A big part of the success of your business lies in a good website. On the other hand, the success of your website also lies in choosing the right domain. It needs to properly represent your business and provide the best possible position in Google search results.
Therefore, domain choice is a key factor in long-term digital success. But how do you choose the right domain and URL shortener that will show people what you are doing and tempt potential customers to visit your website? Here are some answers to these questions.
Terminology – URL And Domain
Choosing the right domain name to represent your business on the internet consists of several steps. As much as the domain must include a business name or a proper extension – it is equally necessary to be unique, different from your competition, and not to cause you legal trouble. And what is the actual difference between URL and domain?
The terms URL and domain are often used as synonyms, but there are differences between them. Specifically, a URL is a direct link that will bring visitors to your site.
An example URL is https://www.mycompany.net/. On the other hand, the URL already contains your domain name, and in the previous example, the domain is “mycompany”. Because of all this, it is very important to research the competition or spell the name carefully. Indicate how the appropriate extension influences website ranking, and what is the last step in choosing a domain.
Think In Advance
While it may seem entirely justified to conduct research and checks on available or similar company names and leased and free domain names in advance – in practice this step is often overlooked. You certainly do not want to get into the situation of having your company identity, logo and website designed, and only then decide to register your domain – and then discover that someone has already leased it. In such cases, you can choose an approximate synonym – another extension in the URL, an abbreviation – or you can opt for a complete redesign of everything.
Therefore, it is important to first research the market situation, analyze the competition and available sources, and then make the most important decisions.
Tools That Can Help You
Fortunately, there are numerous online tools available today that can help you customize your URL links so that they are far more visible to your customers.
Tools like Capsulink are tailor-made for this purpose. Such tools will help you personalize your URL as well as tailor the content to your clients’ needs. By shortening your URL and tailoring it to your needs – you will be able to better target your customers and further build your brand. These tools are especially helpful when you are just starting your own business and want to position yourself online. Therefore, always rely on the advice of professionals who have been involved in the business for years.
Start From Scratch – Your Company’s Name
Sometimes it is easiest to start from scratch because the choice is almost limitless. The most important thing is to start with the name of the company and figure out how to incorporate that name into the corporate design and branding capabilities of the company, no matter what area of business it is. If you consider website optimization – domain is the first element that will be analyzed during site indexing. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully choose the right domain.
Consider some of the following options:
- personal branding (samsmith.com) – creates a sense of trust, authority, and credibility
- generic or descriptive branding (weddingdresses.com) – explains the purpose of the business at first glance
- suggestive branding (buyaphone.net) – explains the firm’s business more closely and suggests to the customer what to do
- free branding (wordpress.com) – does not in any way refer to the area of business
- hybrid branding (bkwebdesign.net) – includes company name (or at least part of it) and business area
Choose the Right Extension -.COM, .NET, etc
The domain extension, also known as an extension, refers to the far right of the URL and includes the last point and what comes after it. The most famous and popular extensions are .com, .net, .org, .edu, etc. Although, until recently, there were only a few of these extensions, their numbers have been slowly increasing, so extensions with city names such as .london, .tokyo and many others have emerged.
Why Is This Important?
The extension is extremely important because it somehow determines the market in which Google will rank the site. For example, if you want to rank in the local market, you should by no means choose a global domain like .com. It should also be borne in mind that it is difficult to compete in the global market for good positions with the .com extension because the competition is incomparably higher. This means that if you want to sell shoes in the UK area, for example – it would be best to take domain such as shoes.uk.
Simplicity Pays Off
Whatever domain it is, users can easily remember simple domains. Two to three words, shorter URL, precision and memorability – these are the keys to the right domain. Creativity is a useful feature, but not when it comes to website domain. If you are making long-term plans, be careful about choosing words and expressions that are currently popular. These terms can go out of use in a year or two – and the organic traffic to your website can drop dramatically. Also, try to avoid dashes, and spell the words as they are.
Check Things Out Multiple Times
Typing errors are occurring, and pay close attention to the correct name. A permutation of just two letters or a different extension may take your visitor to a competitor’s site. Also, it may happen that after the site’s migration, users can no longer find you. Check on your business name well before registering a domain to avoid user confusion – or, in the worse case – legal consequences. Searching for brand directories and trademarks is also recommended.
Find a Provider (and Hosting)
The last step in choosing a domain is to lease it because this is the only way to ensure your business has a digital life. After researching the competition and the market, find a provider that offers the domain registration you want. Also, inquire about the duration of the domain lease, the location of the server, the customer support, the additional services offered, and then enjoy all the benefits of a business website.
Choosing a domain name is part of a successful business presentation on the internet and should be approached with care and dedication. Only in this way can you ensure your company’s long-term and successful business – by positioning yourself in the market as a credible and successful company that takes care of its reputation and builds it the right way.