10 Points to Keep in Mind When Buying a Domain Name

Picking out a unique and memorable domain name for your site is one of the foremost important steps to establishing a website. So, there’s little room for error. When picking out a domain name for either business or personal purposes, here are several tips to keep in mind:

1. Google the Name

Before you buy a domain name, there will be some research to do in advance. Google the name you choose and make sure no other site shares the name or something similar. Domain names must be unique.

2. Check Social Media Availability Too

Your domain address should be uniquely searchable on social media sites as well. For example, if your domain is mysite.com, it could be unique and dissimilar to any other on the web. But, if there are two profiles for mysite.com on Facebook, then that kind of defeats the purpose. Social media marketing is very important for driving traffic. Therefore, pay attention to this aspect as well.

3. Keep the Name Simple

One of the cardinal rules of creating a domain name is that the web address in the end must be simple. Domain names must be simple enough for a user to memorise it, like amazon.com or goop.com. Do not include symbols or characters in the domain name. It has to be easy to type as well.

4. Be Formal

Do not use slang terms in your domain address. The reasoning is simple: slang becomes out-dated really quickly. Choose a rather formal and easy-to-remember domain name that will stay relevant in the coming decade or so.

5. Keep It short

Understandably, you will have to include keywords and such in your domain name. But keep in mind that longer domains are harder for people to remember. You can only drive traffic if the customer knows where to go. So, keep the overall length to a minimum that is easy to type even for smartphone users.

6. Be Careful with the Domain Extension

If relevant, choose the most common .com extension for your site. It’s easy to remember for most people than .org. or .net. Choose domain extensions like .org only if it is absolutely relevant to your site or business. Avoid using obscure extensions like .biz no one is going to remember.

7. Avoid Purchasing Trademarked Domains

This is just asking for legal problems. Trademarked domains create confusion and the business that used to own the trademark may return to sue you. There are quick searches you can conduct to determine whether someone owns a trademark on the name you are after, and the time spent double checking this is well worth it.

8. Avoid Similar Sounding Names

Even if the domain name you choose is unique, make sure it doesn’t sound similar to the address of an already existing site. It will simply create confusion among users. Your business could also potentially get erroneously associated with the other site.

9. Just Say No to Hyphens

<p.Yes, some domain names do use hyphens, mainly to separate words so the web address is clearer. But, web users do not usually bother with adding hyphens. So, it’s best to just leave these out. It’s wise to leave out the hyphen even if it is present in your company name. Walmart was formally known as Wal-Mart. But the website completely ditched the hyphen to make the domain name easier to type.

10. Domain Names are Better without Numbers

Avoiding numbers is a smart idea as well, because people forget to type these in. There can be some confusion between the letter “O” and the zero digit “0”. Stick to the above tips to create the perfect domain name for your site.