When starting a new website for your company, one of the most important steps is picking a domain name. Finding the ideal name is not as easy as it used to be as many of the best ones have already been snapped up.
Buying a domain name is only the first step in owning a website. Next, you will have to find a hosting service that will give your website a place to live. We advocated Bluehost, which features domain registration, site hosting, and a business email address for only $2.95 each month. Click here to take a look at their hosting plans.
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2. Make the domain name instantly intuitive.
Rand Fishkin, Co-founder, Moz.com
If you believe a member of your target audience could instantly associate the domain name with a fantastic guess of what they believe you do, that is a large positive. Meaning they could look at your domain name and say,”Oh, I am guessing they likely do this. This is probably what that company is up to.”
View more tips from Rand in his article, 8 Rules for How to Select a Domain Name.
4. Look for a domain name that is available across all social media stations.
Carolyn Wilman, Sweepstakes Marketing Strategist, ContestQueen.com
Come up with something tricky that reflects everything you do and may be remembered easily, plus one that’s available across all social channels.
I bought ContestQueen.com off a’squatter’ for $500 USD. It had been worth every penny because I have constructed an whole brand around it. The mistake I did make was not grabbing my title on every societal channel the moment it started. On a few I am @ContestQueen and many others @TheContestQueen.
Click here to search if your domain name is available across over 500 social media networks.
5. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)
Richard Lazazzera, Content Strategist, Shopify
Maintain your name short and memorable. One or two phrases is best. Keep in mind that the top 100,000 sites, normally, have nine characters in their domains.
7. Search for domains from failed businesses in your business and catch them up.
Sam Firer, Public Relations, Consulting, Concept Development, Hall Company
Coming up with domain names for new businesses is just one of my absolutely favorite elements of my business. One of my favourite tricks is to have a look at demised companies in precisely the exact same sector; then determine whether the domain name has lapsed; grab it!
Click here to check out the manual for lost domain names!
8. Do not get married to a single domain name generator. Use many to locate the best word blend for your domain name.
Oleg Korneitchouk, Director of Digital Marketing, SmartSites
The ideal domain name really is based upon the intention behind the website. Are you currently building a brand? Bringing awareness to a problem? Creating a personal blog/resume? Depending on the intent, you are either searching for a catchy/brandable or educational domain (a fantastic domain will probably be equally, but they are diamonds in the rough).
I love to play around with the many domain names which are available on the internet. These make it easy to mix and match your keywords, add shared internet prefixes/suffixes, and determine which domain names are still accessible. As soon as you’ve got a list of 3-5 solid domains, ask others that they enjoy best.
Click here to get the listing of resources to help you generate the perfect domain name! Once you’ve got it figured out, make sure it’s available with all the Bluehost domain name .
9. Use Your Location in Your Domain Name
Maggie Aland, Fit Small Business
If the positioning of your business is important, why not use it on your domain name? Putting your place in your site name lets customers know where you are and helps your site appear in search results. Have a look at our restaurant title generator to get ideas on using your place on your domain .
10. Need a list of things to search for in a good domain name? Use the 8 standards below.
Paige Arnof-Fenn, Founder & CEO, Mavens & Moguls
Does your domain name possess these qualities?
- Has flexibility (works in several ways from class name to theory to book)
- Is”sexy” (catches fire/engaging)
- Can be sustainable over time (endurance )
- Sounds great
- Sounds good when spoken
- Includes lively element
- Starting of alphabet if possible
- URL available
Pick a memorable name in order to stick out from the pack. Can you rather hire Strategic Marketing Solutions or Mavens & Moguls? If nothing else our title is a fantastic conversation starter, and getting into a dialogue is all it takes to open a door.
11. Use country-specific domain extensions for optimizing where you do business.
Frank Watson, Affiliate Marketing Manager, Namecheap.com
CcTLDs (country-code Top Level Domains) have a number of advantages. First it indicates you are operating in that country. This can be handy to entice those people who prefer to maintain their participation within the nation they live. Secondly, ccTLDs are noted to find a slight advantage in the research results for a particular country. Thirdly, if you’re global, separating out access by nation helps with money, shipping and product availability by state.
View more details on ccTLDs on this Namecheap article: Maximize The Benefits of a Country-Specific Domain
12. The domain is expanding with a lot of tempting new generic domain extensions, like .supplies, .jewelry, .consulting.
Brett Dunst, VP of Brand & Community, DreamHost
Small company looking for the perfect domain name have to understand about the recently enlarged collection of gTLDs (generic top-level domains), which provide newly available replacements to the familiar. Com and .net address endings. The issue with using a. Com nowadays is all the top names have been taken; new businesses are abandoned using names which are awkward in length, or include a dashboard or amazing spelling. The new gTLDs open address endings such as .boutique, .catering, .coach, .florist, .ninja, .consulting, .coffee, .jewelry, .supplies, .systems. There are hundreds of new possibilities which allow a small business owner to find creative and stand out.
13. But, on the other hand, there is wisdom in using a top level domain (. com, .org, .edu)…
Michael Edelberg, SVP, Viable Operations and IT Solutions
We supply many domain names for our clients and most search a TLD (Top Level Domain) for good reason. A .org will immediately tell the user they’re taking a look at a non for profit. Others need to be closer to the business name or type of company; that also includes redirects for area or other lines. We’ve also dealt with people seeking to buy and market and squatters too. There are SEO problems to consider of too.
14. Be ready to take a domain name after you think it because, in this tough market, you might only have seconds to purchase it.
Adam Dailey, Primary, Keep Moving Fast, LLC
I typically keep a pad of paper and begin writing down thoughts. I then keep a few windows on the pc open — you to see where the domain I like might be parked, you to determine if I could register it, and usually one more to riff more thoughts (or perform a quick WHOIS search so I can find more info about who might own the domain).
15. Target your geographical place on your domain name.
Andrea Rowland, Managing Editor, GoDaddy Garage
If your business is local, consider including your city or state on your domain to make it effortless for local customers to find and recall it. Example: PhoenixGlassRepair.com.
View more information from Andrea in her post, 10 tips for choosing the perfect domain name
16. Here’s an easy checklist for picking a great domain name.
Gabriel Kuperman, Founder & CEO, Huge Impact
It took me 6 weeks to settle on HugeImpact.com
A great domain name typically gets the following:
- Is short (10 characters or 2 words maximum )
- Easy to spell and unforgettable
- Easy to announce
- Is a. Com domain
- Is not readily confused with other brands
- Does not have pluralization that could lead to confusion
17. Brainstorming is essential to think of a unique and ingenious domain name.
Michael Lucarelli, Co-founder, RentSpree
To begin, gather 3 or more individuals willing to spend time thinking up domain name options. Collectively, everyone should have a collection of sessions coming up with thoughts while taking brief breaks in between. This is actually the”diverging” stage. The point is to develop as many options as possible. Then, once you have all of the options, every member selects three of their favorite domains. This is actually the”converging”stage. The name that gets the most votes should be the best choice. Now you simply need to check if the name is available.
18. Can not use your business name? Turn it into a phrase.
Greg Tessitore, Director of Marketing, 36creative
We discover that being creative and using a phrase instead of simply the name of the firm can be a huge help when it comes to procuring a. com domain. e.g. www.weare36.com vs www.36creative.com.
19. Avoid a double entendre.
Katie Birkbeck, Senior Content Advertising Specialist, Blue Corona
Choosing a domain name may not look like that difficult of a job. But if you’ve come up with the ideal domain name, then we recommend double (and triple!) Checking that there are no improper words hiding from the letters of word combinations. We’ve heard of firms choosing domains like PenIsland.net–and you do not wish to repeat their errors.
20. Ensure the domain name you desire isn’t blacklisted or penalized.
David Mercer, Creator, SME Pals
Among the most significant considerations when choosing a new domain name (that most webmasters don’t think about) would be to check whether the domain name is blacklisted or potentially penalized by Google. Spammers use a technique called’churn and burn’ that is based on fooling Google using spam into position their domain and then dumping the website once Google catches them. In this way they can profit for a few months (or years depending on just how about the ball Google is) and also eliminate the domain once it penalized.
Unwary and legitimate webmasters subsequently purchase the newly available domain oblivious to the fact it will be near impossible to generate any sort of organic traffic because of existing penalties. It can put you at a significant disadvantage to begin with a penalized domainname.
To check if your domain is potentially penalized, you are able to:
- Do a website: operator search in Google (learn more regarding the site search operator). In case the domain existed earlier and site: returns nothing it’s a good sign that domain has been removed from Google’s index
- Utilize the WayBack Machine to see what the domain has been used for previously
- Research the domain name Whois background
21. Identify the objective of your site before picking your domain .
Sam Williamson, AIMS (Web Design)
The most important part of selecting a domain name is to identify what the purpose of the website is. If you want to get found online, then you’ll definitely need to include keywords about the services/products that you provide on your domain , making sure to incorporate your brand also. If your website is purely acting as a landing page and you’re not concerned about being discovered online then it may be more appropriate to just choose a domain that is centered around your brand name and prevent trying to add keywords, which may look’spammy’ in many sectors.
22. If you’re a startup, then a saas or merely an online service — domain for you is crucial.
Volodymyr Zastavnyy, CEO of Newoldstamp
All your customers will associate you with your company name and all of them will just know your internet address. Here some hints how to choose a domainname:
- Unique project title will be a lot easier to register at. com. If you’re just choosing name  — assess. Com availability . For startups you can utilize .io. Other domains (. Net, .biz, .info) — are still only a compromise.
- If you are a commercial project — never utilize .org. This is for non-profit associations.
- Never use numbers unless your name has a few.
- Try not to use”–” Â on your domain because it generally proves that original name was already taken.
- Keep it brief.  “msmb.com” is far better compared to “mysupermodernbusiness.com”
- If you plan to broaden your business to other nations — make certain that you obtain their local domain names. It is going to always help to find loyalty of sailors.
23. Do not abbreviate if You’ve Got a long business name
Beth Bridges, V.P. of Digital Identity, www.JDigitalIdentity.com
If your company is”Performance Marketing Experts,” you may think prfmktgxprts.com makes total sense, rather than make people kind those words out. However, no one will keep in mind that abbreviation. Imagine telling somebody that domain name at a networking event! Don’t be concerned about a very long name if necessary. If they’re a regular guest, they only need to type it once because their background will pull this up. And more folks are most likely going to find you hunt engines and they love watching keywords in your URL.
24. Steer clear of branded or trademarked names in your domain .
Simon Slade, CEO and Co-Founder, Affilorama
When selecting a domain name, first and foremost, never include a brand new name, for example sellyouriPhone.com. Secondly, it’s unlikely you will ever acquire the name recognition of Dell, Amazon, or other renowned companies, so choose a domain that can help clarify what the website is all about, such as jonesstockphotos.com.
25. Request your friends to pronounce your domain name prior to buying it.
Tanner Callais, Cruzely.com
Nowadays, you often must become creative with the spelling of your domain name if you don’t would like to shell out serious money. You may believe clever title is apparent in your mind, but if folks do not understand how to pronounce it, they are not likely to inform others about it. If your domain name has a peculiar spelling, make sure people know immediately how it’s stated before you fall in love with it.
26. Make sure it moves the radio test.
Natasa Djukanovic, CMO, .ME
A short domain isalso, by default, easy to remember and ideal for sharing across online and offline social media — it conserves characters on Twitter, fits in your business card, also spreads rapidly via word of mouth, but there is something more to consider: the radio test. Would you be able to spell out the domain name if you heard it on the radio or by a friend at a party? If not, it doesn’t pass the radio test. Do not settle. Your domain name is the online calling card of your business, so you want something which will be meaningful, easy to remember, and brandable.
27. Make sure your domain name is future-proof. You do not want a domain name to box you in.
Eric Brantner, Founder, Scribblrs.com
Do not go too narrow and pigeonhole yourself. You never know if you will expand your scope later on. For instance, Scribblrs used to be”bloggerelementary” at the start, however I decided I wanted to expand to freelance writing and other aspects of the craft.
28. Decide on a domain that reflects your site’s purpose, not your business name.
Sarah Matista, Marketing Communications Manager, Vistaprint Digital
For a small business that has a small marketing budget, the reality is that local listings and search engine optimization (search engine optimization ) will be the principal drivers of traffic to your site and clients to your door for its first few decades. Ensure that you choose a domain name that tells people (and Google!) What you do off the bat.
For example, if you operate a family lawn maintenance service in Baltimore, Maryland, select BaltimoreLawnCare.com rather than SmithAndSons.com, because search engines and prospective customers alike will probably give more credence to a domain name that says your company is relevant to exactly what they’re searching for. Nevertheless, domains are fairly inexpensive, so it is a good idea to secure your company name also for future usage.
29. Be language conscious
Eyal Reich, COO & Co-Founder, StoreYa
Over to You
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