Making the decision to build a website is the first of many steps in building a strong online brand. After you have decided on the purpose of your website, it’s time to pick a great domain name. But that can be tough! With millions of domain names already taken it can seem impossible to find one that will suit you and your business. So, for that, we have put together a list of 11 tips for picking a great domain name that will have you and your business off and running!
- Keep your name short.
You want your domain name to be something that everyone can remember. We suggest that you try and keep it under 15 characters.
- Use keywords in your domain name.
When you use keywords in your domain name it helps to tell search engines like Google what your business is about. This helps with your SEO and search ranking and makes it easier for customers to find your website. Once you have developed your website make sure you take the time to understand SEO so that you can continue to improve your ranking.
- Use the suffix that works for your business.
While it can be very tempting to create clever domain names using fun suffixes like .photography or .blog, they can make it difficult for your target audience to find you.
.com is the most well-known domain suffix but can make it hard to get the domain name you really want. Think about your target demographic and where they are located. For example, a business selling primarily to Canada would fair better using .ca, while a business with international affairs would be better off using a .com.
- Make it easy to spell and pronounce.
If you can make your domain name easy to say and spell, then consumers are going to be less likely to forget it. Try to avoid using slang like “u” or words with multiple spellings as spelling mistakes can cause you to lose traffic to your site.
- Avoid using hyphens.
Hyphenated domains are usually used when the domain name that you want is taken and are oftentimes an indicator of spam domains. Additionally, these types of domains are prone to typos with people forgetting the hyphen and will again have you losing traffic.
- Avoid using numbers.
Numbers can be confusing for consumers especially when they are verbally told the website’s domain. Is the spelling numerical (4)? Or is it spelled out (four)?
- Avoid spellings with double letters.
Double letter spellings are more prone to typing errors and will cause you to lose traffic to your website.
- Keep your name unique and brandable.
There are millions of domains out there so make sure you take the time to make yours memorable and catchy. Local businesses often include the name of their city or region, this helps with SEO when consumers are looking for products or services in their area.
- Be specific but leave yourself with room to grow.
What we mean by this is that you want your domain name to be relevant to your business, but you don’t want to be so specific that you limit your long-term growth options.
For example, if a florist’s domain was called weloveroses.com it could be assumed that they’re only product offering is roses. This would limit the audience that they are able to reach. But if they went by a more industry-specific name like weloveflowers.com, which right away insinuates a larger product offering, then they would be more likely to draw in a larger consumer base and could expand into more products and services.
- Do your research.
Make sure that you take the time to research your domain. It is possible that someone might already have the business name registered or trademarked. A little bit of research could save you a lot of money and help you to avoid a huge legal mess.
- Get it before it’s gone!
Domain names sell quickly! Make sure you act fast so you can get the one you want!
Building a website is a great step to growing your business. To have one of our skilled website developers assist you in building your website and growing your online presence, call us at 250-740-1844 or send us an email to info@evolutionbusiness.ca.
