Domain Names: Stand out above the rest
In this article we go into what a domain name is and why it's important to choose the right one for your business.
Your domain name is commonly known as your ‘web address’. It’s the something.co.uk that is used as the digital address for your website or your email.
Sometimes also known as a URL, your domain name is a set of directions that points visitors to a specific location on the world wide web – and ideally, to your website via your domain.
This can be confusing – so let’s look at an example. Our domain name is pedwar.co.uk. This directs you to our website. Every page of our website contains this domain, but specific pages and articles have a unique URL. Last month’s blog, for example is www.pedwar.co.uk/shop-window-give-good-reflection.
As domain names are unique and direct users to your website, it’s very important to choose the right one. Here at Pedwar we believe that you should consider the following very carefully if you truly want to stand out and be remembered:
Your domain name should ideally include an emphasis on your business name. Users identify a business by its business name. Whilst this is quite an obvious point, it is also one that can often be overlooked!
Keep it simple and obvious so that you are easily found. And use the same name across all digital platforms as much as possible. This includes your website, your social media sites, your presence in online forums and email addresses. Make it easy for people to find you and understand what you do.
Using keywords in your domain name will identify and advertise your business and provide opportunities for your website appear through search. It’s also an easy way to get around already established domain names. For example, if simpletech.co.uk was already taken, you could use simpletechelectricians.co.uk.
You might use geographic locations or product/service keywords. Think about your target audiences and the keywords they are most likely to use; try to incorporate those into your domain name.
Short, simple domain names are far more memorable than obnoxiously long domain names like longdomainnamesareeasytoforgetandhardtofinddontdoit.com
Long domain names are very difficult to read, laborious to type and are prone to typos. It’s also very difficult to understand what they are saying and identify the type of website behind them.
To avoid confusion, don’t use numbers and hyphens whenever possible. Users may be confused as to whether the numerical value (5) is correct or the written value (five). And whilst hyphens help distinguish words in long domain names, they add extra length and create a less memorable name. Short, simple keyworded domain names make digital life easier for your users and makes you easier to find online. When it comes to domain names, less is definitely more!
Using a domain name search platform such as GoDaddy, will enable you to establish whether your hoped-for domain name is available. If it is available, great! You can go ahead and buy it there and then, in all of its various iterations.
But before you do, why not go ahead and Google it? Pinpoint your online competition and consider how your domain name might compete. Are there similar names in your target area? If so, might you add a keyword as in our simpletechelectricians.co.uk.example above?
At the beginning of 2017, there were 330.6 million domain names in use, and this number grows substantially every day. We’ve looked at some of the considerations that need to be taken into account here, but for helpful advice to help you choose a domain that will make you stand out, why not talk to us here at Pedwar?
Call us on 01792 68 71 72 or drop us a line via our contact us page.
