How To Choose A Domain Name

What You Need To Know When Picking Your Domain

The process of selecting your domain name is exciting – you’re finally taking big steps to launch your website! However, it can also be a frustrating process as you try to find a name that perfectly reflects your company and isn’t already taken! Today we are going to show you how to choose a domain name. From online generators to best SEO practices, we’ll cover everything you need to know when getting started!

Using Your Name

One of the first ideas you will probably have for your domain is to use your company’s name. This is a fantastic option! It’s clear and to the point, and people only have to remember your company name! Using your name is also great for your SEO, as Google has another place to pick up your name as a keyword when people search for your company.

It looks like my company name is already taken…

Bummer. We know that it’s hard when someone else already has your company name for their domain. The first thing you will want to do is see if a different variation of your company name is available. Maybe ad ‘co’ or ‘inc’ at the end. Shorten your name or try a slight variation that holds the same meaning. For example, if the name you want is sprinklesicecream.com, try sprinkles.com, sprinklesicecreamco.com or sprinklescreamery.com!

Include Keywords

Your domain name is a great place to sneak in extra keywords to improve your SEO. Think of keywords that you want to rank for and incorporate them into your domain! While we always promote using good longtail keywords, when it comes to domain names, you’ll want to keep them short. Which brings us to…

Keep It Simple

Make sure that your name is short and easy to spell. People won’t be able to remember a long domain name, so you’ll want to make it clear and simple. Avoid using hard-to-spell words and special characters like dashes and exclamation points. If your name is too complicated to spell it could take people a few times to get it right, and they might give up on finding your site entirely. Simplicity is key.

Make It Catchy

Make sure that your domain name is catchy and memorable! You want a clever name that will help people remember you. While you don’t want to be too obscure – see point above – you should try to do something fun with your name to help you stand out.

Use A Generator

Struggling to think of a good name? Try using a name generator! Domain generators can be helpful if you’re looking for inspiration or simply can’t think of anything you like. Just make sure that your generated name follows the best practices above! (Check out this blog from The Meisle for a list of great generators!)

These are just a few of the ways that you can go about finding the best domain name for your company! Of course, there are other things that you will want to consider when picking your domain, and you might want to ask a friend for help when you’ve got your options narrowed down. After that, you’ll just have to buy the domain and you can launch your site! If you’re still wondering how to choose a domain name, contact us, and we would be more than happy to chat with you!