Ready to build the foundation of your online empire? Domain accounts for nearly 99 percent of projects you might take on, meaning it’s always a part of the equation. So what things should you take into account when choosing the online business domain name that will represent your business on the Web? Here are basic tips you need to know.
Brainstorm 5 Top Keywords
Always start with a plan in mind. It helps to have a preset list of terms or phrases in mind that best define the online business domain name you’re looking for. Meet with your entire executive team to strategize. Once you have this list, you may start pairing them or adding prefixes/suffixes to create a good domain idea.
For example, if you’re launching a mortgage-related brand, you might start with words like “finance, mortgage, interest, house, equity, etc.” then get creative and play with it until you find a good match.
Create a Unique Online Business Domain name
Obtaining a website with a confusing name as to sound like another is a recipe for disaster. Never choose domains that are simply the hyphenated, plural or misspelled versions of an already established domain –especially big players. Consider Flickr. After years of branding, they still needed Flicker.com, which they ultimately obtained.
Make it type-friendly
If your online business domain name needs considerable attention to type because of its length, spelling or the use of un-memorable sounds or words, you’ll lose a good portion of your branding and potential visitors. Hard to type letters include “q,” “z,” “x,” “c,” and “p”. Don’t add dashes as well (ex. Step-n-glide.com)
Make it easy to recall
The average memory of a web visitor is 8 seconds (sometimes even less). That’s the only time you have to create a first good impression, so make your site’s name easy to remember. You don’t want to be a good company with an awesome website that no one can ever remember to tell their friends about simply because they can’t remember the domain name.
Keep it as short as possible
What do Facebook, YouTube, Google, and Yahoo have in common? They have short names that are easy to type and easy to remember. These short names also allow more characters in the URL for the SERPs and a works well for print media, social networks, and every form of offline marketing, which includes word-of-mouth.
Build and Fulfill Expectations
When you click on a website named careerbuilder.com, what do you expect to find inside? Obviously, it should be a place where you can build your career. You gotta love websites like WebMD.com, Amazon.com, Monster.com and many others. If you’re making a branding play, an ambiguous, unrelated name will do more damage rather help your branding. To compensate, simply create a good sounding, the memorable and apt name for the type of product or service you offer.
If you’re ready, then it’s time to register a domain name for your business. And no, you don’t need to drive all the way to a service provider’s office to do this. Domain name service providers are available for consultation online.
Choosing an online business domain name might look hard at first, but it’s not when you use the simple tips above to help you in the assessment process and make the selection much easier.