Good
Tips in Choosing a Solid Domain Name
Good Tips in Choosing a Solid Domain Name
What makes a good domain name? It’s a name that gives you
a decisive edge over your competitors that they often find hard
to surmount. Your position in your industry can often be dictated
by how good your domain name is. Here are some solid characteristics
of an effective domain name to get you started in the right direction.
Good domain names are easily memorable from casual conversation.
Something that can be said once and be remembered instantly. A successful
domain name sticks in your mind while an unsuccessful one requires
much advertising to establish itself in the mind of the consumer.
Apply the ‘Short and Simple’ theory when devising your
domain name. Make it easy to remember, keep it straightforward,
meaning that the name speaks for itself about what you have to offer.
The length should be shorter as people remember or rather recall
shorter domain names than longer ones.
Your domain name should be something that actually conveys only
one idea about what you are. Limit the name to two words if possible,
three words as an absolute maximum. Remember the idea is to create
domain names people can easily recall and type into their browser.
Go .COM at the end of your domain. Make it your priority to get
a .COM name, as it has become the default extension for most everyone.
The.COM extension seems destined to remain the standard default
extension for commercial websites, at least for the foreseeable
future. Keep in mind that it’s second nature for Internet
users to type in .COM in their browsers when they want to find any
site.
Don’t add hyphens or special coding to your domain. No one
will remember to put that hyphen or a space in an URL, therefore,
if they try to locate your site without applying needed hyphens,
the obvious action to that result is that they won’t locate
your website. When your website isn’t located because of an
unusual or complicated domain name, it means one thing. The loss
in sales. The point of a good domain name is to get those people
flocking to your site to generate revenue.
Domain names should carry value. Always remember that perceived
truth is more powerful than the truth itself. A good domain name
tends to heighten the perception of the website’s value, sending
a message that quality of your domain name reflects in the products
and services you offer. Think of your domain name as a ‘headline’
of an article and people will likely judge and visit your site according
to its domain name.
Avoid domain names that are similar or copycat to existing ones.
Not only do you want to avoid legal issues, but want your brand
to be distinct from that of your competitors. Granted it will take
time to come up with a domain name that will work and set you apart
from the others selling the same product or services as you.
Use your domain name to position yourself on the Web. If your domain
name reflects your site’s core benefits and instantly communicates
how different you are from others, your URL will be positioned above
the competition in the minds of your market.
Never use a ‘free’ domain name. This will be the worst
mistake you can make when setting up your business online. Believe
it or not, when consumers are researching online and see that your
URL is with a free site or sites of lesser quality, will quickly
turn away.
In other words, if people notice that your site is hosted with
the ‘freebies’, they will only assume that your product
or service is just as cheap, or worse that you don’t actually
respect your products and services that you are offering. If you
don’t believe in your products, your own target market won’t
either.
Don’t make the mistake of attempting to retrofit your domain
name to your website. You should have your domain name first and
then your business name should be the same as your domain name.
You would think that most people would have their domain name exactly
the same as their business name.
That isn’t the case. Many online sites were not able to get
domain names the same as their business names as they were not available
due to others currently using those particular names online. Hence
the importance of making sure you have your domain first, then you
will be able to have the same name for your website.
There are domain names out on the market for sale that you may
be able to purchase, but a word to the wise, some of these names
come with a hefty price tag. Make sure that the name you select
truly reflects your business goals and philosophy.
In conclusion, your domain name in itself is the ultimate marketing
brand and is in fact, the most important marketing tool you will
possess. Always remember that your domain name also gives the first
impression for your customers and that alone makes an impression
before your customers even reach your website.
Without further ado, choose your domain name carefully and wisely,
add credibility from the get-go and you should fare off very well.
About the Author Gloria Cohen has a strong
background in Internet marketing in helping businesses find new
customers by using effective marketing strategies. Gloria is currently
an editor of http://www.emarketinganswers.com, dedicated to providing
free, comprehensive emarketing resources and online promotion tools.
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