Getting a good domain name is important to the success of your online business. So before you take this big step and register your business name, let’s make sure you have all your ducks in a row. Here is what you should have done already:
- You have chosen one specific niche/topic for your business.
- You know the keywords you will be using in your business.
- You know some of the main products that you will offer.
- You have some ideas for possible names for your business.
Be sure you take your time when brainstorming a name for your business. Talk to people about your business name. Tell them you are starting an online business, and ask them for their suggestions. You will be surprised at the good feedback they will give you.
After you have some good ideas for your business name, you can search the register of existing online domain names to make sure your name isn’t already taken. Then you’ll register your new web business name! But before you do that, here are some things to take into consideration.
Choosing Your Domain Name
Your domain name, of course, is the name of your online business. It may be slightly different from your actual business name. But the main difference should simply be that your domain name will end in .com (dot com). Do not waste your time with any other kind of extension. Not .net, not .biz, not .org – USE DOT COM ONLY!
The .com extension is the mark of a serious business. You’re in business to make money. And you must make decisions based on profitability. So who do you think your customers will trust and buy products from: Someone who is serious about their business, or a newbie who doesn’t know the first thing about doing business on the net?
Your domain name (or business name, same thing) must exude confidence, reliability, strength, and trustworthiness. Establishing credibility should be one of your first priorities when choosing your name. Remember, first impressions are lasting impressions.
Choose words that are straight forward and easy to understand. Words that represent the kind of business you’re in. Your name should be memorable, easy to spell, and easy to remember.
Short domain names are better than long domain names.
Do not use numbers in your domain name. For example: If my domain name is www.sevenwonderlust.com, somebody might think, "Does that mean www.7wonderlust.com?" Or take the domain name www.7to1odds.com. Does that mean seven2oneodds? Or 721odds.com? The same goes for percent (%) and plus (+) and any other characters that might be easily confused.
Be careful about being too clever or using gimmicks in your name. Remember, you want your business name to establish trust and credibility—especially on the net!
Your best choice for your domain name would include one or two of your keywords. Use broad keywords that cover a lot of territory so you can expand your business into new directions that you may not be aware of right now.
You should check the popularity of the keywords you’re considering before making any final choices. Use WordTracker or the Overture Keyword Tool to find out how many searches have been done on each keyword. Hint: Use the keywords with the most searches.
Finally, make your domain name easily readable. Choose words that can be read and remembered easily. For example, which is better: www.bigwillysite.com OR www.BigWillySite.com ?
If your business name is already taken, you might want to use dashes between the words. I don’t recommend this especially, but more and more people are doing it now because there are less choices as more domain names are being registered than ever before. I recommend you keep brainstorming and add a new word, different word, or additional word to your domain name instead of using dashes.
Registering Your Domain With Your Host
I prefer and I recommend you choose your host first, and then register your domain name with your host. There are good reasons for this. First, it’s nice to keep all your information in one place, because it’s easy to forget URLs, dates of expiration, and passwords, among other things.
Second, why fill out a form more than once? If you register your domain name with one company and then host your site with a different company, you will end up typing the same information into the forms that you will be required to fill out where your site will be hosted.
Your domain name is your customer's first contact with your business. You must choose your name wisely. Take your time, know your keywords, use a .com extension, build your credibility with your business name, and try to be memorable.