How to choose a domain name. Choosing a domain name for your website is something you need to put some thought into. The goal of this blog post is to give you tips and some recommendations to enable you choose a domain name for your website and also where to register it.
For clarity, my domain name is – loismelikam.com and I buy all my domain name from namecheap. Namecheap offers the best deals for domain names and comes with a free WHOIS guard.
So to purchase your domain name from Namecheap, simply go to namecheap by clicking here, search for the domain name you want to buy, and then buy your domain name. It’s that easy.
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10 Tips For Choosing A Domain Name
1. Use the popular extensions (.com, .org, .net)
For a start, go with a .com extension. This is because many people who use the internet will assume it is a .com because it’s currently the most popular domain name extension, and it won’t be nice if you keep loosing out on potential client because of your domain name extension.
According to a statistics done by domain name stats, .com 37% of all domains have the .com extension.
2. Make it short and memorable.
The shorter the better. When your domain name is short, it is easier for people to remember and they can easily find your website too. Because the truth is that some of your web visitors will not likely sign up to your email address the first time they visit, but if your content is great, they will definitely want to come back and so if your domain name is short and memorable it makes the entire process much easier for them.
So by all means, make your domain name short and memorable.
3. Make it easy to pronounce
Sometimes you will need to tell people your domain name, and others of course will very likely share your domain with their friends, so make it easy for them to pronounce. People should not struggle to pronounce your domain name.
4. Do not use special characters like Hyphens
When choosing your domain name, make sure you do not include the use of characters such as hyphens.
5. Consider Using Keywords
Consider including keywords in your domain name. You can include keywords that reflects your what your website is about in your domain name.
This is because keywords can help improve your search engine optimization. But don’t over do it when including SEO, it should still be simple, short and memorable and of course no hyphens.
If you are going to use keyword, you should put them at the beginning of your domain name as this will help with your ranking.
6. Use Your Name
Consider using your name as your domain name. Without any doubt, you know this is my most favorite tip because obviously my domain name is my name. I recommend registering your name as a domain name for future purposes and for ease of branding.
If you become so successful, you will see the name to re brand, and using your name as your website domain name becomes necessary at this point.
If you will be offering services on your website, using your name is also a good option.
But if your name is not so easy to spell and memorize, you can use either your first name with a combination of a keyword.
For any domain name you choose, check the availability of the name on all other social media account. At least you should use the popular social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Using the same name on all other social media accounts solidifies your brand.
I love to use this tool namecheckr to check for the availability of names on all other social media accounts.
8. Think about the future
When choosing your domain name, make it expandable in the future. Don’t use a domain name that will put in a box.
Ideally your domain name should be able to grow with you and your business. If it is going to serve you for just a few years, then it might not be a good fit.
9. Be creative
Let your creativity come alive when choosing your domain name.
Simply write down names and go through them to choose what meets the right criteria.
10. Avoid unfamiliar terms
Avoid unfamiliar terms when choosing your domain name so that you don’t scare your potential clients and web visitors away. In your trying to be creative, don’t over do it. And if you must use keyword, let it be terms that are familiar in your niche.
11. Don’t overthink it
Don’t get stuck in choosing a domain name because you’re overthinking it. Some people get stuck with building their website because they are trying to decide on the perfect domain name. Don’t let that be you. A good domain name is better than a perfect domain name and it get’s your business off the ground as well.
Okay I know you’re asking how do I register a domain name?
It’s quite simple, and I’ve got just two options for you.
- If you don’t have any website yet, I recommend registering your domain name with namecheap. And that’s where I registered all my domain names and there services are great too.
- If you plan on creating a website then follow the steps in this blog post, and you will get a free domain name for your first year as well.
