how important is the domain name?
Fundamentally, a domain name is actually what your appearance will be known as, whether an extension of you personally or as a unique commercial entity.
The domain name will become your brand name and a significant part of your branding.
(To brand means establishing consistency through tying your site together with elements such as an appropriate domain name, color scheme, logo, consistent page design, typography, and content.)
Branding creates an individuality that gets you noticed, remembered, and sets you apart from other sites in your niche.
Like our domain name (webinfopros.com), whether good or bad, it tells the viewer something about what we do or who we are.
Quite often, you will see domain names that are clever or attempting to be cute. But the more important characteristic of the domain name is whether a viewer remembers it or not.
For example, you may have a novel idea for a domain name that is a play on words, such as soap4u.com. It says that the site wants to sell you soap, but if someone personally says its name, will it be understood as "soapforyou.com" or "soap4u.com". Consider the possible mix-up a domain name can instigate.
Also, try to refrain from using hyphens and repeating the same letter in a row, e.g., "new-dealssales.com." If the viewer misses either the hyphen or the double "s," no one will find you.
The point is that a domain name should be able to pass a simple test. If spoken, would it be easily identifiable, understood, and without any confusion as to what to enter in the search bar of the browser.
Along this same line, the general thought is that a domain name should be no longer than fourteen (14) characters, with the average domain being twelve characters. The longer the domain name is, the higher is the likelihood mistyping will occur. And if misspelled, the viewer will not get to your site.
If you are trying to get recognized and influence a region or locality, consider using the area's name in the domain. A bakery shop may sound more appealing to locals if its domain name is something like "bostonbakery.com," even though the name of the business is not Boston Bakery.
The domain says you are in Boston, and you are a bakery. So, when someone searches for a bakery in Boston, guess who will probably be toward the top of the search results.
Taking another or different approach, let's say that your business' name is Jones Bakery, and jonesbakery.com is not available. Still, you would like to use your business name in the domain name because it has some weight in your local market.
Try this, jonesbakeshop.com, or jonesbaker.com, or jonesbakes.com. It will help to preserve and promote your brand and business identity. While still getting the point across without having to go to some abstract and vague domain name that has no relationship to what the site reflects.
Some pundits think domains like google, yahoo, and Twitter make for immense brand recognition. What they neglect to realize is that it took billions of dollars to create their presence and years to get there.
Besides that, when you first saw google, yahoo, or Twitter, did you or anyone know what they were or what they were about?
Our suggestion…fight the temptation and stay away from using something trendy or contrived. The likelihood is possible that it may hurt and not help you in the long run.
should keywords be in the domain name?
What is also critical for getting search engines and visitors to find you is the proper use of keywords in your domain name. (A keyword is a word that significantly describes the content and acts as a search term.)
An example of keywords brought into a domain name would be "resumehelper.com." Not only does the domain say what the site is about, but it is instrumental in getting noticed by the search engines.
For this very same reason, you should use keywords in the headings, page titles, and the body of the text. But be careful not to overload the text with keywords. This practice can get you downgraded by search engines.
Search engines like google, do not what the page to have more than 3% of the text in keywords. Too many keywords look like the site is loaded with terms that are meant to pump up search ranking and not to be informational. That is the problem with algorithms. They don't really think like humans and can't really grasp the contextual nature of the content. So spread your keywords wisely throughout your page. That also applies to their use in titles, headings, and subheadings.
Another method to build a sense of credibility in a region is to use region-specific extensions, like .ca for Canada, .it for Italy, .de for Germany. (No, ".it" does not stand for internet technology.) There are some restrictions for the use of these types of extensions, so be aware of going into it. But if you want to concentrate on a market geographically, this is a possible way to accomplish that.
simple rules for domain naming
Remember, when composing your domain name, follow these short but crucial guidelines. They will help focus on the essentials for picking suitably:
- as short as possible
- about what you are
- easy to remember
If there is a problem with domain availability or need help with domain names, there are free domain name generators on the Internet that can be very helpful.
Also, we suggest that you make sure that there are no negative connotations or associations with your choice. Search online using the domain name to see what comes up. Now is the time to see if there are any problems with the domain reputation on the web. That also would apply to social media, or whether you can even use it as a brand name.
To make it easier to see if there are any problems associated with the domain name, research it at knowem.com. There you can verify domain availability or if it is already trademarked. You can even check if the business brand name is usable on over 500 of the most popular social media platforms.
what is a domain extension?
Oh, yes, one last item about a domain name, and it has to do with the domain extension, i.e., that part of the domain name that comes after the "dot."
Using the wrong domain extension can hurt or make it difficult for the viewer to take you seriously. What does that mean?
The ".com" extension is still recognized by most as the preferred designation for a commercial website. So, if you intend to go out in the world as a place to conduct business, make sure that you use .com. It may not sound important, but it is. Impulsively, most people that have been on the Internet automatically finish the web address by adding ".com." It is just pure reflexive.
There is a possibility that you can get what you want in front of the "dot." However, we suggest avoiding extensions like “.website", ".tech", ".io", ".shop", ".store", or even ".biz" if possible, if you intend for your site to be acknowledged as a commercial enterprise.
Extensions, which give a signal that the site is about informing or educating its visitors, like ".org" or ".info," are acceptable. These extensions lend the impression that the site offers expertise or proficiency in the subject matter. If that is your intention, this may be the way to go.
But the ".com" extension gives the viewer a sense of longevity or having been around a while.
how to choose your web host?
There are quite a few choices due to the number of web hosting providers in the marketplace.
While there are many excellent providers, there are a few that are better than most. In our review section for web hosts, we will go through the strong points of those that we feel the best of the rest should possess.
What we will consider in this section are the general primary principles of what you need in a web hosting company.
But first, what do you need your web hosting company to provide?
This question relates to what is the purpose of your website, and what type of format it should employ.
Before picking a hosting company, you need to realize what you want to accomplish with the website. That is, what is your audience, and what do you want them to get from their visit?
Here are some of the significant whys and wherefores of site formats that you need to consider before choosing your hosting company. Basically, not all hosting companies fit all of these site structures:
- Personal: for sharing with family and friends
- Business/professional: to promote your public image as a professional
- Informational/educational: for providing needed material on specific subjects
- Community building: to share ideas with those that have the same interests as you
- Portfolio: to showcase your talents
- Product brochure: to create an online platform for your products
- E-commerce: to sell products or provide services as an online store
Other subcategories get more into the minutiae, but these are the main types.
Since web hosting companies cater to particular categories, it’s wise to review the information highlighted at the top of their homepages. That is in what they specialize, want to sell, and usually indicate what their price leaders are.
Considering that there are over 300 vital hosting companies, there is one that will suit your requirements. But make sure that their scope of services is not too narrow. There will be a problem in the future if your requisites change or your organization grows beyond its capabilities.
