Seven frequently asked questions about choosing a domain name
One of the most common questions my clients ask me is "What domain name should I use for my website?" In the following article, I'll discuss these factors in a question-and-answer format:
1. Should I choose a country code domain name (like .CO.UK or .CA), or a global top-level domain like .COM?
If your target market is country-specific, I would recommend using a country-coded domain name, especially if you sell physical products that can only be delivered within that country. Many people I have spoken to tell me that they are often not sure where online stores are located, and it is not until they arrive at the checkout and are asked to pay in a foreign currency that they cannot order the products in your shopping cart. because the website is not sold internationally. Having a country code domain name lets your potential customers know instantly that you are in the same country as them and that your service is designed specifically for that nation.
Alternatively, if you have a website developed for the purpose of sharing information, with little to no content that is only relevant in one part of the world, my advice would be to choose a global top-level domain like .com.
2. Should I divide the words within my domain name with hyphens? Is 'widget-shop.com' better than 'widgetshop.com'?
There seems to be a general consensus within the search engine optimization industry that using hyphens helps search engines deduce what the actual words are within a URL, leading to higher rankings of those pages. high in search engine results. However, it is also speculated that the use of 2 or more hyphens within the domain name carries a penalty. With this in mind, I would recommend anyone planning to receive most of their personalization from organic search engine results to use a hyphen in their domain name to separate specific search keywords.
However, if your business model is not heavy on search engine optimization, my recommendation would be to not have hyphens in your domain name, as the vast majority of Internet users intuitively enter domain names in the toolbar. addresses of your browser without hyphens. In domain name value appraisal circles, the non-hyphenated version of a domain name is generally considered to be of higher value.
For search engine optimization, studies show that a hyphen can give you an advantage, but in general, I would recommend not using any hyphens in your domain name.
3. Is it better to have digits (2, 3, etc.) or words for numbers (two, three, etc.) in my domain name?
Generally speaking, it would discourage anyone using word of mouth advertising from having numbers, either as digits or as words, in their domain name. Let's say for example you had the domain name 'widgets4u.com'. If you know someone who is interested in your product and tells them to visit your website, you will have to specifically tell them that the 4 is numeric and the U is just a letter. Otherwise, they may enter 'widgetsforyou.com', 'widgets4you.com', 'widgetsforu.com' and end up on the website of one of their competitors.
However, if you are willing to accept this risk, in my experience the common person tends to instinctively put the numeric version of a number in a domain name. So use 'widgets2.com', not 'widgetstwo.com'.
4. How long should my domain name have?
As short as possible. Long domain names are harder for your clients to remember, take longer to type, longer to spell (you may have to spell your domain name letter by letter for some clients), and can also be more difficult to fit into your business cards, print ads and the like. I have a client whose business name consists of four words, two of which are difficult to spell. My advice to him was to use a domain name with the first letter of each word only, which has been very easy to remember.
If he is targeting specific search keywords, I would recommend that his domain name consist of those keywords and as few as possible. If your target is "purple widgets", my advice would be to use the domain name "purplewidgets.com". If that domain name is not available, I would recommend adding an additional word at the end. For example, I personally have a website that points to the search keyword "weight loss." Unsurprisingly, 'weightloss.com' and 'weightloss.co.uk' were already registered, so I opted for the domain name 'weightlossweb.co.uk'. Choosing an added word that starts with the same letter as your first keyword helps your visitors remember your domain name.
Yes. Generally speaking, the most desirable top-level domain is .COM. Charity websites can choose .ORG to declare that they are a charity, but there are currently no restrictions on who can register .ORG domain names
My personal "leaderboard" of favorite domain name extensions is as follows:
- 1 .COM
- 2 Country code (.CO.UK, .CA, .IE, etc.)
- 3 .NET
- 4 .ORG
- 5 .BIZ
- 6 .INFO
- 7 .NAME
I currently have over 300 domain names registered, none of which is .INFO or .NAME. I would only recommend registering .BIZ, .INFO or .NAME domains if they have a large website with a brand to protect. For example, my business name is "Starsol.co.uk". At the time of writing, 'Starsol.com' is currently registered by a domain name squatter, who is asking an exorbitant price. I feel like it's highly unlikely that someone would actually type the domain with the .BIZ extension in the address bar looking for my website, but if I didn't register the name myself, someone else could use it for purposes that may damage my brand.
6. What about .TV and .WS?
Although they may be marketed as such, .TV does not stand for television and .WS does not stand for website or world site. Tuvalu is a small island country located in the Western Pacific Ocean with a population of approximately 11,000 in the Western Pacific Ocean that gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1978. Samoa, also in the Pacific, gained independence from New Zealand in 1962 and has a population of about 180,000. If these countries are not your target markets, I would personally discourage you from using their country code domain names.
Other similar domain names include .FM (Federated States of Micronesia) masquerading as the TLD for radio stations and .CC (Cocos Islands).
7. Are your domain names better?
Perhaps surprising, this is a question that I have been asked several times. Like some supermarkets that charge more than others for identical soda cans, domain name registrars also charge different domain name registration costs. Although some domain name registrars may provide additional tools with domain name registration, a domain name registered for $ 8.95 per year will work exactly the same way and one registered for $ 35.00 per year.
I hope this article has helped you in your search for a perfect domain name. However, I would like to add that since domain name registrations are so cheap, registering multiple domains and redirecting them to your single "primary domain" can be a very good idea. If there is a domain that you will trade a lot, I highly recommend that you at least register the .COM version of that domain name as well, and if you are outside of the United States, also register the corresponding country code version of the domain name . Many of your customers may enter the wrong extension when searching for your site, possibly leading you to lose your habit to a competitor of yours; Or like my personal situation I described above, it may lead to a domain name squatter registering a domain similar to yours in the hope that you will spend many thousands buying it.