Choose Your Domain Name

Choosing a domain name is just like choosing a name for your company. It needs to be carefully thought out. A domain name represents your identity on the Web, so you want to make sure you choose one that not only fits your business, but is also easy to find and promote.

Here are some tips you need to keep in mind:

• Make it brandable/memorable. There are millions of registered domain names out there, so having a brandable and memorable domain name is important. Using a unique name is a great way to add value to your domain. Remember that a brand is more than just a combination of words.

• Include one of your target keywords. Use keywords that best describe your business. If possible, include keywords that people usually enter when searching for your products/services. This helps improve your search engine ranking (which boosts web traffic) and makes more sense to your customers.

• Shorter is better. The shorter the name, the easier to type and remember. With a short domain name, you also allow for more characters in the URL in the search engine results page. It also fits better on business cards and other offline media.

• Avoid dashes/hyphens. Avoid using dashes/hyphens and numbers because they’re often misunderstood. People who hear about your site don’t know if you’re using a numeral (1) or if it’s spelled out (one). They may also misplace or forget the dash. If you really need these in your domain, consider registering the different variations just to be safe.

• Go for .com domains. There may not be any conclusive evidence that .com domains are the best to deal with, but I personally try to always get .com domains because that’s what I’m used to. You don’t really have to worry about this one. However, with the exception of very tech-savvy individuals, most people using the Web automatically assume that .com is all that’s out there. So don’t make the mistake of losing traffic to these people.

• Don’t spend more than a couple of hours choosing your domain. This should not create a roadblock for you. You got this!

 

Example of Good Domains

Planning to build a website that’s dedicated to providing essential widgets and tools? Here are a few great examples of domains:

1. mywidgets.com
2. widgetreviews.com
3. widgetcentral.com
4. widgetly.com
5. trustedwidgets.com
6. widgetforums.com
7. widgettraining.com
8. bluewidgets.com

Examples of Domains I Wouldn’t Use

Here are some examples of domain names that I wouldn’t use for an authority site:

1. bestwidgetsintheworld.com (avoid using superlatives like “best” and “top” because Google will often show product review or affiliate sites)
2. bestbluewidgetreviewsonline.com (looks spammy)
3. wheretobuywidgetsonline.com
4. my-widgets-reviews.com (avoid using hyphen/dash)
5. widgets1444.com (avoid using numbers)

Where to Buy Your Domain

Hopefully, you already have a preferred place where you could buy domains for your websites but if not, don’t worry because I’m here to help you out.

So based on my experience, here are some domain registrars that I highly recommend:

• eNom. One of the best companies that provide excellent domain name services and sells others products that are closely related to domain names. They’re actually not that cheap but you’ll get top-notch services.
• GoDaddy. One of the largest domain name registrars that provide affordable domain name services.
• NameCheap. You can register your domain at a very affordable price.

So far, these are the three domain registrars that I’ve used for my domains – although I mostly use eNom. You can go for GoDaddy or NameCheap because they’re significantly cheaper. I’m just used to eNom.

 

Quick Money-Saving Tip:

Before buying your domain, search for websites like RetailMeNot to get discounts with coupon and promo codes for these domain registrars. For example, GoDaddy usually has at least 30% off coupon for domain orders, and even entire orders!