As you plan your site, you'll be thinking about how to choose a domain name that is effective for both your visitors and the search engines - as well as for you or your business.
Your domain name, your website - a happy couple?
It really is better to plan your site before choosing a domain name - that way, your domain name will reflect what your website is about.
Many web hosts want you to choose a domain name as a first step - and there's no end of advice on the Internet telling budding website builders to choose a web host, get a domain name, and then create your site.
It's so easy to register a domain name - and so easy to change your mind!
Once you've researched your keywords and have a good idea about
the theme of your site
the type of visitors you are writing for
the keywords they are using to find information in the search engines...
... and exactly what your pages are going to be about
- then you can start thinking seriously about domain names.
If you already have a site with good visitor numbers, think extremely carefully before changing the domain name. You can end up with lost rankings, lost traffic, a ton of work and a lot of stress.
How can choosing a good domain name help your traffic?
People can remember it. Not many people will want or need to type your domain name into their browser address bar. But they might search for the name of your site on Google to find the right site - and recognize it when it pops up.
It looks better on a search engine results page. Names are important. They identify you. You don't want your domain name to scream "amateur" or "unreliable".
I don't know about you, but when I search for something at Google, I always look at the domain, written in green under the link and description of the site. Sometimes you can just tell by the domain name that it's not a site you feel like visiting.
Choose a domain name that people will judge to be worth their while visiting - get that search engine traffic clicking on your site's link!
It may help your ranking If you choose a domain name reflecting the topic of your site, this may help your rankings a little. You can use the main keyword that describes the content of your site within the domain name. For example, this site's domain name contains my site keyword: website traffic.
However, this is a minor point in the scheme of things, and not one to worry about. You may already have an established business or website with another name, one that doesn't make use of particular keywords. Or you might want to use a particular name that you hope to develop into a successful brand. No problem.
Don't forget - there are plenty of great websites ranking well in the search engines that don't have keyword-based names.
Tips for choosing a domain name
Keep your domain name the same as your website's name. This avoids confusion.
Put a spin on the domain name. It might make sense to add another word or two to show visitors what to expect from a site.
I've added the word "ideas" to my website traffic domain name, keeping it short and simple. I could have used "guide" or "tips" if those domain names were available.
Start checking out available domains. There's not much point choosing an incredible domain name if it's already been taken by someone else.
You can check out domain names and get ideas from Nameboy. I use a nifty, free piece of software to check available domains - it's called Domain Name Analyzer. Good for both Windows and Mac.
Check you're not choosing an expired domain... ... which might have been banned by Google for some reason in the past - and which won't do you any favors now.
Checking on available domains at Domain Tools should reveal whether a site is expired or whether it has never been registered.
Use hyphens to make things clearer... - if it makes sense. If you're relying on online traffic through links to your site, hyphens won't be too confusing.
However, if you're telling people about your site offline, you will have to tell them about the hyphens - which can create confusion. With three words in my domain name, I considered using hyphens to make things more readable. If anyone does try using my domain name with hyphens, I've parked that domain too, and it directs straight to this site. So...
Park similar versions of your domain name. You might want to park the hyphenated version, or the non-hyphenated if your domain has hyphens. Check out what's available before you decide on a name - do you really want to choose a domain name with hyphens that has a non-hyphenated cousin out there that doesn't belong to you?
You might also consider parking the .net or .co.uk versions of your site too, for example, to protect against anyone else bagging these names.
Go country-specific if necessary. If your site is targeted at a certain country's audience, it may be better to choose a domain name that is country-specific, such as .co.uk
This way, even if your site is hosted in the USA, for example, your site should show up on specific searches from the UK when sufers click the box that gives them results only from the UK.
Choose a domain name that doesn't violate copyright. Use patent or trademark office websites online to check this out - consult with a legal expert if in any doubt, and of course, what I am saying does not constitute legal advice as I am not a licensed legal practitioner :)
Ready to choose a domain name? Great! Now sleep on it. You're sure to change your mind in the morning :)
