Choosing the right domain name for your website can take a lot of time and consideration. Instead of thinking of your new website as a small hobby or experimental throwaway, approach it with the mentality that whatever you name your domain will be the name of your new business. With that bit of extra pressure, how do you decide what to choose?
First of all, you may be asking, “Do I go for a .com, .net, or .org?”
There are so many website suffixes (known as top-level domains or TLDs) now, ranging from the familiar .com, .net, .org to things like .design, .club, and .space. Most people don’t even recognise these newer TLDs as URLs and my recommendation is to give them a miss. Stick with the .com which is the most universally known and most easily remembered. Plus, if .com is taken and you go for a .net instead, you create more competition for yourself if the .com domain shows up for similar keywords that you are targeting on Google. On top of this, a visitor typing in your domain name directly may forget you don’t have a .com on the end but still default to typing that in, resulting in them ending up on a potential competitor’s website. So, whenever you can, go for the .com TLD.
How about exact domain?
Exact match domains were once very popular because they use to be favored by Google for keyword targeting and search engine optimization (SEO) purposes. This resulted in a ton of domain names that looked something like howtocureacnesuperfastquickly.com. SEO-wise, these types of web addresses don’t hold much weight anymore and are unnecessary.
Domain I suggest!
Your domain name should be short, unique, and easy to remember. Many times I’ve wanted to visit a website but I can’t remember how to spell the domain name. Or it’s so ridiculously long that I can’t even remember what the exact words were.
Besides being short and simple, your new URL should also be related to the purpose of your website. An easy to remember branded domain name is the way to go.
When I say branded, it should still be relevant to your business. It’s easy to guess what CarDetailingLabs.com is about, less so what Esuyp.com is. This type of domain also gives you more opportunities to expand in the future compared to an exact match domain.
There are three fantastic sites that help you come up with a unique and creative domain name. Throw in a word related to your business and receive some inspiration and ideas from:
1. DomainNameBrain.com
2. Panabee.com
3. Impossibility.org
Lastly, before registering your newly picked domain name, be sure to check that there isn’t already a registered business in the same field with the same name. By considering all these things, you will create a memorable identity for your website and business.