Domain Names Matter

Why does your domain name matter? With over 84,000 new names being registered every day, it becomes a very important part of your site being found. Your domain name is an extension of your brand. As a branding tool, it should support and express your brand image. So what criteria should you use when deciding on a domain name?

Your Domain Name Should Represent Your Website

Who are you and what do you do? A name that describes your industry, niche and business or personal name is ideal. If you’re an entrepreneur, consultant or other professional, why not use your own personal name as a domain.

For example the name www.jesscreatives.com incorporates the owner’s name, industry and capitalizes on its similarity to the phrase “just creative”.

It Should Be Easy To Remember

Your domain name should be easy to say and remember. Long domains that are not easy to spell can confuse your customers and prevent them from landing on your website. A play on words or popular slang term can be effective, but can also be confusing.

 

 Incorporate Keywords

Including a keyword in your domain can help you rank for terms in your niche. Your name should be catchy and memorable. It is even better for it to include a keyword or industry term that potential customers in your niche will be searching for. You can add your niche or an industry term in your domain name to make ranking a little easier.

Make It Distinctive

With over 84,000 new domain names being registered every day, what will distinguish yours from the crowd?

Length can be a factor. Shorter is better than longer; and the fewer words the better.  Avoid using  words like “the”, “of”, and “to” .  Consider the domain name  teachmehowtogarden.com. Why not use “teachme2grow.com“.

Also consider which TLD is best. Although there  are many TLDs (with new ones appearing almost daily), they are not all created equal. “.com” “.org” and “.net” are still the most used and thereby, most memorable.

50.3% of all websites use the .com domain extension

The TLD, “.com” is by far the most popular and widely recognized top level domain on the web.

 

Why does this matter?

Your choice of domain name is not the only factor in what makes or breaks your website. Following the suggestions made here should be valuable for all sites, however success is not guaranteed. A short, clever domain name that references a popular slogan may get people to your site. But this is only one piece of the puzzle. There must also be content on your site that keeps visitors coming back.  Nailing down a killer domain name, however, can be a great way to hit the ground running. I would love to hear what you think. Join the discussion by commenting below.