Welp MagazineStarting a new business or launching a new website can be both exciting and overwhelming. One of the most crucial decisions you may need to make is choosing a domain name. The domain name provides a digital address your online customers use to find your website. Therefore, it must be memorable, relevant, and easy to find.
The choice of your domain name impacts your business’s online presence. You can consider various factors when selecting a domain name for your organization. It would be best to find the necessary material to provide you with further reading about each factor.
Researching and considering your options can help you select the perfect domain for your company. Below are a few factors to guide your selection process.
1. Brandability
When selecting a domain name, it’s vital to pick one that’s easy to remember. It should associate with your brand. This can help your potential customers easily find and remember your website. Besides, a domain name that’s memorable and easy to pronounce can make your customers more likely to return to your website in the future. Think about how the name sounds when you speak it aloud. A simple and easy-to-pronounce domain name can be catchier than one that’s difficult to say.
In addition, a domain name that aligns with your brand can help establish trust and credibility with your target audience. If it reflects your brand’s personality and message, it can help create a consistent and recognizable brand identity. Such a move can make it easier for customers to identify with and remember your website. This can help your website also rank better in search engines.
2. Simplicity
Most online visitors want to spend the least time searching the internet for a particular brand. And making your domain name easy to spell and pronounce can help you meet such an expectation. If your domain name is complex and difficult to spell, it can lead to typos. As a result, potential customers may need help finding your website. Or worse, they may end up on a different website entirely. Thus, you can lose potential revenue.
Apart from making it simple and short, it’s best to avoid using hyphens or numbers in your domain name. Doing so can increase the chances of mistyping. Overall, a domain name that’s simple and easy to spell can be more user-friendly, thereby increasing the chances of customers finding and re-visiting your website.
3. Length
The length of your domain name plays a crucial role when selecting a domain name. A shorter domain name can generally be easier to remember and type. Thus, it can make it easier for potential customers to find it online. Besides, such domain names require less space on business cards, marketing materials, and social media profiles. Therefore, your customers can easily share your website.
A shorter domain name can be beneficial for search engine optimization (SEO). It can be easier for search engines to crawl and index. Hence, it can rank your website in search engine results pages (SERP). The domain name can be easy to associate with specific keywords. In short, a shorter domain name can be more memorable, easy to share, and rank higher in search engines. Therefore, it can increase the number of online visitors to your website.
4. Extension
You’re probably familiar with the famous and recognizable .com extension. Well, there are other extensions you can use on your domain name. Various factors can determine the domain name extension, also known as the top-level domain (TLD) you choose.
You can choose a domain extension depending on your target audience and the type of website you’re creating. If your target audience is in a particular country, you can choose a domain name that associates your website with that country. So, if your target is the United States, a .us extension may be more suitable. If it’s an Australian audience, a .au will suffice, and so on.
If your website is for a non-profit organization, a .org extension might be more appropriate. On the other hand, you can use .info if your website is informational. Generally, the .com extension is considered more professional and may often be used for commercial websites. Sometimes your desired domain name isn’t available with a .com extension. In this case, you may register it with a different domain. However, you should take precautions here as it may confuse your target audience.
5. Legal Issues
As with every business step, it’s best to do your due diligence when selecting a domain name. This can help ensure you don’t infringe on trademarks or intellectual property (IP) rights. Due diligence means checking to see if the domain is already registered and if it’s similar to any existing trademarks.
Checking for potential legal issues can help you avoid costly legal battles. It can avoid having to change your domain name in the future. You should be aware of any laws related to domain name registration in your region. Regulations like the uniform domain-name dispute resolution policy (UDRP) are necessary for resolving domain name-related disputes. Taking the time to conduct thorough research can help you protect yourself and your business from potential lawsuits in the future.
Conclusion
Don’t rush the process. Take your time and make an informed decision. Your domain name is your brand’s online representation, and it’s the first thing potential customers see when they search the internet for your business. Choose a domain name that accurately represents your brand’s identity and makes it easier for your customers to find you online.
