Domain Names
Domains names are important, because they are the face and
title of your web site. They determine how easy it is to find your site, and
also help to develop an image for your company. Domain names can be purchased from a wide variety of companies, but
most commonly web site hosting
companies. Here are a number of useful tips to help you choose the right domain names:
Keep it
short
Although
you can register fairly long names of over 60 characters, it pays to keep your domain names short. You want something
that people can easily remember, and easily type into their internet browser.
The shorter the better is usually a good idea, with under seven characters
being a good length for domain names.
However, try to avoid
acronyms, as they are often harder for people to remember.
Dot com or
what?
When
looking for a domain name, there are a variety of different extensions on the
market. With more and more web hosting
companies appearing, the list is going to increase. However, if possible,
especially for a business, try and get a web site with a .com extension. This
is because .com is usually the first extension people try when looking for a
web site, and it has been around longer than most. This gives your web site
more prestige, as people will get the impression that you are well established
and have a strong presence on the internet.
Register
now
The
longer you wait to register your domain
names, the more likely you are to find someone else has already taken them.
You do not need to be at the stage where you are looking for hosting, in fact you do not even need
to have started designing your web site. If you want a specific name, then it
is better to register now rather than later, so that you can secure the best
name for your web site.
Register
multiple domain names
If
you have the money, it is a good idea to register multiple domain names. If you want to get yourcompany.com, also register
yourcompany.org or .net so that others cannot take them. This way you can
maintain your unique image. You could also register abbreviations of your web
site name, or even misspellings. There is no need to host a separate web site
on each, you can just have one web site that is pointed to by a variety of domain names.
Visual domain names
One good way to choose domain names is by using words that can
be easily visualised. People remember words that they can visualise as
something more easily than other words, so by using this technique you can make
your web site more memorable. Words such as red, hot, or circle, are good
examples of words that are easy to remember. For example, red-records is a lot
catchier than lowpricerecords.com.
Regional domain names
Another thing to consider when
getting domain names is the locality
that you want to appeal to. If you are aiming for a regional audience in the
UK, then perhaps .co.uk is better for you than .com. However, if you want to
reach a global audience, then .com might be better. Registering both can also
work, as you can show people that you are both local and global.
Ask others
Once
you have a shortlist of potential domain
names, it is a good idea to ask friends or potential visitors what they
think. Although a name might seem great to you, it may be forgettable or
confusing to someone else. You might have missed something that is important,
so getting neutral advice is always useful. You can discuss with them whether
the domain names are easy to say and
remember, and whether or not they fit in with what the content will be.
Don’t
overpay
Although
web hosting companies are charging
lower and lower rates for domain names,
it is important to shop around. Rare or popular domain names might cost more money, but most domain names are reasonably priced. There are often discounts for
registering a domain name for a longer period of time, which is usually a good
idea anyway as you know that your domain is safely registered to you in the
long term.
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Whatever
domain names you choose, and for
whatever purpose, make sure that they are easily memorable and convey the
appropriate image. Even if you are unsure if certain domain names are the ones you want, if you like it then register
it, as you can always register other domain
names at a later time.