Five Things To Consider When Registering Domain Names

Registering a Domain name is an important first step in gaining an online presence. Well chosen domain names can make your website a success in many ways, especially when it comes to being found on the search engines. It can also provides brand consistency if you match it directly to your business name or service.

Below are five factors that can help in your decision in choosing a domain:

Domain Extension

The original and most popular domain extension is the .com. A lot of people having been very familiar with this extension for a long time and associate the .com extension as the standard extension for a business. It is often a tendency for users to search for the .com version of a website, even if doesn't exist before checking for other extensions. The .com domain extension is also one of the most sought after extensions when it comes to aftermarket sales where owners privately sell domains on for inflated prices.

Views on domain extensions have been changing in recent times with less emphasis being placed on the extension and more on the words used before the extension i.e. 'yourcompany' .com, 'mycompany' .com because this can have bigger impact on brand consistency and search rankings to a certain level rather than the extension itself.

There are now many other domain extensions to choose from including .co.uk, .net, .org, .biz, .me, .tv, .eu, .tel and many more. Most domain extensions today are just as likely to be indexed by search engines as any other domain.

Considering name protection by registering your chosen name in multiple extensions is also recommended. Some of the most popular extensions are .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz and .co.uk. If you do want to protect your domain then it would be worth checking it is available in these extensions as well.

Keywords

Choosing domain keyword or keywords is an important aspect to consider when choosing your domain name. Where possible you should attempt to embed a main keyword or phrase into a domain name. This keyword or phrase could be your company name, a service you offer and should be relevant to the focus of the website.

Hyphenated Domain Names

Hyphenated domain names can sometimes be more difficult to remember and to communicate effectively. There is potential to forget the hyphen or put it in the wrong places when information is passed on by word of mouth and therefore it is wise to avoid them. This is purely a communication issue so, if there is no choice but to choose the hyphenated version then continue to do so.

Short and Memorable

Choose a domain name that is short, memorable, and easy to pronounce if possible. A shorter domain is usually easier to remember than a larger domain name. Word of mouth advertising is considered to be one of the most popular forms of advertising in a business therefore a short, memorable domain is ideal for people to remember your site and pass the word around. Ensure your domain name registration is topically relevant, whether it be brand or service related.

Trademarks and Copyrights

Avoid other companies' trademarks and copyrights when choosing your domain name. Legislation has been passed making "CyberSquating" illegal. Be ethical in your domain registrations to avoid any possible legal problems.

And finally, treat your domain name as an asset and keep all your domain name passwords and all other details safe.

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