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All Articles [22] NHS/PCT [4] Government [1] Online Business [4] Corporate [2] Small Business [4] Web Site [10] Urls [2] SEO [6] Marketing [10] Photography [1] Print [2]Choosing and Registering your Domain Name
See all articles by: George Griggs
Last updated: [ 12.08.2009 ]
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There are millions of web sites out there, and each one has at least one domain name registered to it. With every new web site that's launched, another domain name becomes unavailable to you. The perfect domain name may already be gone, but how do you choose what's best for your company? There are no hard-set rules but there are certainly lot's of things to think about.
It's important to make the right decision from the start because although you can always change your domain name in the future, you may loose potential customers who only know your old domain name. Below are a few pointers to help you make that right decision.
Consider including your products and service in your domain name
Domain names are heavily weighted by search engines, so your name needs to contain search terms. You may want to use your company name but users won't search for it unless they already know who you are. Including your products and services in your domain name makes it much more likely that users will find your site when they search for those services and products.
Make it memorable
Try and keep it as short and snappy as possible. If people don't remember your name when they've visited your web site or when they've seen it in your marketing, they'll have to find it through a search engine and may end up going elsewhere. Keeping it short also makes it easier to type, which means more people are likely to make the effort.
Avoid gimmicks
Unusual spelling or using a number as a substitute for a word may be quirky, interesting, and fun, but it can also be confusing. If people find your site through word of mouth, chances are they'll use a traditional spelling when looking for you online, so may not find you. Hyphens should be avoided as well where possible. They may be a good way for you to get a variation on an unavailable name, but users may leave the hyphen out and end up at your competitor's site.
Which Domain Extension is best?
The domain extension is the bit on the end, such as '.co.uk'. Again, there's no concrete rules on which you should choose but if you're a company in the UK '.co.uk' should be your first choice. If the '.com' is available it's also a good idea to get that, as people who aren't sure of your address may try it. Another advantage of registering the '.com' is that it prevents others having it, decreasing the chance that people looking for your may end up somewhere else and a company that you don't want to be associated with having the same name.
If the extensions above are not available, it might be an idea to amend your domain name, but if you really don't want to '.net' is a good alternative. '.org' should only really be used if you're a non profit organisation, as these are generally associated with each other. Other extensions, such as '.biz' and '.info', have no specific association so can be used, but they lack professionalism and people may not try them if they uncertain of your address.
Once you've chosen your name and checked that it's available, it needs registering. There are many web sites where you can do this, but it's usually a better idea to let us do it for you. If we manage your domain, we can take care of the billing and technical administration, so that you have one point of contact for all elements of your site. We're also happy to discuss and provide you with further advice in choosing your domain, so the best tip we can give you is to give us a call.
Contact us now, to find out more.