How to choose a domain name

How to cull a domain proper name for your website

(Image credit: Unsplash)

How to choose a domain proper noun? This decision is incredibly important when you lot're planning a new site, aslope selecting i of the all-time spider web hosting service and the all-time website builders with which to build a website. When someone comes across your website, the first thing they'll detect is your domain name, so it needs to exist both professional and memorable.

Consequently, it'southward important to put in the time and effort to get your domain proper noun right from the start, every bit aslope selecting a host and a builder, it's the most significant choice for your new website. You besides go domain e-mail addresses, and these professional person emails immediately make your site seem more than authoritative, especially when compared to e-mail addresses from Gmail or Hotmail.

The bottom line is that you lot substantially need a domain name that'southward non but easy to think, only that's hands found, so visitors and customers won't forget information technology when they desire to come back. Yet, the art of how to cull a domain name isn't like shooting fish in a barrel: nosotros explain how y'all go most making this of import decision.

1. Make it curtailed

Our top tip is to go along your domain name short. The more you ask people to think, the more than likely they are to type in the wrong characters, and if they can't get your domain name correct, they won't find you. As a rule of pollex, half dozen letters are optimum, but equally long as your domain name is beneath eight, y'all're doing well.

2. Choose the right domain extension

web URL displayed at angle on screen — Make sure to choose the right extension when you lot annals (Image credit: Shutterstock)

In the early days of the internet, in that location were only express options for extensions—the letters at the end of a URL—with the bulk of websites deciding on .com, and some choosing .org instead.

Today, things are very dissimilar. Every country in the world has a specific code and there are other options to choose from as well. The most popular are:

.info - Sites that focus on providing information
.me - Personal sites, similar blogs
.co - In most cases, an abridgement for company, commerce, or community
.org- Community organizations and non-for-profits
.biz - An alternative to .com for businesses and commerical enterprises
.net - Normally internet infrastructure sites

In many cases, the above extensions will be combined with country codes. For instance, a business concern in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland might use the domain extension .co.uk. Larger organizations tend to buy up all the most pop subdomains for their primary domain name and redirect them, preventing copycat sites from trading off their success and making their site easier to locate.

The primal betoken here is ensuring that your site is easily discoverable, just if you struggle to decide, go with .com as a default option. Even after all this fourth dimension, this extension notwithstanding commands respect and makes your business organization appear more professional.

Extensions like .com, .internet, and .org are known as traditional top-level domain (TLD) extensions, while .co.uk, .ca, or .com.au are known as state code top-level domains (ccTLDs). Finally, at that place are new TLDs, such every bit .studio or .golf game, which are cheaper in most cases, and don't lose out rankings- or SEO-wise.

iii. Check existing domain names

The final thing yous desire to do is make up one's mind on a name for your site and get-go the branding process, only to find out the name yous chose has already been taken by another organization. You can attempt GoDaddy'due south domain name search tool. It's an like shooting fish in a barrel style to learn if the proper noun you want has already been registered elsewhere.

It'southward likewise worth searching for misspellings of your chosen domain name and buying them up if available. Don't however, choice misspellings of pop sites–like fcebook.com or twiter.com. Doing so could consequence in a legal claiming from the website you announced to be imitating.

4. Run a language check

laptop open on desk — Be aware of language differences when you look for a domain name (Image credit: Unsplash)

Information technology might seem odd to search for the meaning of your domain proper noun in multiple languages, just in that location are many examples of words that mean nothing of annotation in English, but are considered odd or even offensive in other languages.

In one famous instance, Ford discovered information technology had made a error marketing its Kuga in the Balkans. In that region, 'Kuga' means Black Decease, the devastating plague that killed shut to 200 one thousand thousand people in Europe between 1347 and 1351. This is ane instance, but there are many more than.

v. Do a trademark search

Copyright law is notoriously hard to define. As a result, if your domain name includes even part of a word trademarked by some other organization, yous could find yourself facing a legal boxing.

You should be specially cautious if using a fabricated-up word, as information technology's impossible to use the defense that information technology's a unremarkably used word or phrase. Visit knowem.com and run a trademark search before committing to a name. You lot'll detect if it's in apply as a trademark or domain name, or if it is common on social media.

6. Don't utilise hyphens or numbers

Woman typing on laptop keyboard — Hyphens and numbers should be avoided in domain names (Image credit: Unsplash)

It'south best practice to avoid using hyphens and underscores in your domain name, every bit it's relatively easy for users to misfile them. The same rule applies to numbers. If possible, we would suggest against including a number in your domain proper noun. Zero is peculiarly problematic, every bit it can easily be confused with the letter of the alphabet 'o'.

vii. Consider geography

If you create a website for a local business concern, then information technology's good to have a name that emphasizes this locality. For example, a lid repair service based in Boston, Massachusetts would practice well to choose the domain BostonHatRepair.com.

The trouble is, at that place is more one Boston in the world. Of course, there's Boston in Lincolnshire, Britain—the original Boston. But at that place are 15 more in the US, and others in Jamaica, Republic of cuba, Peru, Republic of bolivia, Andorra, Italy, Ireland, Southward Africa, Uzbekistan, Columbia, and Republic of costa rica too. It'south an extreme case, only geography is an important consideration in whatsoever circumstance.

8. Make information technology memorable

laptop with lid being closed — The more memorable the domain name, the more likely people will return to your site (Image credit: Unsplash)

Websites with memorable names are far more likely to exist discovered. They are too easier to recommend via word of mouth, which is why it's beneficial to use a name that's easy to say.

Depending on where you lot expect your spider web traffic to originate from, information technology might be worth choosing a proper noun that'due south like shooting fish in a barrel to say in non-English speaking countries also. It can be tough to make up one's mind on a proper noun that rolls off the natural language similar this, but it's worth the endeavour, every bit yous will probably receive a lot more than traffic in the long run.

9. Experiment with a word generator

There are a number of give-and-take generation tools out there, like TextFixer, which enable yous to select certain keywords associated with your business and trial them in different configurations. This is a good choice if you actually are stuck for inspiration—but don't forget the other essential tips we've mentioned above.