Choosing The Right Domain Name
Settling on the right domain name can be difficult. Below you’ll find 6 things to keep in mind if you want to choose the perfect domain name for your website.
1. Keep it short
When choosing a domain name for your website, shorter domain names are better than long ones. A domain name that’s too long is hard to remember and difficult to type in for your visitors. Word of mouth about your website is more effective if you have a domain name that’s easy for people to remember and tell their friends about. Leave out difficult to type letters (such as x, y and z) unless they make sense for your website’s brand.
2. Make it unique but logical
Everyone wants their domain name to be unique but easy to remember as well (see point 1). Take a look at your website’s topic and identify what it’s about (is it an arts and crafts website, do you sell shoes, etc.). Then combine it with your own personal brand so people know what your website is about, but also connect it to you! For example: craftsbylilly.com or roadrunnershoes.com
3. Decide if it should be international or local
If you’re aiming to be international with your website, use a .com extension. However, if your business is run locally, a ccTLD (country code top level domain) that matches your country is fine. For example, if you’re running a small, local boutique in France having a domain that ends in .fr will make more sense for people searching for you online.
It will also help you out in the local search engine results! You can add a place name to your brand so people know even better what your website is about. Example: hotelmarseille.fr
4. Settle on an extension
If you do decide on aiming internationally with your website, the three most common extensions are .com, .net, and .org. If people do not know which extension your domain name has, chances are they will try typing in these three when searching for your website. All three are very similar: they can all be used for global appeal, they can be submitted to search engines, and can be bought by any person or company from any country.
.com is the most popular and used domain extension, whereas .org is often used for organizations (especially non-profit organizations) and .net is often used for websites that are about networking. All three can however be used, so make your decision based on what makes the most sense for your website!
5. Letters only (no numbers or hyphens)
Stick to letters only to avoid making your domain name hard to remember and type in. Don’t get tempted by fun domain trends that will no longer be trendy in a year from now. Adding hyphens to the domain name also makes it difficult to type in. Keep it short (point 1)!
If you’re running a professional website and represent a business, don’t buy a domain with <name>3.com or similar number that’s fixed in the domain name unless it’s actually part of your company’s name.
6. Check if it’s available
Once you’ve settled on a domain check if it’s available for registration. You can do so via WHOIS, a database of registered domain names. If your name is available, you can register your domain name for FREE with SimpleSite. If it’s not available, try mixing up the wording in the name (for example, marseillehotel.fr instead of hotelmarseille.fr, or vacationmarseille.fr, and so on).
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