6 Tips to Choosing the Best Domain

Acquiring the right domain for your brand is paramount to your business success in today’s digital world. Especially now, as more and more businesses are moving operations online, the right domain is more important than ever. Starting off with the wrong domain can spell disaster and heartache for your business. Yet choosing the correct domain it isn’t always so obvious. With so much conflicting information out there, and with technology always rapidly evolving, it may seem like a mysterious and treacherous journey to choose a domain and online marketing strategy. We’re here to de-mystify your path to success by sharing some helpful tips for choosing the right domain for your business.

1. If possible, start with .com

There are always new and exciting domain name extensions coming out. It may be tempting to grab one to come up with a super creative name like tasty.pizza, but be wary of this trend. .Com remains king – it’s the most credible and legitimate domain name extension out there. For those just starting out, it’s the safest bet. It will lend your business instant trust and will give you access to more potential customers.

2. Keep it Simple, Keep it Short

The key to a good domain name is being short and memorable. Why? Just think about telling someone your website name on the street. If it’s Joeysthincrustpizza.com, they might have a hard time remembering it and may be more likely to misspell it. But if it’s Joeys.com, they’re much more likely to remember it and be able to find your business again. Keeping with this idea, your domain should also be easy to pronounce and spell. An easy way to test for this is to put your domain through the radio test. One mistake a lot of people make is using double-letter domains, such as mariosspaghetti.com. The two S’s right next to each other are just asking for a spelling mistake.

3. Consider Using Keywords

Keywords come into play with search engines. If your domain contains relevant keywords to your business, you will likely rank higher for Google search. But be careful, you don’t want to spam your domain with too many keywords (see tip #2).

4. Make it Unique/Brandable

If you’d rather not go the keyword route, you can always come up with a catchy or unique brand name. Think Google, Amazon, Uber, etc. The benefit of a unique brand is that it sets you apart from the competition, and your users will definitely remember you. Just know that this one is a little risky – if you’re not already established, it can be hard to reach your customers if they don’t know your brand name yet. If you go with a brandable name, you’ll need to consider all aspects of building your brand.

5. Avoid Hyphens Like the Plague

If you remember nothing else from this article, remember this. Do not use hyphens in your domain name. Just as .com lends instant credibility, hyphens immediately make your website seem like an illegitimate knock-off.

6. Be More General, Less Specific

To leave yourself room to expand, it’s smart to keep it as general as possible while being specific enough to tell your users how to find you. For example, if you wanted to start a mechanic business, it might limit you if you use the term “truck” or “motorcycle” in your name, rather than “auto.” For more tailored advice on choosing a domain, contact us for a free consultation today.