subject: Choosing The Right Domain Name [print this page] Despite having a well designed website, it could fall through the cracks on the search engines - and with the public - if it doesn't have a decent domain name. Choosing a suitable domain name is vital when creating a total website solution. Take your time and develop one that is catchy, easy to remember and that reflects your line of business properly.
What is a Domain Name?
Simply put, a domain name is the actual name of the website that is input across the text field of a web browser (For example is www.wkwd.com.au). In essence, the domain name becomes the website name that all of your customers and potential customers will come to know you by.
How Do I Choose a Domain Name?
Your design firm should be able to assist you with the domain name selection process. The actual process is quite simple however, there are a few things that you should consider when selecting the best name for your website.
Shorter is Easier to Remember -
Although you may wish to use the business name as the actual domain, you need to ensure that the name is as sort as possible. If you have a business such as "No Worries" then it's pretty easy to choose a name, like www.noworries.com.au. However, if your name is "The No Worries Bottle Shop" you may still want to consider something along the lines of www.noworries.com.au, or www.bottleshop.com.au.
Keywords Rule -
You might be asking, "If you own 'The No Worries Bottle Shop', why would you compromise your brand by shortening it to bottleshop.com.au?" The fact of the matter is that keywords in your domain name will help your search engine ranking. You might even consider purchasing several domain names that have the key words of the items you sell and point those domain names toward your website. Your web design firm or a Search Engine Optimisation specialist will be able to assist you with this process.
Hyphens Are Not Your Mate -
You should never us a hyphen in your domain name. This topic could be left at that, but it's important to understand why. First of all, nearly everyone who uses the Internet understands that most names within domain names are all one word. This means that it has become the standard. Many people use this theory when searching for a business on the web. They'll place their cursor in the text field on their browser and start typing away "www.businessnamehere.com" and see if it works. If you decide to go against the standard, then you risk people having problems finding your website. Hyphens are not standard therefore you simply should avoid using them.
Numbers Are 2, Two, Too, To Hard Work With -
Another thing to avoid in your domain name is numbers. As you can see in the sub-title, a good example of this is the number two. If someone verbally asks you for your domain name, you would want that person to be able to simply type it in and access your site. This can be rather tough if you have a business named "Got To Be a Good Business" and you decided that it'd look cool if you set up your domain name to be "www.got2bgood.com.au". This same rule applies to shortening words like "be" to "b". Keep it simple and people will find your website.
A Unique Name is a Memorable Name -
When you choose your domain name, be sure that it's unique. This doesn't mean, one of a kind, strange or so far out there that no one gets it. It just means that you should avoid a domain name that is similar to others because people might mistype it and end up at someone else's site.
Creating a domain name can be simple and fun. By simply following these few points of advise, you will select an ideal domain name for your new website in no time at all.
