prefer another website if it is offendable or even generic.
Now, let us come to our topic.
Selecting a Good Domain Name
You must follow these tips if you are serious about getting a good website name.
1. Go for .com
Repeat after me, ‘.com is the best and only option’. KnowHowYogi recommends that you go for one with a .com extension whenever selecting a domain name. The reason is that it is the easiest one to remember. Whenever we are typing a website’s URL, we mostly add .com at the end. Why? The reason is that most websites end with this extension. When you opt for .org or .net, it can confuse people.
We do acknowledge that there are plenty of websites online with the .org or .net extensions. Even then, these extensions must only be used as a last resort. If you cannot find your domain with these three extensions, KnowHowYogi recommends that you come up with another name. The .com extension makes your website look trustworthy. You might be tempted to try new extensions, but we recommend controlling yourself.
Interestingly, your smartphone keyboard will have a .com button when typing an address in the browser. What does it indicate? Well, it shows that .com is the most popular domain.
2. Short is Better
When it comes to the domain name, everyone agrees that it must be short. The recommended limit is 14 characters. Anything longer than 14 characters will get you in trouble with your target market, search algorithm, and even your SEO team. But it must not be shorter than 6 characters. The ideal length is anywhere between 6-14 characters. Your target market can easily remember it, while your SEO team will have no trouble ranking it.
3. Include a Keyword
Although it is not possible in every case, KnowHowYogi recommends that you try to include a keyword in your title. For example, in our case, know and how are keywords. Once the site is optimised, these two keywords can generate considerable web traffic. The keywords will undoubtedly go a long way in helping with the website’s SEO.
On top of it all, if you include a keyword, you can expect a lot of traffic. As people are already searching for the keywords, all you need to do is guide them to your website. If your website does not contain any keywords, you will have to make an extra effort. In short, you must increase your SEO budget considerably. We recommend placing the keyword in the start for the best results.
4. Future Proof
Suppose that you expand your business, and the current domain name does not match your new business model. For example, your website is ‘logodesign’. Later, you start offering SEO, web development, and social media marketing services. However, the domain name does not match your services. It can confuse your target market, and you may end up losing credibility.
Changing the domain name is the most likely option in such a situation. But think about all the effort you put into SEO, marketing, branding, and more. All your effort will go down the drain along with the money. It is why when selecting a domain name, ensure that it will be valid even when you introduce new features.
5. Check for Availability
Once you finalise your domain name, ensure it is available across all channels. For example, what if the same name is already used on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, or other popular mediums. There is no point in selecting a domain when someone else uses the name on other channels.
You must ensure that you operate with the same name across all channels for customer satisfaction and brand credibility. For instance, we cannot operate with KnowHowYogi for the website and YogiKnowsHow on YouTube. The name needs to be the same across all channels.
6. Check for Trademarks
When buying a domain, check if it is not trademarked already. If there are any trademarks against the name, there is no point in buying it. The reason is that you will be exposing yourself to legal issues, which is something that you must avoid.
7. Stick to the Letters
It is easy to type and remember a website that is all letters. Imagine if website owners started using numbers and special characters in their domain names. There is no doubt that it would make browsing annoying. It is challenging to remember names that contain letters or special characters. So, we recommend that you stick to letters when selecting your website’s name.
8. Easy to Type
What makes Google, YouTube, Yahoo, and Facebook easy to remember? The answer is simple. These websites are easy to spell. They do not have any fancy spellings, which means that even a person with basic knowledge can type their URL and access the website.
9. Easy to Pronounce
There will be times when you have to tell your website’s name to others. For example, you might be telling someone that you own an online store, and they ask you for the name. If it is easy to pronounce, you will have no issues in telling them. There is no doubt that they will remember the name and would likely search it the first chance they get.
In contrast, if the name is difficult to pronounce, you will have difficulty communicating the URL to the other person. Secondly, they might be put off from visiting the store after listening to the URL. So, keep it short and easy to pronounce to avoid issues.
10. Do Not Go for Generic Names
There is no point in selecting a generic name, as you will have a hard time generating interest or developing brand credibility. Instead, we recommend that you add your brand name to the URL. A brandable name is unique and is bound to generate interest among your target market.
For example, there are multiple websites offering car insurance. They may be titled as,
carinsurance.com
bestcarinsurance.com
alltypesofcarinsurance.com
All these are generic names. In such situations, it is better to create a website with your brand name alone or at least include it within the URL. For example,
yogicarinsurance.com
11. Use a Name Generator
If nothing else works for you, you can use a name generator. There are various online name generators available that you can use to finalise a name. Some of them even list the names of expired domains. So, it is worth a look.
Wrap Up on How to Select a Good Domain
It concludes our article on how to select a good domain name. If you have any suggestions or questions regarding the content, let us know. Thank You.