by Nathan S
It’s no secret that your domain name (that is, the thing that goes between www. and .com/.org/.net/etc.) can play a major role, both in SEO and online marketing in general. A good domain name increases the ease in memorizing a given site name, and this in turn means more visitors—this is before we factor in any search engine optimization techniques.
The truth is, there’s a good chance you already have at least a rough idea of what makes prime domain real estate, if for no other reason than you have heard stories of domains selling for thousands or even millions. You have probably wondered if there are any good domains left which are not being bought up. If you are considering buying a new domain, however, there’s still a decent chance that you will find something which is valuable to your business. Just remember these tips:
- Brand your Domain: A good domain name is one which supports your brand, not necessarily one that is simply “informative.” Coca-Cola’s domain name mentions nothing about soda; their brand is sufficient to be memorable. While smaller businesses will struggle to develop this kind of brand recognition, it is still important to remember, as it reinforces the following point.
- There Is No “Magic Bullet”: While there are plenty of domain names which are not useful for any company (zzyka.com would be hard to make memorable, for example), there is no one domain which would be useful for any company who owned it. This is just intuitive: cars.com only works if your company does something with cars. Though obvious, I feel that this point is often missed; once grasped, though, it is fairly liberating. Instead of focusing on a general notion of “best,” acknowledging that there is no “perfect” domain frees you up to focus on what domain or domains will connect people to your company.
- Shorter is Generally Better: Keeping your domain name to one or two words is best, as these provide the most memorable entry points for potential customers. Avoid “forgettable” words like “the” or “and” if it can be helped.
- Secure the .com, if Possible: “.com” is what most people default to. I would actually not be surprised if some people don’t know that there are other domain suffixes! As such, having a .com domain is always helpful. Of course, this is also why the .com suffix is normally more expensive than any other suffix.
These are just a few tips for you to keep in mind as you search for a domain, either for a new company website or for redirecting to an existing one. Though domain can help, it should by no means replace other forms of SEO and online marketing.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
