10 Tips on How to Choose the Perfect Domain Name
Your domain name is your address on the web and getting it right opens the door for visitors to become customers and clients. With almost 2 billion websites being operated, choosing the perfect domain name is becoming more taxing because repetitions are never allowed. Domain names are unique. Read this article to the end so you don’t have to go through the hard alley the next time you need to choose a domain name. And perhaps you want to learn more about domain names, check out What is a domain name?
How to Choose a Domain Name that Generates High Web Traffic
- Keep it short and simple
- Ensure it is easy to pronounce and spell
- Stick to the letters
- Avoid double letters
- Make it SEO friendly
- Use domain generators
- Choose a fitting extension
- Think long-term
- Research your domain name
- Act fast on it
Keep It Short and Simple
It is easier to remember short and punchy domain names such as hostwella.com. Always keep the length of your domain name short (preferably, less than 15 characters); it reduces the possibility of users making mistakes when typing your domain name which could lead to loss of traffic.
Ensure It Is Easy to Pronounce and Spell
Listeners should easily understand your domain name and not find it difficult to spell. Avoid using domain names you cannot easily share either verbally or when writing.
Stick to the Letters
Using figures and hyphens appear like a creative way to get your desired domain name especially when a variation of the name has been taken by someone else but it is a huge risk. Due to the fact that hyphens and figures are tough to express verbally and are often misunderstood, some people will misspell, misplace or forget a character and end up on someone else’s website. One way to prevent this from happening is to register the different available variations of your domain name.
Avoid Double Letters
Using double letters (as in larrexy.xyz) increases the chances of typographical errors which can result in loss of traffic. It also makes your domain name less brandable.
Make It SEO Friendly
Honestly, it is hard to get a domain name with your target keyword. It most likely will be already taken especially if with a .com extension. However, if you’re creative enough to combine other words with your keyword and come up with a domain name that stands out, you will rank high in search engines.
The keyword ‘web’ in Webmakers.com.ng already gives you a clue that they majorly render website-related services. That is the basic role of keywords; they tell the search engines what a website is about.
Consider putting your keyword(s) at the beginning of your domain name as that is where they are most effective in making you rank high.
Use Domain Generators
Manually searching for domain name is rigorous and time consuming. There are free tools that will automatically help you find catchy domain names using your defined keyword(s). These free tools are known as domain generators and you want to maximize them if you’re smart like me *winks*.
Choose a Fitting Extension
Extension is the suffix that follows the domain name in a web address. The most common ones are .com, .net and .org. While there are many and newer extensions, it is best to choose the .com extension if available. It is the oldest and most popular of them all. Only go for an alternative if .com is no longer available.
Think Long-Term
If you think you might expand to a wider niche than you’re covering now, then, you should consider that when choosing a domain name. Changing your domain name in the future will cost you branding, SEO ranking and a lot of money. Trust me, you don’t want to go through that pain. It is wise to make allowance for your long-term vision when choosing a domain name.
Research Your Domain Name
Using a name similar or matching another business’ name has serious legal implications. Find out if there is a registered business already using your intended domain name before you register it. Make sure you do a trademark search or Google search to check for the availability of the name.
Act Fast On It
Having gone through all these steps and finally arriving at an available and suitable domain name, I bet you don’t want to lose it to someone else who probably didn’t do as much as you did to find the name. So what? Act fast! Buy the domain name before another person who also wants what you want buys it.
