You may think you have found the perfect domain name, which is a great start; however, don’t sign on the dotted line until you have read through the following six tips for picking a domain name.
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1. Plan
Before you decide on that great domain name, apply a few simple rules: keep it
short, and keep it easy to spell and remember. This will save a lot of time and
confusion when customers or clients are searching for your site.
2. Research
Once you have decided on your domain name, try running it through a search
engine such as Google or Yahoo! You may be surprised what your domain name
search reveals. This may be something you wouldn’t want your domain name
associated with, or it may mean something different in a foreign language.
Also, spend some time searching social media platforms for the domain name you
have chosen. There is a possibility that it is already in use as a private
username, which could lead to confusion when you want to promote your domain
name across social media.
3. New URL extensions
If you have settled on a name but can’t find any availability, why not consider
using an industry-specific extension? As the internet has been getting pretty
crowded, new URL extensions have been released to help with this common
problem. Instead of everyone trying to get the best top-level domain extensions
(TLD), such as .com or .org, these new extensions have made it even easier to
pick a domain name; for example, if you are an e-commerce site, you can choose
a domain name with a .store extension. This leads us to our next tip.
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4. Web hosting providers
Many web-hosting providers, such as names.co.uk, have search tools you can
use to check whether the domain name you have your heart set on is still
available; alternatively, you could talk to the provider’s customer service
team. With years of experience of providing domain names, providers can often
help you to pick that ideal name and URL extension relevant to the service you
provide.
5. Keep it in-house
One of the best tips for picking a domain name is to try to keep it in-house.
You can buy a domain name from an external domain provider; however, by
choosing a web hosting provider that offers help with day-to-day site
maintenance, IT assistance 24/7 and top-level security alongside domain names
will make the job of running your site so much easier.
6.Test
Before you finally decide on the domain name, run it past a few friends. Do
they think the name will work well for your business? Is it short, easy to
spell and remember? They may even be able to give you some insights into how it
could be improved.
There are many things to consider when picking the ideal domain name, but it
can be made more straightforward by following our handy tips.