When setting up a new website, you might have heard about creating or buying a domain. This article will allow you to look at the tips that may be helpful to you when choosing a profession.
What is a domain?
The domain is the name or the address of your website. This allows people to look you up by simply typing in this address in their search bar. For example, the address of your house is what domain is to a website. It allows someone to locate in the vast world of the internet.
Hence, a domain is crucial for your website. Now you have the liberty to either create one of your own or buy one from some other company. Changing a part later in the future can be a hectic and dangerous task as it may shift people from your website. Hence, choosing a website domain that you will never have to change is necessary. Let us look at some tips that will help you decide whether you should create a unique environment or buy one from companies such as GoDaddy or alternative to godaddy that may be cheaper yet just as reliable.
- Brandable name VS a generic term
In earlier times, a generic name full of relevant keywords was the way to go. This was because there were many good generic names still available, and the algorithm worked in that manner. But in today’s world, the algorithm works based on SEO which doesn’t have any link with the domain name. Plus, all the good generic names have already been taken. Hence, sticking with a brandable name may be more beneficial as it is easy to remember and looks more professional and well thought out.
- Numbers and symbols
These numbers and symbols often make the domain more challenging to remember and look sloppy. So unless a number or a character such as a hyphen or a hashtag is crucial to your business, skipping it is the best idea.
- Shorter is the key
As the number argument, remembering shorter domain names is easier for people. This will allow them to visit and re-visit the site as they will remember the site name. Long names are often forgotten or mistaken for something else, which will cause your customers to be lost, confused, and redirected to a website they didn’t want.
- Checking the history
When buying a domain, check the domain’s record. This can be done using a few tools and a simple Google search. If the domain name had a questionable past, such as posting spam or inappropriate content, it might be better to steer clear. This is because the search engine may have penalized it, or people may have had bad experiences with it, which will make it difficult for your new website to reach people.
Two more points that are necessary to keep in mind when buying or creating a domain are:
- Taking care of trademarks and other’s infringement rights
- Look at the extension you choose as they convey what type of website you have.
Choosing a domain for your website is a crucial task and should not be done in a hurry and without proper research and thinking as it may make or break your website.
