Creating a website comes with many important decisions that affect the amount of traffic you bring to your site. One of the most important business decisions you will make is choosing your domain name. The difference between domain and website is that your domain is the name your site is housed under, while pages of content are what make up your actual website.
Establishing a good domain name is one of the best ways to promote your business. Choosing a name that is easily identifiable, simple and searchable will help drive users to your website. We’ll help you figure out which domain is best for an ecommerce website.
Tips for Choosing a Good Domain Name
Length
The first thing to remember is length. Going with a short one will make it easier for people to type, read and search your business. Trying to limit your domain name to 2-3 words will give you the best chance of people finding you.
Simplicity
Keep it simple! Try not to overcomplicate your domain name or use uncommon words. After all, using simple words that convey what your business is or does will be easier for people to remember and type.
Keywords
Using keywords in your domain name will make your site more discoverable on search engines, boosting your web traffic. You can include keywords that include your location to target local customers. You can even include keywords that easily tell customers what your business is about. (i.e. gym, laundry)
Brand Name
Branding is an important aspect of making your business discoverable. Using your brand name will help your business cut through the noise and help increase your brand awareness.
Website Name
Your brand name and domain name should be as close as possible to each other. This is so people are not confused or routed to a different site with a similar name.
Things to Avoid
Some things to avoid when creating a domain name are numbers and dashes. These can be hard to type in and remember exactly where in the name to place them. Other things to avoid are misspellings, unusual words, and words that could be spelled multiple ways. You should never use other brand names in your domain as this could lead to legal action and domain suspension.
Domain Ending Options
The most common domain ending is .com. This is a classic, but did you know your options are not limited to the .com box? Google offers over 300 domain endings to choose from. There are an array of options to choose from and your ending can be tailored to what your business specializes in, like “.art”, “.fans”, “.biz”. These domain endings do come with an affordable cost ranging from $12 – $60.
Looking for the Perfect Domain Name
Google makes looking for an available name simple and easy with their domain search tool. You are able to type in your desired name and find whether or not it is already in use. Don’t get discouraged if you search and find your domain is already taken. Google has a great suggestion tool that will offer available alternatives to choose from.
Choosing a good domain name will help your business gain brand awareness, web traffic and credibility. In summary, it’s important to choose something easy to remember, succinct and informative. You can even choose an ending that gives customers more insight to your business and sets your site apart from your competitors.
