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You
should think about registering a domain name before
you actually do it. Many people come up with a catchy
name, or feel the need to lock in their name, and
rush out to buy a domain name. But there are several
things to consider in your domain name. After all,
your domain name is an extension of your business
and your image—don't you want to project the
right one?
These ten tips will help you to pick just the right
domain name for you and/or your business.
1.
The extension you select makes a statement to user
about where you are and who you are aiming to attract.
For example, .co.uk tells people you are operating
out of the United Kingdom, and .ca tells them you
are operating out of Canada. If that is important
to you, then register accordingly. If you would rather
give them impression of being a global company, or
based in the US, then pick a .com name.
2.
Use a reputable registration service. Unfortunately,
some domain registration services are little more
than a scam. They are only middlemen. You tell them
the domain name you want, and they register it, for
a fee higher than you would pay! In the worst case,
they actually register the domain name using their
information, so it becomes very difficult for you
to do anything with your domain name. Do some background
research into the company before you register a domain
with them.
3.
Use keywords in your domain name. These will sometimes
help search engines in ranking your website. For example,
if you sell gourmet dog treats online and from your
own store, but your business name is "Laura's
Homemade Snacks," you might consider two domain
names: one for your business name, and one for keywords.
In this case you might select "gourmetdogtreats.com"
as your domain name to represent to the search engines
and searchers what you are about.
4.
Short names are easier to spell correctly. What's easier
to remember and type in: gourmetdogtreats.com, or laurashomemadeandgourmetdogsnacks.com?
5.
Avoid trademarks from other companies. Companies have
been known to sue website owners for copyright and
trademark infringement, so be very careful if you
try to play off an existing business. Make sure that
you register a domain name in good faith, and think
about the possibilities and connections that might
exist between you and another business.
6.
Avoid hyphens. Sometimes you must use hyphens because
the straightforward name is gone. In that case, a
better idea is to come up with a completely different
name. The problem with hyphens is that users may end
up visiting the wrong site. If you try to register
gourmetdogtreats.com but it is already taken, you
might choose to register gourmet-dog-treats.com instead.
But you run the risk of someone trying to find you
typing in the first address. This means you lose business.
Better to try and register a name like homemadedogtreats.com
instead.
7.
Consider buying several different extensions so no
one else can infringe on your success by registering
a similar name. For example, if you register homemadedogtreats.com,
you might also take .net and .org (with the same name),
since these are the most popular extensions after
.com. That way, no one can register homemadedogtreats.net
and try to piggyback of your success.
8.
Look for companies that offer telephone support. If
you have trouble with your domain name, you need to
be able to contact the company and talk to someone.
If there is no phone contact, that may be a sign that
you are not dealing with a reputable company.
9.
Look for accreditations (i.e., ICANN). Reputable companies
will seek out accreditations because they know it
boosts their business image to be part of a group
that enforces good business ethics and practices.
Failure to have an accreditation does not necessarily
mean the company is bad, but it could mean that. If
the company you are looking at does not have an accreditation,
make sure you check for other things like phone support,
payment procedures, etc.
10.
After you find a company you like, do a search on
Google for "domain registration." Does your
company of choice appear in the first couple of pages
of results, or just via Adwords? If the latter, they
may not have been around for a long time and may not
be reputable. A legitimate company with a solid track
record will be ranked in Google's search engine, especially
within the first couple of pages. Beware of registration
companies that you can only find in Adwords.
These
ten tips will help you as you seek to register your
domain name.
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10 Tips for Accurate Domain Registration
