When most people decide to get a website for their business, an often overlooked but important part of the process is choosing a great domain name for their website.
Here's why you need a great domain name and how to ensure you choose the best one for your business.
A better domain name will lower your lifetime marketing costs. ~ Frank Schilling
What's a domain name anyway?
Your domain name is the address of your website on the internet that people will type into the browser URL bar in order to access your website.
Why does a domain name matter?
Your domain name sets an impression on website visitors and helps build your credibility online.
It affects Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
It's part of your brand identity and presents an opportunity to increase brand recognition.
How To Choose A Great Domain Name For Your Business
Step 1: Use your business or brand name.
It's ideal to have the same name that you use across your social networks and business-related channels on your website.
This builds familiarity and makes it easy for people to find you online.
Example:
Business Name: APottery Place
Instagram Handle: @apotteryplace
Website Domain Name: apotteryplace.com
Step 2: Choose the right domain name extension.
There are many extensions to choose from like:
.com
.org
.net
.tv
.info
.club
and many more!
I always advise my clients to stick to the most popular .com extension because it's what most website users expect.
Only veer away from .com when it makes sense for your business to do so. For example, many nonprofit organizations use the .org extension.
Step 3: Use ONLY letters.
Avoid hyphens, and numbers (unless numbers are part of your business name).
These characters are difficult for people to remember and often lead to misspellings which cause unnecessary frustration when trying to visit a website.
Step 4: Choose a reputable domain registrar.
You don't want to have issues with your domain name after you've invested in building your brand online. So to avoid any future issues stick to the most popular domain registrars.
Some of the most popular trustworthy domain registrars include:
Step 5: Register your domain name yourself.
You and your business should always be in control of your domain name to avoid anyone trying to extort you and hold your domain ransom if business relations go south.
Step 6: Set your domain name to auto-renew.
Don't lose your domain name because of a bad memory! You can pay ahead and set your domain name to auto-renew every few years.
Need help designing and building your website? Contact me today for a FREE discovery call.