When considering the way in which you interact with your audience, your choice of domain name can be considered one of the most important decisions you have to make. This name will affect your visibility on search engines through SEO rankings, provide the first impression to new visitors, and impact existing users whenever they email you. Taking the time to research and create a name that adds value to your company is well worth the effort.
When deciding on a domain name, follow these steps to avoid the most common mistakes other’s make.
- Keep it simple and concise.
- Avoid symbols and numbers.
- Use keywords conservatively
- Leave room for growth
- Check if it is already in use
Make your domain name easy
Our first two tips ensure that your domain name is easy for your audience to remember and interact with. The longer your domain name is, the higher the chance of a potential visitor typing it incorrectly so we recommend keeping the name between 10 and 15 characters. Other than the length, you should also be wary of using numbers or symbols for the exact same reason. Your domain name plays a huge role in a visitor’s first impression of your content, so keep it short and focused on your message.
Keywording Responsibly
Including keywords in your domain name is a great way to increase the SEO ranking of your website, but don’t sacrifice our first two tips to chase this advantage. Stuffing your domain name with relevant keywords will make your website seem generic and ultimately forgettable. If you plan on a keyword in your domain name, stick to one well researched keyword and make sure it accurately represents your website. Google Keyword Planner and KWFinder are great tools to find high volume, relevant keywords.
The Future is Uncertain
Choose a domain name that will encompass what your website may become rather than what it is. Selecting a name that specifically represents your current service or content offerings is a short term advantage that could eventually become a burden if you decide to expand into new areas of interest. There is no clear answer as to how specific or general you want to be, so put thought into what you think your website will become five years from now and factor that into your decision.
Check for Availability and Trademarks
As you come up with potential domain names, check to make sure that they aren’t already trademarked or already owned by someone else. We recommend using Knowem to check the availability of any names you may use because it searches all through all of the most popular social media platforms and the entire USPTO Trademark Database.
Conclusion
The best domain name is one that accurately represents your website while being as concise and unique as possible. This name is what connects the content you create or service you provide with your audience so make it easy for them to understand, remember, and interact with.
