With the advent of the internet, more and more people are going online to earn an honest living. As a result, the demand for websites (and, by extension, domain names) has gone up.
However, since there are billions of web addresses already in existence, it can be difficult to figure out which domain name you should use. For instance, if you are in the baking industry, you will realize that almost all the good domain names have been taken up.
Although there is no way to get the ideal domain today, the following tips will lead you in the right direction.
To pay less on domain names I recommend NameCheap (around $10/domain). Also, while Godaddy is a little more expensive ($17/domain), you can register a domain the first year for only $0.99 using coupon code CJC99com (source: Lodlois.com). Of course, if you happen to buy hosting too, then almost all hosting providers offer a free domain of your choice, so you don’t have to pay extra for domain registration in that case.
- Go Dot Com
It is far better to add the .com extension at the very end of a name you are not too happy about than to have the right domain name that has another extension. For instance, PlumbersAtlanta4u.com will do much better than PlumbersAtlanta.biz. Also consider that other language keywords such as Tijdelijk e-mailadres can be better if you use the correct domain name extension for that country.
This is simply on account of the fact that most people are likely to remember and recognize the .com extension than the .biz one. In fact, if you use .biz because your chosen domain name has been taken, people might end up typing .com and being directed to your competitor’s website. If you are having trouble spelling on a keyboard, consider reading about typing lessons to improve your skill.
- Be Creative
If the perfect domain name has already been taken—which is highly likely with the many websites there are out there—then your best bet would be to creatively come up with something different that means the same thing.
A good trick would be to add the word “the” or “my” in front of the phrase or word you would like to use as a domain name. For example, your domain could be “TheLovelyHairDresser”. Alternatively, check out websites like Impossibility.org, LeandroMainSearch, and Bustaname to find clever alternatives you can use. These 3 tools offer a great way to find domain names for your purpose that you wouldn’t have thought.
- Be Visible
The trick with domain names is that you have to ensure you can easily be found by anyone looking for you, or for a business like yours. Although your domain might be clever, if you don’t optimize it for search engines the chances are that it won’t attract lots of traffic.
Search engine optimization is a make or break deal especially with regards to domain names and any other type of content you add to your website. For instance, you might want to add a blog to your website to ensure that you have a place to post your relevant and frequently updated articles.
- Choose the Right Registrar
So many platforms exist to serve websites. As such, finding the right place to register your domain name might prove to be something of a conundrum. Here’s some advice on the same:
If your budget is fixed, then you might want to go with a cheap option – such as NameCheap. GoDaddy, on the other hand, has tons of services related to domain names – like email, bookkeeping, and web hosting.
Similarly, you can take advantage of the wholesale prices offered by eNom, particularly when you are looking to register more than one domain name.
- Consider Legalities
Finally, you must understand the trademark laws and legal regulations related to domain names. You certainly don’t want to be sued for including words in your domain that have been trademarked.
To avoid infringing on another party’s intellectual property, do a quick online search for the domain name you wish to use (through the US Patent and Trademark Office). If another party has exclusive rights to that brand name, change it to something else.
Once you have found and bought a new domain name, you will need some quality backlinks to the site. One good source is Justlin Company where you can register your business information.
