Clients must look beyond a mere website address when picking a domain for their sites. A domain name will become the core element of a brand for years to come. Before registering a domain name, it’s important to perform the research beforehand to ensure it meets a customer’s needs over the long haul.

To avoid costly mistakes, find out more about choosing a domain name.

Here are 10 tips to consider before you purchase a domain name.

1. Choose a Brandable Name before purchasing a domain name

Branding a website can have an impact on its future success, but what constitutes a good domain is worthy of discussion. The important factors are outlined below:

1. A brandable name has no specific meaning (for example ‘Google’ is not a word, ‘YouTube isn’t one either).
2. Brandname must be unique, so your competitor should not use it.
3. The name has to be easy for people to remember and spell (e.g., Google) or pronounce (Youtube). It should not too wordy, with no complex vowel combinations.
4. It cannot contain any offensive words that may cause legal problems.
5. Brand name must be easy to pronounce.
6. The brand name should also sound trustworthy. For instance, if you want to sell cars, the brand name can’t sound like “Car company”. If you’re selling shoes, then don’t call yourself a “Shoe Company” because this will make customers think about cheap products.
7. If possible, avoid using hyphens in your brand names. People sometimes forgot to add hyphens.

2. Keep Domain Name short simple and predictable

Now, Let’s talk about ideal domain names. We can segregate domain name characteristics in 4 ways:

1. The domain name should be short: Domain name characters’ length should be ideally below 15 and nearly 6-7 characters long.
2. Always make the domain name as simple as you can: Underscroll, hyphens, or any other complicated part should be avoidable while selecting a domain name.
3. The selected domain name should contain only alphabetic characters nothing else. You can use numbers in case of exception if your brand name has numbers.
4. Use predictable words instead of using weird spelling combinations. like Graphics to Grafix or Graphix. It is not advisable.

3. Check for competitors’ domain names

Make a list of competitors and analyze their domain names. Find out any type of keyword they are using before the domain extension. For example, you are a roofing contractor then check the competitors’ domain names that they are using roofing or roofer or any other specific words in it.

4. Check social media name availability

After checking the competitor’s domain name, shortlist your domain names. Search these names on social media. If someone has already grabbed these names then don’t go for it. Ideally social media profile and domain name match in order to create a stronger brand. Visitors will feel more confident believing your products and services online, and they will have more credibility as you refer in detail to the quality content you’re creating.

5. Check the domain history

Now after researching social media marketing, your domain name list will be narrow. Now it is time to check the domain history. Despite the fact that you’re getting (what you think is) a new domain name, it’s well worth it to inspect this site regardless. In some cases, the domain name you’ve attempted to register could have been registered in the past, but then abandoned.

There are several methods you can use to look up the domain name history.

1. You may want to do so by using Google or Yahoo search engines. If you find any information about the previous owner of the website, you’ll know if there was an issue with the registration process. This might mean that someone else has already purchased the same domain name.
2. Another option is to visit https://who.is/ enter your desired domain name into the “Search” box on their home page. You will be able to see who owns the domain name as well as when they first acquired ownership.

Contact us or book a free consultation to get help on selecting and registering domain names. We are happy to serve you. You can also register your domain name on our sister website.