If you are reading this post, you know the importance of choosing the domain name. We are going to provide you some simple suggestions that may help you to choose a domain name that explains the purpose of your website, that has the ability to stick to people’s mind. There are simple dos and don’ts of picking a domain name;
1. Dos of Choosing a Domain Name
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Go for TLD (Top Level Domain)
The TLD (top level domain) is .com. Dot com is by far the largest extension for domain names. It is the easiest, simple and frequently used extension for a domain. People mostly think of your website in the sequence of your business/website name.com. Several people are in the habit of searching a website from .com extension.
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Go for Your Roots
If you run a business in a specific country or your business belongs to specific country, it is better to use the local LTD. For example if you are running a business in China, your preferred TLD should have .cn extension. Please do remember that your local TLD should have not taken as .com otherwise you will end up sending your desired traffic to someone else.
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Go for Easy to Type
The domain names that are easier to type are considered a vital factor in online success
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Go for Simple Names
It is easier to find a domain name that has only one possible spelling. If you are successful in choosing a name that does not carry confusing spelling, your visitors will find it easier to reach your website.
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Go for Short Name
Shorter names are easier to remember and type. Your visitors would like to have very little hassle in visiting your website. It is better if you confine yourself up to six to ten consecutive characters.
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Go for Other Extensions
If your preferred TLD is already taken with .com extension, you may try other extensions such as .net, .info, .org etc. There are chances that visitors of tld.com end up typing tld.net. If you become the next big thing on internet, having extensions other than .com will protect you against your competitors.
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Go for Singulars
If you find that your preferred TLD is taken in .com extension or any other extension, it is not a good idea to have the same domain name by putting apostrophe s. For example if book.com is taken, by taking books.com, you may end up sending your traffic to book.com.
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Go for Your Choice
If your preferred domain name is already taken, it is better to run a WHOIS on it. Communicate your interest to the owner of the domain name. There are chances that you end up having your preferred domain name at a reasonable price.
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Go for Keywords
Though keyword rich domain names do not impact SEO, they can make a huge difference. If people are searching for world wars, having worldwars.com will make a great domain name.
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Go for a Brand
No one imagined that Google, Yahoo, Facebook were going to be such big brands. You can also think of such names that could become a brand in future.
2. Don’ts of Choosing a Domain Name
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Don’t Go for Copyright Material
It is not hurting if we use common sense in choosing a domain name. Why one would want to have a domain name like facebookbook.com? While we all know that Facebook will make us face the situation.
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Don’t Go Numeric
You cannot beat facebook.com by just placing two zeros instead of O. In the similar way don’t go for names like gra8.com. This kind of domain names is really hard to understand when you pronounce them before someone.
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Don’t Go for Slangs
The slangs create the same kind of confusion as the numeric do. If you substitute yours.com with urs.com, you are going to confuse your potential visitors.
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Don’t Go for Hyphens
Hyphens as a character are difficult to stick to someone’s mind. Don’t use hyphens whether you have a very popular TLD. You will hardly find any traffic directed to your website if your domain name is already taken with .com extension.
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Don’t Go for Alternative TLD
It is not a good idea to buy an alternative TLD if the domain name is already picked up with .com extension. As .com is easier to remember, the chances are that your visitors will be typing the name of your competitor’s website.