Choosing a Domain Name
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Matt Jackson October 23, 2006
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The domain name of a website is often one of the most overlooked
aspects of web development. Yet, when it comes to marketing, it is
potentially a very powerful tool. Businesses looking to establish an
online presence should use their website to assist in company or
product branding whereas stand alone websites can promote their pages
in the search engine results. Company Branding Company branding is a
big part of business. Being recognized by your existing and potential
customers can increase your likelihood of a sale and repeat custom. In
order to achieve good company branding you should attempt to emulate
your company name perfectly as your domain name. Often, however, this
isn't possible because your domain is already owned by another
webmaster. Attempt to procure a domain that is as close as possible to
your company name. Keywords Even if you are unable to get your company
name as your domain ensure that it is logical. This means there must be
some kind of link between the domain and your business. If you can use
one or two relevant keywords in the domain then this will help with
search engine promotion. This is a hotly debated point with many SEOs
and webmasters but it can help give your site extra credence, a greater
position in the search engine result pages, and will help when other
sites want to link to you. The use of a keyword in the domain means
that the anchor text used to point to your site will always contain
your keyword. Make It Catchy Domains should always be memorable and
catchy. Generally speaking, the shorter the better to aid visitors in
remembering your URL next time they look for your service. Long domain
names are very easy to forget or remember incorrectly. Avoid using
slang that is not in very common use and always avoid using txt tlk as
well. Make It Smooth Do not use hyphens. Generally, visitors will
remember the words but forget the hyphens and there is a very good
chance you will present your potential customers to one of your
competitors. In terms of the search engines, this is important too.
Search engines like Google deem sites with an overly large number of
hyphens to be spammy sites and they will punish you accordingly. Make
It Com The TLD domain is the last section of your URL. Some examples
include .com and .net. The former, .com, is by far the best option.
Visitors will almost always remember your site as a .com even if it
isn't. Again, you could be gifting your competitors with your potential
customers. There are very few exceptions to this rule. One notable
exception is the latest .mobi domain names, designed specifically for
sites that are meant to be viewed on a mobile browser such as a cell
phone. Make It Simple When there are two or more similar domains that
could easily be confused by your visitors, including something as
simple as a plural of your domain, you should consider buying all the
relevant domains and using redirects to point to your main site. This
ensures that you still benefit from any errors in typing. You could
also consider purchasing several top level domains if you want to be on
the safe side. It may certainly be worth buying up local domains such
as .co.uk or .us. Expired Domains
Expired domains offer huge benefit.
When a popular domain expires it still tends to receive traffic and
will also retain its search engine listing for some time. By buying an
expired domain you could have a ready made database of visitors before
you really get going. A domain name is generally one of the very first
things that potential visitors will see of your site. For this reason
you should make it short, snappy, and memorable. If possible try to
match your domain to your company name to assist in brand recognition
but if this isn't possible, certainly try to include one or two major
keywords. .Com is the ideal top level domain but you may also consider
buying other top level domains to ensure you benefit from your
marketing methods. |