A domain name serves as the starting point for creating an online presence for your business. It also helps set the tone for how people will perceive your website.
With over 363.5 million registered domain names, finding a great domain name that would stand out can be a challenge. And with so many different domain name registrars on the market, it can be tough to find a domain name at a great deal.
This article will help you get a great domain name at a great price by providing you with eight valuable tips.
Let’s get started.
1. Brainstorm Ideas
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The first tip to creating a great domain name is browsing around the internet and looking for words often mentioned in your niche. Look into your competitors’ domain names. Are they using keywords? Do they use brandable names?
Try mixing and matching different words to explore the possibilities. Use a domain name generator to come up with additional ideas. This tool can also help you find out whether the domain name you want is available or not.
2. Choose a Credible Domain Registrar
After you’ve conducted a domain name search, the next step is to choose the right domain registrar. In general, there are three platforms where you can purchase a domain name:
- Domain name registrars – platforms that have the sole purpose of managing and selling domain names.
- Website builders – platforms that exist to help beginners build professional websites easily. They usually also let you purchase a domain name when you register for their services.
- Hosting providers – platforms that provide the necessary services and technologies to make your website visible online. They also help users purchase domain names as an added service when customers buy one of their hosting plans.
Ideally, the best platform to buy a domain name from is a domain registrar, website builder, and hosting provider built into one. Doing so will make setting up your online presence easier since you’ll find everything you need in one place.
Make sure you check the customer reviews and testimonials before deciding which platform to choose. Take your time to compare the various options and choose one that provides the best value for money while still being credible and trustworthy.
3. Always Go With .Com Domains
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When registering a domain name, you’ll also need to choose a domain name extension. There are two ways to decide on the right TLD for your site.
The first one is always to choose the .com extension. This is because it is the most known, trusted, and memorable TLD, with over 52% of websites using it. Businesses usually go for this TLD simply because people are more likely to type in .com at the end of a website name.
The second way is to choose unconventional TLDs that focus on your niche. This helps visitors immediately know what your website is about, but they might have difficulty finding and memorizing the name. Some examples include .game, .tech and .store extensions.
If you want to play it safe and make it easier for people to find your website, always go with .com as your domain extension.
4. Set the Ideal Domain Registration Period
When you purchase a domain name, usually you’ll need to renew it annually. But the domain registrars provide you with the option to purchase it for up to ten years. I suggest that you buy your domain for two years minimum. This is, of course, if you plan on running your website for a long time.
Here are some benefits of purchasing a domain name for more than a year:
- Purchase at a lower price – Usually, the more years you register for, the lower the annual cost. And since prices tend to go up every year, you’ll get your domain name at a lower rate.
- SEO benefits – A longer commitment is one of the factors that help your website rank higher on search engine result pages.
- Saves time and hassle – If you forget to renew your domain name, you’ll lose it. Having it registered for an extended period of time will keep you from worrying about renewing it every year.
5. Avoid Buying Auctioned Domain Names
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Auctioned domains, also known as premium domain names, are names that come with a high ranking. This is due to them having a single keyword as their domain name.
While these are great for your SEO, there are some reasons why you shouldn’t purchase them:
- They are expensive – Auctioned domain names are considerably more costly compared to standard domain names. They can sell for hundreds and even millions of dollars.
- They aren’t memorable – Because the domain names are built upon a single word, it’s hard to create a brand around it. The word might define the niche you’re in, but people are looking for companies rather than a generic website.
6. Choose Brandable Names
Brandable names mean names that are uniquely yours. They tend to be catchy, memorable, and trustworthy. While brandable names may have no meaning, people will easily relate the name to your website if you use it effectively.
You’ll want to avoid using generic domain names like onlineshopping.com because it sounds untrustworthy and not unique. Websites like Amazon.com or eBay.com are more effective because they’re simple, catchy, and memorable. Users will relate online shopping to Amazon and eBay easily.
7. Avoid Trademark Problems
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Before you decide to purchase a domain name, make sure that you check whether there’s a trademark already registered under that name.
This is a crucial step because the last thing you want is to be caught up in a lawsuit for trademark infringement, resulting in you losing your domain name. Check your local government’s trademark registration bodies and research your preferred domain name there.
To avoid such situations, the easiest way is to build your brand using the same name across all your websites, social media, and marketing channels from the very beginning.
8. Check the Name on Social Networks
To help avoid trademark infringement, it’s a good practice to check various social networks for the same domain name before you register yours.
Since you want to build your brand using the same name across your websites, social media platforms, and marketing channels, if you find that your name is already taken by a big social media account, it’s good to go back and use a different domain name.
Try using the KnowEm tool to see whether the name you want is used on various social media platforms.
Conclusion
A domain name serves as the starting point for creating an online presence for your business. So you must get a great domain name at a great deal that can help you stand out from the competition and provide you with business credibility at the same time.
In summary, here are eight steps to choosing the best domain name for your website:
- Brainstorm Ideas
- Choose a Credible Domain Registrar
- Always Go With .Com Domains
- Set the Ideal Domain Registration Period
- Avoid Buying Auctioned Domain Names
- Choose Brandable Names
- Avoid Trademark Problems
- Check the Name on Social Networks
All that’s left now is to get started and grow your online presence to succeed.
Good luck!
Learn About the Author
“Juliet is an Editor at PRable.org, all in one content marketing agency. She loves creating articles about technology, innovative product reviews, and technical writing to help scale up digital growth. She is a writer by day and a frustrated singer by night.”