Choosing a domain name is similar to selecting a company name
Domain name is a crucial part of any marketing strategy. It is your identity on the Internet, so it requires a lot of thought and consideration. Choosing a domain name can be very frustrating. You want to make sure you select a name which not only fits the marketing strategy and image you want to portray but is also comfortable to promote and make it easy for people to find you.
Follow the steps below to help you pick the perfect domain name
- Simplicity beats complexity. If your domain name is long and complicated, you risk customers mistyping or misspelling it. Keep it short and sweet for better outcomes.
- Make it easy for people to type. It is critical to online success; it should be easy to remember, and type. If you use slang, ‘u’ instead of ‘you’, or words with multiple spellings, ‘express’ versus ‘xpress’, it can cause customers to make too many mistakes in finding your particular site.
- Be memorable. There are millions of domain names, so having one which stands out and is memorable is critical. Once you have come up with a name, discuss it with close friends to make sure it sounds appealing and makes sense to others. Try and match your logo design with the meaning of the domain name.
- Use keywords. Try using keywords which describe your business and the services you offer. Include the keywords that people enter when searching for your products or services. It also helps to improve your SEO.
- Target your area. If your business is local, consider including your city or state in your domain name to make it easy for local customers to find and remember.
- Use an appropriate domain name extension. Extensions are suffixes, such as .com, .org or .net, at the end of a web address. These can have specific uses, so make sure to choose one that works for your business.
- Avoid numbers and hyphens. Often domain names are misunderstood because with numbers and hyphens, people who hear your website address do not know if you are using a numeral 5, or it has spelt out five. They can easily misplace or forget a dash.
Do the research and then protect your chosen domain name
Make sure the name you want isn’t trademarked, copyrighted or being used by another company. It could result in a legal dispute which could cost you a fortune, as well as the name along with your marketing efforts.
Protect and build your branding. To protect your brand, you should purchase various domain extensions, as well as misspelt versions of your domain name. Ensure your customers will be automatically directed to your website, even if they mistype it while preventing competitors from registering other versions of your domain name.
Managing your domain name after registration
Registering a domain name is not a one-off task. It needs to be looked after like any other business asset. Many businesses have lost their website and email for days because a renewal notice went to an old email address or an expired credit card.
A few simple habits will keep your domain safe:
- Register the domain in the business name, not in the name of a staff member or contractor
- Keep the contact details with your registrar up to date
- Turn on automatic renewal, or renew for several years at a time
- Store your registrar login securely and limit who can access it
- Keep a record of where your domain, hosting and email are managed
Making your domain part of your branding
Once your domain name is secure, use it everywhere. It should appear on business cards, signage, vehicles, invoices, email signatures and social media profiles. Using a matching business email address rather than a free email account also looks more professional and reinforces your brand every time you send a message.
Keep the way you present your domain consistent. Decide whether you will display it with or without the www and stick to that choice across all your materials. Small details like this make your marketing look polished and help customers remember where to find you.
