The Beginner's Guide to Choosing the Perfect Domain Name

Choosing a domain name is probably the most difficult thing you have to do when setting up a website. You may think you need to spend days trying to figure out what name to use but there is no reason you can’t come up with a great name in a short time.

This article provides you with tips that can help ease the process and ensure you choose a name that suits your brand perfectly.

So, how can you arrive at that perfect domain name?

Think of something that adequately represents what you do

Your domain name should give visitors an idea of what the website is about even before they visit your landing page.

Your domain name should project what you do as a company – if, for instance, you run a dance crew and you are looking to get traction for your crew online, a domain name like thecreativedancers would be great.

Choose a name that is not complicated

Because less is more, and simplicity is sophisticated, it is best practice to choose a domain name without complications.

What you want is a simple domain name that checks the following boxes:

Easy to memorize and pronounce: If people find it difficult to memorize your domain name, they may never return to your website or share that amazing post you have there with their friends. You need a name that people won’t struggle to remember, preferably a short one.
No punctuation marks or numbers: Underscores and hyphens are not your friends. It is better to use words instead.
No wrong spellings: It may sound great to use realtymegist but 97% of the time people would type in realtimegist instead.

Try a domain name generator

There are applications that can give you different options to choose from. All you have to do is input a search term and you will find many results related to it.

Chances are you will find what you are looking for, but in case you don’t get one immediately, you will still have more domain name options you can tweak until you find one that works for you.

Some top domain name generators are Lean Domain Search and Nameboy.

The dictionary/thesaurus is your friend.

When nothing else seems to work you may need to use a thesaurus or a dictionary.

It is not easy to find the right words or phrase that capture what your brand is about, but don’t give up on that idea or word because it is already taken, a careful search through the thesaurus will provide you with synonyms and related ideas you can use.

Avoid legally contestable names, no matter how awesome

People get sued for infringing on a trademark. To avoid this, ensure that the name you choose isn’t similar to something that is already being used, especially by another brand which operates in the same niche as yours.

You can find this out by searching on Google. Scan each result on pages one and two and if you are in the clear, buy the domain.

Buy your domain from a trusted source

The internet is fraught with all kinds of fraudsters. Domain name registrars are not exempt either. Therefore we recommend that you purchase a domain name from tested and trusted sites, which have a reputation to protect.

Choose a perfect domain name extension

There are many domain name extensions, the oldest and most popular is .com. About 47% of websites use this TLD (top-level domain). You could also opt for more specific TLDs that make it easier for people to find you because it creates awareness in and of itself.

For instance, consider a .shop or .store if you plan on creating an e-commerce site. If it’s a local business intended to focus on local customers, using a TLD for that country is not a bad idea either. Other options include: .it, .blog, .club, .fm, and so on.

With all of these at the back of your mind, that seemingly difficult process of choosing the perfect name for your domain name becomes a walk in the park. For more information on choosing the right domain name for your website visit https://www.openhost.co.nz/domain-names