How To Pick The Perfect Domain

Choosing the perfect domain name is one of the most crucial decisions you have to make when you set up your own online business. If you are very picky and particular in choosing your business name, same goes when you select your domain name. When choosing a domain name, make sure that it identifies with your business. Domain name are not just a mere URL address, it should definitely be part of your branding.To give you an idea on how to start your quest in picking the perfect domain name, here are some quick tips you can follow.

Keep your business name in mind

If you have a one-word business name, then that'll be the best domain name for your website. If you have a unique business name, then you have a better chance of using it as your domain name. Most businesses with common words would probably have a similar website name already which you can no longer use.

Before hitting on the domain name checker, create a quick list of the possible domain names that you have in mind. If you use your name as part of your business, like for example "Johnson", add a single word that would describe what your business sells or offers. So if you are into interior designing, you can try, "Johnsons.com", "JohnsonInteriors.com", "InteriorsByJohnson.com", "DesignsByJohnson.com" or somewhere along that line.

If you are not sure about the name for the business or domain name, you can always look for Developed Websites With Revenue for sale to get you off the ground, or review a list of expired domain names to find some valuable domain real estate that may be already established.

Short domains, strong recall

Remember that shorter domain names are better since they have a better recall compared to a longer website name. Keep your domain name very simple so it would be remembered and recognized immediately.

One word website names are better. But if they are no longer available for use, you can add articles like "the" as in the "TheJohnsonInteriors.com" or "your" as in "YourDesigns.com". Just make sure that you advertise your website with its complete domain name all the time.

Think SEO

If you are establishing a business online, you might as well join in the search engine race. If you want to get a good standing in terms of page rank, try to incorporate appropriate keyword/s in your domain name. Doing so would make your website more visible in search results page.

To give you a concrete example: A lot of web surfers would type in search engines "auto repair", so if you have a domain name of "AutoRepair.com" or "JohnsonAutoRepair.com" you would have a better chance of appear in the first few pages of search engine results, thus increasing your site's traffic.

To hyphenate or not to hyphenate

The Internet has such a wide scope that there is a big chance that another person from other parts of the world can may have registered the domain name you are thinking of. Because of domain name unavailability, a lot of web owners opt to add hyphens as a replacement for spaces. So, if for example you decide on the domain name "JohnsonAutoRepair.com" and found out later that it is not available, you can try your luck with a "Johnson-AutoRepair.com" or "Johnson-Auto-Repair.com"

Hyphenated domain names can help you have a better SEO. Why so? Search engines can recognize keywords better even if your domain name includes a hyphen. So if you are vying for a good keyword, you can add a hyphen in replacement of a space.

There are disadvantages and advantages of adding a hyphen in a domain name. A lot of online users would probably forget and disregard a hyphen when typing in a website address. And when they do forget about the hyphen, they can possibly be directed to an entirely different website.
When you are contemplating whether or not to use a hyphen in your domain name, also keep in mind that hyphenated domain name may not register well in terms of audio. For instance, during a casual conversation most people would say "I got this pocketbook at online-bookstore.com". That person she is talking to would have gone to her computer and type in onlinebookstore.com instead of online-bookstore.com, as there was no mention of a hyphen or a dash at all.

Choosing an extension (TLD)

What are your options for an extension name? You can choose a .com, .org, .net, or other specific TLD's like .us, .sg, .uk and .ph among others. Among these choices, which one is more appropriate for your website?

The first thing to consider is the nature of your business/ website. A business website would fit best under a .com. A .com generally ranks first in terms of search results when web surfers use search engines. Search engines would then filter out net's and. org's next to .com's. This is basically the reason why a lot of people would choose a .com and would not settle for any other extension names.

Another thing to consider is the scope of your business. Do you cater to your local community or to the international market? If for example you are offering a car repair service in Singapore, you would have a better chance of attracting clients if you have .sg domain name since it suggest that it is a local business and there's really no point in hiring the services of a website with a .us domain name if you are in Asia. But if you were offering general and international services like web designing or exporting, a .com would serve you well.

If you already decided on a domain name but later find out that it is no longer available with a .com, try registering it under a .net. If you are a not profit organization or a group of enthusiasts a .org would be most appropriate.

If you don't own a .com, make sure that you advertise your website with its corresponding extension name, else most online users would assume that a "YourBusiness" alone is a .com which might redirect them to the wrong website. So if you have a .net extension name, advertise your website as "YourBusiness.net".

Register more than one domain name

Domain name registration only cost around $10. With this rock bottom price, it is advisable that you secure all similar domain names of your website. You can buy different domain names and direct them to a single site. For example if you decide to buy "JohnsonInteriors.com" you might want to purchase "JohnsonInteriors.net", "Johnson-Interiors.com", "JohnsonInterior.com" or other similar domain names. This would assure that you would direct your customers to your website.

Picking a domain name is like choosing the perfect baby name for your child. It should not only be a good sounding name, but it should be beneficial to the branding of your business. Keep in mind the tips above and you are on your way in discovering the perfect domain name for your website. So Reigister Your Domain Name Today.