Choosing a winning domain name for your startup will lay a strong foundation for your business. It gives your business an identity that enables your business to stand out in its niche. With endless choices available, you would want to pick the one that gives your business an intuitive identity.
For instance, if your domain name is too long, contains spelling errors and seems spammy, it would hurt the credibility of your business. Your business will no longer look professional and might miss out on certain opportunities.
Here are the seven tips to help you choose the right domain name for your business:
1. Keep it short and precise
The figure shows the domain length distribution.
Having long and spammy names will make people forget or confused when browsing your website online. A perfect domain name should not be more than 18 characters. Most brands online keep their names simple and short, making it easier for customers to remember the business. Long domain names are prone to typos that can result in loss of traffic.
Similarly, pick a name that does not constraint your business from growth. For instance, “Wedding dress in Washington” would limit your business to one area.
2) Stick with .com
There are a handful of other extensions available for your domain, including .net or .co and even.blog, but .com is always recommended. It is the most established and credible extension that makes your website look professional.
Although .com domains are relatively expensive, they can be an asset for the business. To attract more visitors, domains with the .com extension work the best as they are easy to remember, and every user is familiar with them. Using .blog or .photography can give an unprofessional look to your website and ultimately low traffic.
However, if your business is targetting a local market, you can use the local domain extension. For instance, for the German market, it would be .de and .us for America.
3) Use keywords in your domain
Keywords are an integral part of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) that help your website rank higher. The keywords help the browsers know what your website is all about. However, you might not find your desired keywords available, and that is where you have to be creative and combine keywords to make your website stand out.
4) Keep it unique
Use the internet to your advantage and explore what type of domain names your competitors are using. Ensure that your domain name is unique and does not match another blog, as it will cause copyright issues. Make sure that it is easy to memorize and easy to pronounce.
Make sure the name has a good ring to it and is short and snappy. A perfect example of a good business name is Google and Uber.
5) Avoid hyphens and double letters
A hyphen is a sign used to indicate that a word has a combined meaning—for instance, son-in-law. The reason you should not add hyphens is that they are associated with spam domains. As hyphens are not common, some users might forget to type it and land on another site.
Another way you can lose traffic is by adding double letters to your domains. An example includes presssetup.com, as it contains three “s” continuously. It can cause typos and will be hard to type.
6) Use domain name generators
For clever ideas, you can use online domain generators. There are plenty of websites that can help you suggest a domain name for your startup. Searching for a domain name manually can be time-consuming, but now websites like domainwheel can help you find the right domain for the added keyword.
7) Act quick
Each day, thousands of domains are bought and registered on the internet, so if you find the right domain, don’t hesitate to purchase it before someone else does. Be quick and smart, and even if you change the domain name, you can always sell it online.
Most people treat domain names like real estate. They are always on the lookout for a good brandable domain name and then sell for a high price in the future.
Final thoughts
Remember that a domain name gives your business identity and requires extensive research before you purchase it. We hope that our article helped you understand how to choose the best domain name for your startup.
