Choosing the right domain name for your business

You’ve done your research – you’ve come up with a unique product, a dynamic marketing strategy and you even have some terrific design ideas for your website. All that’s left is to do is pick a domain name. Sounds simple enough, right?

Choosing your domain name, or website address as it is also known, is hands down, the most important decision you will make for your online business. It is your signpost, your banner, your online billboard, and the most direct route for new and returning customers to find you. It’s your company’s unique placeholder on the World Wide Web and its selection is not necessarily something to be left to the hard-core bit-heads of the IT department.

Unlike other marketing initiatives like brochures, flyers and advertising copy that can be changed and updated on the fly, your domain name is not something you can tweak if have some sort of epiphany and wake up one morning with a great second thought, or even if you simply realize you’ve made a mistake.

As more and more businesses venture in to the wonders of online marketing it has become more challenging to find a clever domain name that is not already taken. Doing the research in advance and taking the time to consider all options is the best advice we can give you in selecting the perfect domain name for your business. The bottom line – it is still possible to get a great domain name. You just need to be creative and remember a few basic points. Here are some tips that may help:

Keep it simple – Using too many words or being too creative with spelling may help you find a domain name but will do little good if a potential customer can’t remember it. Use easy to remember keywords that describe your business. Ideally, the best domain name for your business will contain the keywords of the company name. The incorporation of these keywords will positively impact search engine results and provide a snapshot of your products and brand.

Start at the top – The .com top level domain is what most commercial websites use and what most people will automatically key into a browser window. Because .com is widely used, it may be difficult to register what you feel is the perfect name for your online business. However, it might be available as a .ca domain, or for organizations consider a .org domain. While you’re at it, why not check the availability of your domain name with the next online business must have, a .mobi domain for mobile users.

Aged to perfection. In the world of search engines, especially Google, the age of your domain name is very important. So changing from an established domain name to a new one is not a good idea.

Accessorize! -If the domain name you want is not available, it may be possible to hyphenate it and make it your own. Or use the plural. Or even ad the word “the” to the beginning of the domain. For example Asianrecipes.com/Asian-Recipes.com WebSitePro.com/WebSitePros.com or TheWebSitePro.com (watch out for copyright infringements). The advantage is that search engines will more easily identify your keywords, making your website a little more search engine friendly.

Get some feedback – When you have settled on a few possible domain names ask your friends, family customers and business associate for their opinion. A name that may make perfect sense to you may be too hard for other people to remember. If you have to repeat the domain name several times, if it’s difficult to spell or if you are asked why you chose that name, it’s probably not the best choice.

Need help developing the perfect domain name for your business? Web hosting? A website package that’s functional, affordable and easily self managed? InfoLink Web Site Development is the small business web advantage and we’d love to talk to you. For more information contact us at info@infolinkweb.ca.