Cyberspace is a vast universe. You can either be one of the millions of stars in that space or stand out like the pole star. The difference between the two can be as simple as getting a good domain name for your website. A good domain name is one that is immediately associated with your business or blog and is easy to remember. Did you know that a domain name has been called the “21st Century Real Estate?”
To get a domain name, the first thing you need to do is to register the name you want with an organization called ICANN through a domain name registrar. For this, you need to choose a name and pay a registration fee for that name. Beginners should not worry about domain registrars. You’ll find hundreds of web hosting companies that also offer domain registration for free for the first few months. GoDaddy is the largest domain registrar in the world, with over 17 million customers worldwide, a majority of who are small business owners. GoDaddy today manages over 75 million domain names.
So, what exactly should you look at when you choose a good domain name?
4 Tips to Finding a Good Domain Name
Opt for a .com
I get genuinely amazed to see how many new domain name extensions are available today. Other than the basic .net, .org, and the most common, .com, domain name extensions are related to different niches, such as .blog, .photography, and many more. However, I find it best to go with a .com for its SEO benefits. This domain name extension is credible, trustworthy, and looks more authoritative.
Use Keywords in the Domain Name
When you use keywords that you want to target in the domain name, it is called Exact Match Domains (EMDs). It helps a business rank better on search engine results because it immediately tells the search bots what the website is about. However, keywords need to be used carefully and creatively. An improperly used keyword can mislead people about the business and affect your ranking on Google. Please don’t overdo it. For example, freshflowerdeliveriesindelhi.com is a bad example. Freshflowers.com is a good example.
Use Your Brand Name
Today, it is all about branding. So, your domain name should be brand-able too. You may not realize it, but your domain name, in the form of a URL, is the face of your business online. So, companies prefer to use your brand name as their domain name, while if you want to run a personal website, it is better to use your name, just like I did for www.manikarthik.com. Even when using brand names, try to make it sound natural and less complicated. It is best to avoid inserting numbers, hyphens, double letters, or anything else to give it an easy flow on the speaker’s tongue.
Keep it Short
In this case, short is definitely sweet. Short domain names are concise and easier to read and remember. Even when you get the domain name printed on a business card or brochure, it takes up less space and quickly aligns with the other text. However, domain names should be equally easy to spell and pronounce, making them easy to share.
Important Thing to Remember: Your domain name should be distinctive and unique. The characters should not overlap with another site or brand. Do proper research in your niche to avoid using a trademarked name to prevent lawsuits in the future.