Creating a website is a great way to grow your business. Your website can help you reach new customers and communicate with existing ones. As part of the website creation process, one of the first and most important steps is choosing the right domain name.
We previously wrote a blog about the importance of connecting email addresses to your domain which you can read here.
To help with your decision making here are 7 essential things to consider when choosing the domain name for your business website and company email address.
1. Memorable
Search engines aren’t the only way for people to find your website. More familiar customers may type your website address directly into their browser to bring up your website This means your domain should be easy to remember, say out loud and type.
The shorter the better.
To help memorability try to avoid using numbers or any long words that may be difficult to spell.
2. Futureproof
Choose a domain name that will stand the test of time and won’t potentially limit your business in the future.
Avoid choosing a domain name that includes any dates and think about where you may see your business going in the future.
Would your chosen domain name limit the direction of the business from changing or expanding?
3. Choose the right Top Level Domain
The TLD is the part that comes after the full-stop in your domain name. The full name for this “Top Level Domain”. For example ‘.co.uk’ ‘ .uk’ and ‘.org.uk’ .
If your business is UK based with core UK customers, choosing a domain such as ‘uk’ and ‘.co.uk’ signals trust, will indicate where you are located and where your services or products can be accessed from.
4. Research
Do plenty of research before you commit to a domain name. Spend time researching your new domain name. Is it protected or is it similar to that of a competitor? Also research what you find on similar sites with that domain name in case someone reaches a different website by mistake.
5. Tools
There are handy websites where you can input words related to your business and in return the site will give you ideas for your domain. This can be incredibly helpful if you struggle with creative thinking. For information on this we did a dedicated blog called Domain Name Generators.
6.Feedback
Once you have shortlisted several domains you like and you know are available, speak to friends and customers to get their opinions.
Ask them to have a go at spelling, reading and writing down the domain. Was it simple for them to type out and pronounce? Do they like it?
Ask for constructive criticism. They may pick up on something you missed or be able to make helpful suggestions that will help you make a final decision.
7.Secure the variants
Once you have secured your chosen domain it can be really handy to buy the variants of it too. This will help to protect your brand name and stop external businesses from capitalising on the success of your brand.
You never truly know what could happen in the future to your business so by securing the ‘.uk’ versions of your ‘.co.uk’ domain and the ‘.com’ versions you can cover any future developments.
Also, if you feel that your domain could be misspelled by people, secure those domains too. You can then permanently redirect the incorrectly spelled domains to your main domain and website to avoid losing potential customers.
And Finally
Finding the correct domain name for your business is one of the most important steps in creating an online presence for your business and implementing a marketing strategy. I hope these 7 essential steps will help you to find the best domain name for your business.
If you would like further information from The Digital Studios about choosing a domain name or you would like to learn more about our services which include website creation, web-hosting and digital marketing, please feel free to get in touch.
