subject: How to Pick the Right Type of Domain Name Ending [print this page] A domain name is crucial for any type of business. It's your unique identity on the internet that can be easily searched by web users and provide traffic to your website. Before you even think about launching your business online, take the time and effort to choose the most suitable domain name.
A little research is essential. With stiff competition out there on the internet these days, get
to know more about the market you'll be entering and understand who your competitors are.
Find out what types of domain names are common in your specific niche and what ending do they use.
Many of us are very familiar with domain names ending in dot com (.com). But it doesn't
necessarily mean you have to follow this trend or that this is the best option for you. If you
really do want to pick this ending, you need to ensure that your branding stands out from the crowd.
Experts agree that in order to get the attention of your target market, creating the right branding for your business is very important. As well as using keywords in your domain name, a brandable name increases your chances of gaining success.
Other than the dot com, various domain name endings are out there for the taking. There's also the dot net (.net), dot biz (.biz), dot org (.org) and endings that identify the country where your business operates such as dot uk (.uk) for United Kingdom, dot au (.au) for Australia and dot dk (.dk) for Denmark.
If the dot com is not available (by far the most popular), you will have to find a domain name
ending in something other than the dot com. For example, you may also want to add the
country ending to the dot com thereby making it .com.au or .co.uk. Using the country ending
will let your audience know from what country you're from and, depending on your target
market, may be more effective than the dot com.
If the dot com is not available, make sure you see who has it to see if their business at all relates to yours. If it does, they may start receiving your traffic. As a rule, if you are looking to be global, try and get the dot com. If you are happy to be local, then the country ending for your domain name may be the better option for you.
When thinking of an appropriate domain name for your business, you have to consider
what your business offers. Your aim is to be easily picked up by search engines so make it
as appealing and catchy as possible. You also want your domain name to be as short as
possible, otherwise people may have a hard time remembering the name. Remember, the
more words there are, the more typing required and the higher the possibility for errors.
To be able to use a domain name you need to register your domain name for a registrar. Some registrars may also be able to help you with purchasing.
A registrar is engaged in the registration and sale of domain names. If, for instance, you've spent a lot of time creating researching possible domain names for your business but most of what you've come up with is already in use, buying an already existing domain name may be a good option.
Upon confirmation of the availability of your chosen domain name, don't forget to register it
right away. This ensures someone else doesn't slip in and register it before you do. Also, hunt around to find a registrar with a good reputation that offers affordable registrations and
