When it comes to your website, you spend a lot of time getting the right look, don’t you? It’s essential for a business to have a site that looks interesting and inviting, but have you overlooked a small but crucial aspect?
Many businesses choose their domain names as a matter of course. They pick the closest name to their business that they can and don’t give it another thought. Some don’t even bother to get a paid domain name, thinking along the lines that no one really worries about the web address anyway.
We want you to look at things a little differently. In a brick and mortar store, what does your address do? It lets people know where to find your business. The area that it is located in gives people an impression of your business – if the area is dodgy, fewer people will want to visit your business.
Now, back to your domain name. Online, the address becomes even more important. If it is too long and complicated, no one will be able to remember it. That is one way in which those free domains with free websites can be problematic. They always include the site that you got the domain from in the name.
Not to mention that it might seem at best unprofessional and at worst a little dodgy for you not to have a paid domain name. The domain name is, essentially, your face online; it contributes big time to your image and branding. The value the right domain brings can be insane, as some massive deals highlighted in the infographic made by HostingTribunal.com clearly show.
When it comes to choosing your domain name, consider the following:
- Get it as close as possible to your business name as you can: People will often just try to append a .com to your business name in the hopes of finding your site that way.
- Avoid using special characters: These can be difficult for people to remember.
- Keep it as simple as possible: Keep the clever puns for the site itself.
- Do try and register a top-level domain: You will see examples of these in the infographic below. They are most commonly used and more easily recognized by most people.
Overall, do give as much thought to your online address as you would if you had a brick and mortar store.
Following Domain facts Infographic Explains it all beautifully:
