Get Your Business and Domain Name Correct for SEO and Branding Purposes	1.5/5.0 (2 votes total) Rate: Select 1 - Terrible 2 - Poor 3 - Average 4 - Good 5 - Outstanding
James Helliwell September 13, 2016

Picking a business and domain name are one and the same these days. If you are thinking of a name for your new business, you should consider the fact that the name, or at least a variation of the name, will be your domain name.

Choosing the right domain name will simplify your online efforts creating profit for your business. It's also vital for branding your business.

There are some important factors you should bear in mind when deciding the right domain name for your business and they are discussed in this piece. These factors will help guide you when selecting your domain name to ensure you get it right from the start.

Go Hard For a Dot-Com Name

There is no doubt that getting a good .com domain name is becoming increasingly difficult, but don't settle for the other extensions without giving it a fight.

A .com extension is important for credibility and is still the most popular extension with customers and clients.

Customers and investors see it as a credibility factor. The other extensions don't have the same level of trust a .com extension has, and for a well-established niche, it may make you look green and inexperienced.

Try and be creative till you find a good fit that is available. You can use domain names @ freeparking.co.nz to search and find out if your preferred name is available.

If nothing works, however, the next best is a .net extension.  A .org extension is okay if no other option is available, but it's usually associated with a non-profit organization. 

 If you get a .com extension, also purchase the .net and .org version of the name to prevent your competitors or unsavory fellows from getting them, especially when you become a bigger brand.

Avoid Ambiguity

Ideally, your domain name should be easy to give out over a phone conversation or a random conversation. You want something your customers can easily name-drop in a conversation when recommending you to someone.

This means it has to be simple and easy to pronounce. It should also be easy and unambiguous to spell so potential customers can easily type it when trying to look you up. And of course, it should be something that is easy to remember.

Having a name that is easy to pronounce and spell is vital for branding.

Using Keywords

Search engine optimization is one of the factors you should keep in mind when selecting a domain name.

It's often difficult to give the right advice because Google keeps adapting its logarithm, and no one is sure how much of a role any particular factor plays when it comes to search rankings.

However, it's a good idea to include a keyword in your domain name, when possible. It will surely help your SEO efforts, but don't worry about it if it will make your name ambiguous or too long. There are also thousands of successful websites that don't have the keyword they are ranking successfully for in their domain name.

If you choose to include a keyword, ensure that it represents the main thing about your business and it gives you a chance to grow. For example, if you sell wedding gowns today and you choose to adopt “weddinggown.com” as your domain name because it suits perfectly if you expand and decides to start selling wedding jewelry tomorrow, that name won't look as cool anymore.

Moz also suggests that Google doesn't like hyphens, so it's best to avoid it. These rules are not set in stone as there are successful sites with hyphens.

If you're a local business that serves a particular area, adding that area to your domain name is a good idea.

Be Original

It never hurts to stand out, even if you have to do it without the keywords. This is particularly important if you're a big business and you have a decent branding budget.

 A unique name that is easy and stands you out will pay dividends. After all, Yahoo and Google are big brands and are actually words no one has heard of till they came along.

These are barely guidelines and see nothing is set in stone. Do not be afraid to be creative. There are lots of other things that may be more important to you than those listed here, and it's also possible that whatever you pick will work. Even if it doesn't, you don't have to stick with it forever. You can change and re-adapt your domain name.

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