A domain name is your location on the internet and how visitors will find you easily. Put some thought into crafting the perfect domain name that is meaningful, catchy and interesting. Use the tips below as a guide for the things you should consider before purchasing your new domain name.
Quick Refresher
Domain = bloggingonabudget.com
URL = https://www.bloggingonabudget.com
1. Go with a .com domain name
Most of the time, internet users assume .com when browsing. Having a .net, .info, .tv or any other extension puts another potential roadblock in the process of visitors finding you.
2. Short and sweet
The shorter the better. A recent analysis based on Alexa data found that domain names for the top 250 most popular websites had on average 7 characters and 2 words. Enough said.
3. Easy to say and spell
The goal is for your domain name to be passed along easily by you and by others. This is more likely to happen if people don’t have to stop and think about how to say or spell it.
4. No hyphens
It’s not very smooth or punchy to specify a hyphen.
5. Use keywords
Your domain is one of the best places to use a keyword or two. And the more compact and closer to the beginning of your domain, the better. For example, if “fly fishing” is your keyword, FlyFishingAdventures.com is better than AdventuresInFlyFishing.com.
6. Consider using your name
I highly recommend registering your name as a domain name even if you have no plans to do anything with it. Why? Because you never know if you just might become a household name in the future. And then you’ll be glad you have it. I use Namecheap to register all of my domains.
7. Make it expandable
You never know how your business might expand, so avoid names that box you in. For example, FlyFishingLures.com is nice, but what if you want to sell fishing poles down the line too? I also recommend avoiding life-stage-specific names like AllAboutMyWildAndCrazyToddlers.com.
8. Avoid strings of words
If you have a wide range of interests and you also want to incorporate keywords in your domain, you might be tempted to string them all together. I recommend against this simply because it’s confusing. LuresRodsLinesPoles.com is a recipe for major confusion when a visitor is trying to remember the correct order.
9. Avoid obscure terms
If you are trying to appeal to a wide audience, avoid using niche-specific terms in your domain that someone outside your niche would be unfamiliar with.
10. But all the good names are taken!
Be creative. It’s likely that you’ll come up with the perfect domain only to find it’s already taken when you try to register it. Don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board. Try looking up similar words in the thesaurus. Ask others for ideas. Mix words up or around. Use a tagline, a nickname or a phrase you say all the time.
11. Make sure the name is available on other social media sites
When picking your domain, check other social media sites to make sure it’s available on those sites too. If you use the same name on your blog and on Twitter, Facebook, etc., it solidifies your brand and makes it more memorable. My favorite tool for checking username availability across multiple platforms is Namechk.
12. Don’t overthink it
I hear from a lot of people who get stuck at this point because they’re afraid of making the wrong choice. The most common problem is that they can’t find an available .com. If this is you, just make your best guess and move on. A not-quite-perfect domain name is better than no domain name at all. Just do your best and own it!
Now What?
If you’re ready to purchase a new domain name then head over to NameCheap. They are the best domain registrar around and I have been using them for years. And remember, do not register your domain name with your web host. It’ll save you so many potential headaches in the future.