Going to start a website or a blog? Cool. But struggling to find the perfect domain name? Don’t worry.
Starting a website requires a domain name & web hosting. While web hosting is easy to choose & buy, a domain name is quite difficult to choose.
Why?
Because web hosting can be changed. You can jump from one to another. But this is not the case in the domain name. Changing your domain name affects SEO and branding.
Hence, the domain names should be chosen carefully to avoid the above scenario. Here are the tips to choose a perfect domain name for your website. Follow these guidelines & tips to find yourself the domain name you want.
1. Go with .com (if available)
Everyone says, “Buy a .com domain name.” Why? Because it is a widely used & recognizable domain name.
Almost all websites use the .com extension. It is used by many users. Many users always type .com at the end of an URL because it is popular.
If .com domain name is not available, go with other popular TLDs such as .net, .org, etc.
2. Avoid Weird Extensions
Over these years, new extensions have been introduced like .xyz, .space, .live, .club, etc. And many of them are available at lesser cost than TLDs.
If you have chosen your perfect domain name but if it is not available, you may think of buying these extensions. But you have to avoid these extensions at any cost.
Because they are new & are difficult to rank in search engines (as compared to TLDs). Furthermore, people are comfortable with .com & if you use these extensions, they may think your website is spam.
3. Consider ccTLD
If you are targeting an audience from a country, consider using country code TLD. It will help your website to rank in that country.
For example,
- .uk for United Kingdom,
- .in for India,
- .us for USA,
- .eu for Europe,
- .ca for Canada, etc.
But it is not necessary to use ccTLD only. You can go with .com too if you think that you’ll expand the website internationally.
4. Buy Other Extensions Too
You have chosen a domain name & bought the .com domain. Consider buying other popular extensions too such as .net, .org, etc.
Why? Because you don’t want to lose your audience.
What if someone bought the same domain name with another extension? A major part of your audience will go to the other website. For example, if your domain name is sample.com, buy others too – sample.net, sample.org.
Again, you have to pay a much higher price if someone has already bought your domain name with other extensions.
5. Buy Misspellings or Avoid Them
If your domain name is complicated or difficult to spell & you think that typos may occur, buy the names that you may think people will type.
For example – separate/seperate, necessary/neccessary, etc.
Again, if you are using homophones (same pronunciation, different words) like ‘write’, people may type ‘right’. Hence, buy both names.
Other examples – buy/by, piece/peace, plain/plane, etc.
Domains with double letters can increase the risk of typos and lost traffic.
For example, “presssetup.com” might lead to misspellings like “pressetup.com”.
Buying misspelled domains also prevents competitors or cyber-squatters from purchasing a similar domain and confusing your users.
6. Keep it Short & Simple
Short domain names are easy to remember & easy to type. Preferably, keep it under 15 characters. A short domain is always better than a long one.
Choose simple names that are easy to pronounce. Avoid hyphens, numbers, weird words that people don’t know. Avoid long & hard words that are difficult to type or pronounce.
7. Check For Trademarks
You bought a domain name only to know that the name is trademarked & owned by someone. Guess what. Legal actions can be taken that can cost you money. Hence, check if the name you selected is trademarked or not. If it is not trademarked, go ahead & buy it.
Also, once you buy your domain name & set up your website, register your name (trademark it if you are looking to build a brand ahead).
8. Check Domain History
What if your domain name was owned previously by someone who has done something illegal (spamming) on it? It may be already banned from search engines.
Therefore, do some research on your domain name. Check when & how it was used. Whether it is banned from search engines. A spammy domain is difficult or impossible to rank.
Use Wayback Machine to see the websites that were built on a domain name.
9. Check For Social Media Usernames
If you are building a brand, a presence on social media is necessary. Thus, check if your name is available on popular social media platforms.
You can do this easily by doing it manually or using the BrandSnag tool. This tool shows you whether your name is available on social media or not.
10. Use Domain Name Generators
If you are struggling to find yourself a perfect domain name, consider using domain name generators. Some of the popular generators are Nameboy, LeanDomainSearch, etc.
Not only do these generators offer ideas that might not have occurred to you, but they also quickly identify which domains are available for purchase, saving you time and effort.
11. Use Keyword
If possible, consider using a good keyword related to your website’s niche (topic). Your website may rank better in search engines for that keyword. Not only this, but it also makes easy for the readers to understand your niche.
If your topic is technology, use ‘tech’, ‘gadget’ keyword in your domain name. If topic is health, use ‘health’, ‘fitness’, etc. Use synonyms in your domain name.
12. Act Fast!
Completed all the above steps & found your perfect domain name? Then what are you waiting for? Go ahead, buy it before anyone else grabs it.
I had a similar experience. I found a good domain name and decided to buy it the next day. Guess what happened? It was bought someone else. So don’t wait, grab your domain name ASAP.
To wrap up, picking the right domain name is very important for your website. Follow the tips we talked about to choose a name that helps your website succeed. Take your time, use the tools I mentioned. Good luck with your website!
