Even the best websites can be effectively handicapped by choosing a poor domain name. Your domain name is effectively your online identity and people will make snap decisions about your site based on the name alone. For this reason, you should spend a lot of time making sure your domain name is perfect.
The right domain name is catchy, easy to remember, and highly personalized. People are aware that people make money off of their websites, but people still don't like it when it is blatantly obvious that you're in it for the money. Coming off too strongly with a domain name that seems like you're only in it for the money makes your visitors not trust what you have to say because it is obvious you're only in it for the financial incentive. That is probably one of the biggest mistakes people make in choosing a domain name as of 2018.
What goes into the perfect domain name? Well, here's 5 tips to help make it a bit easier on you.
Make It Easy To Remember & Type In
Using simple language that's accessible to the average person browsing the internet is of the utmost importance. People should be able to easily relay your website via mouth if they had to and have someone be able to get to your site solely through what was said to them. For this reason, you should avoid difficult to spell words or any slang terms or cheeky misspellings of common words unless it makes your website more memorable.
Keep It Relevant
Make sure that your domain name lets visitors know the aim and scope of your website upon first read. When people search for keywords relevant to your site, they're more likely to click a website that they know deals with that kind of material. Not only does it make sense, Google favors websites that have names that are topically relevant to their content.
Ensure There Are No Copyright Claims
Having a branded/brandable domain, is a great way to have a catchy website name that's topically relevant but also shows you have something resembling a passion for what you're writing about. You need to make sure nobody has already taken that name for themselves, though, so you should do some research into your chosen name to make sure it is you and only you taking claim of that particular string of words.
Act Quickly
As soon as you have your domain name picked out, you should purchase it immediately. Waiting even a week or a day's time can mean someone else can snatch up your domain name and you'll have to pay a much higher amount for the domain than if you purchased it yourself directly from the registrar.
Avoid Numbers Or Hyphens
Hyphens and numbers make your website less easy to remember and convey to people. Number for instance make it confusing as to whether or not your website is coolgadgetsfive.com or coolgadgets5.com. In a domain names site the less possible confusion, the better. Not only that, having numbers or hyphens in your name gives off a less trustworthy vibe overall, whether you are or not.
These five tips are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to picking out a domain name that'll command respect and have a serious online presence. Remember to keep things brief, memorable, and topically relevant. Once you've sat yourself down and figured out your name, don't dawdle in making the purchase!