Difference between revisions of "Learn/Choose-the-Right-Domain-Name"
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| − | Selecting the right domain name for a new business is a tough job. After all, | + | Selecting the right domain name for a new business is a tough job. After all, the domain name - or website address - is both your company’s location on the web and its online brand. Following a few simple steps can help you choose a domain name that will help you build a strong [[Online Visibility Audit|Web presence]]. |
| − | ===Consider including your most important keyword in your domain name | + | ===Consider including your most important keyword in your domain name=== |
If you are entering an established market, including an important keyword in your domain name can help your site rank higher in searches for that keyword. That in turn can bring more new customers to your website. | If you are entering an established market, including an important keyword in your domain name can help your site rank higher in searches for that keyword. That in turn can bring more new customers to your website. | ||
| − | [[Image: | + | [[Image:GuestBloggingKR.png]] |
If your new product doesn’t have an established market, you can go for a domain name that includes your product name or company name. | If your new product doesn’t have an established market, you can go for a domain name that includes your product name or company name. | ||
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[[Image:FizzyFruitSERP.png]] | [[Image:FizzyFruitSERP.png]] | ||
| − | Make sure your domain name and brand name match | + | ===Make sure your domain name and brand name match=== |
| − | + | If you go to the domain WholesaleAbsurdative.com, you expect to see that same name on the home page. If the logo and text leave out the “wholesale” and just say “Absurdative,” you could think you’ve arrived at a fake website. I'd go so far as to recommend that you register your business name ''after'' you have acquired your domain name. | |
| − | Keep it short and sweet | + | ===Keep it short and sweet=== |
Unless you want to create a website that specializes in sarcasm, it’s a bad idea to register a domain name like ThisIsTheOnlyDomainNameWeCouldGet.com. People won’t remember it. | Unless you want to create a website that specializes in sarcasm, it’s a bad idea to register a domain name like ThisIsTheOnlyDomainNameWeCouldGet.com. People won’t remember it. | ||
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| − | + | Sometimes people purchase domain names that are acronyms of a long name – say, for example, TITODNWCG.com. Unless your organization is well known by its initials – like ICANN, AARP or FBI – it’s a mistake to use a long string of initials for your domain name. Even people who know your organization could have trouble remembering it, and potential customers probably won't. | |
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| − | Test your domain name over the phone | + | ===Avoid hyphens in your domain name=== |
| − | + | Because can be difficult to acquire exactly the domain name you want, people often use hyphens – for example, Wholesale-Absurdative.com. This isn't a problem if you take care to highlight those hyphens in your marketing communications, especially in your logo. Otherwise people will forget to type the hyphens and will land on a different website. I recommend you choose a domain name without hyphens. | |
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| + | ===Test your domain name over the phone=== | ||
| + | Your website and business can go viral - Web-speak for "spread like wildfire" - only if people can remember the domain name. Call some of your friends and colleagues, and tell them about the new website you’re planning to launch. Make sure you repeat your favored domain name a few times – but be subtle about it. After a few days, call these people back and ask them what the name of your website is. If they don’t remember, offer a few clues. If people can’t remember the website name even after a hint or two, it’s not memorable. | ||
Here’s another useful phone test: Call other friends, tell them your favored domain name onece, and ask them to repeat it to you. You could even ask the to spell it. If they can do this, you have a memorable, easy-to-type domain name. Go get it! | Here’s another useful phone test: Call other friends, tell them your favored domain name onece, and ask them to repeat it to you. You could even ask the to spell it. If they can do this, you have a memorable, easy-to-type domain name. Go get it! | ||
Revision as of 21:38, 3 December 2010
By [[User:|]] on
Selecting the right domain name for a new business is a tough job. After all, the domain name - or website address - is both your company’s location on the web and its online brand. Following a few simple steps can help you choose a domain name that will help you build a strong Web presence.
Contents
Consider including your most important keyword in your domain name
If you are entering an established market, including an important keyword in your domain name can help your site rank higher in searches for that keyword. That in turn can bring more new customers to your website.
If your new product doesn’t have an established market, you can go for a domain name that includes your product name or company name.
Make sure your domain name and brand name match
If you go to the domain WholesaleAbsurdative.com, you expect to see that same name on the home page. If the logo and text leave out the “wholesale” and just say “Absurdative,” you could think you’ve arrived at a fake website. I'd go so far as to recommend that you register your business name after you have acquired your domain name.
Keep it short and sweet
Unless you want to create a website that specializes in sarcasm, it’s a bad idea to register a domain name like ThisIsTheOnlyDomainNameWeCouldGet.com. People won’t remember it.
Sometimes people purchase domain names that are acronyms of a long name – say, for example, TITODNWCG.com. Unless your organization is well known by its initials – like ICANN, AARP or FBI – it’s a mistake to use a long string of initials for your domain name. Even people who know your organization could have trouble remembering it, and potential customers probably won't.
Avoid hyphens in your domain name
Because can be difficult to acquire exactly the domain name you want, people often use hyphens – for example, Wholesale-Absurdative.com. This isn't a problem if you take care to highlight those hyphens in your marketing communications, especially in your logo. Otherwise people will forget to type the hyphens and will land on a different website. I recommend you choose a domain name without hyphens.
Test your domain name over the phone
Your website and business can go viral - Web-speak for "spread like wildfire" - only if people can remember the domain name. Call some of your friends and colleagues, and tell them about the new website you’re planning to launch. Make sure you repeat your favored domain name a few times – but be subtle about it. After a few days, call these people back and ask them what the name of your website is. If they don’t remember, offer a few clues. If people can’t remember the website name even after a hint or two, it’s not memorable. Here’s another useful phone test: Call other friends, tell them your favored domain name onece, and ask them to repeat it to you. You could even ask the to spell it. If they can do this, you have a memorable, easy-to-type domain name. Go get it!
Test the billboard view. Someday you’ll probably want to advertise your business on a billboard, in a print ad or somewhere else in the physical world. You need to make sure people can recall your domain name after a brief glimpse. Print your desired domain name on a few pieces of paper, and post them up on a few walls around your office. Watch people as they pass the posted pages, and ask those folks to repeat the domain name to you. If people remember it, that’s a good sign. Consider MyBusinessOnline Domain name registration companies often suggest alternatives if your desired domain name isn’t available. For example, if you really want Absurdative.com, they might suggest AbsurdativeOnline.com or TheAbsurdative.com. If you’re trying to develop a brand around your domain name, these are not good options for you. However, an alternative like MyAbsurdative.com is a good choice if you are trying to develop a community around your business. It can give visitors the sense that your website was developed expressly for them and as a place to interact with other community members. A great example of this is MyWOT.com, the domain name for Web of Trust. The site’s members review websites and caution each other about websites that operate scams or engage in other untrustworthy practices.
Domain names beyond .com There are more than 200 top level domains available to choose from. While .com is a safe choice for a business because it’s so common, you may not be able to buy the most appropriate name for your business within the .com top-level domain. You may want to consider other top-level domains that could add meaning to your domain. Apart from safe choices like .biz, .net or .org, you could consider other choices: Absurdative.pro if your business is a professional firm Absurdative.travel if your business is related to travel You can also consider a country code top level domain that adds meaning to your domain name. One good example is .co, the code for Columbia. Not all country codes are available to just anyone, however; some are reserved only for websites located in that country. If a well-known company already owns the .com name you want, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to buy any variant of that name. Most established companies protect their brand by purchasing all domain names that include their brand name. If your radio station is called Apple, and you want to buy Apple.fm, don’t hold your breath.