The first, and most critical, step for registering your domain name is choosing the right one. The perfect domain name is memorable, unique, easy to spell, and will rank high in searches. Heres what to do.
1. Keep it simple. The shortest and most direct domain name is always the best. Youll have to get creative to find it, though, because almost every single word in English is gone. Most of the best domain names being registered today are a company name, a persons name, or two-word combinations. If you use a two-word combination, try to own it both with and without the dash: happydogs and happy-dogs.
2. Try to use a domain name with your keyword in it. If you have a dog-oriented business, the happydogs/happy-dogs domain names are perfect.
Why Because when you use your keyword, the search engines take notice. A dog-oriented web site with the word dog in the URL is always assumed to be closer to what a searcher is looking for than one that doesnt have that word in it; because the search engines are in the business of giving searchers what theyre looking for, they will rank that site higher.
3. Dont use creative spelling. Your customers arent looking for a puzzle, theyre looking for you and your product. You can use the number 1 in your title, but dont register the website Cre8ive; no one will ever find it, and it means nothing to the search engines.
4. Before you register, try to come up with at least a dozen different names; your top choices will almost certainly be taken, but its much less frustrating to register names when you have plenty of alternatives ready to go.
5. If you have a business that does a lot of volume in the UK or that is targeted specifically at a UK consumer base, getting UK in your domain name is a great way to rank higher in the search engines. The primary extensions for United Kingdom websites are .com and .co.uk.
However, most of the best domain names with these extensions are taken. Avoid buying a .info or another alternate extension; few people look for these. You should also avoid the .org extension unless youre running a non-profit business. Acceptable alternatives to these extensions are the .uk.com and the .net extensions. If more than one of these extensions is available for your domain name, you should buy them all; domain names are not expensive, and you can point multiple ones at your web site. Buying multiple similar names ensures that you keep the competition away from your name, and that any search for your domain name will bring you up. Most large corporations use this trick; companies like Disney buy up every trademark they own.
6. When you register a domain name, as soon as the traffic starts picking up on it go ahead and renew it for multiple years. This is an investment. Even if you dont keep the site yourself, you can resell your valuable virtual real estate at a profit later. Renewing it for a long time can keep someone from sneaking in and registering your domain name if you miss the expiration, too.
7. Register with a company that has been around for a while and charges enough that you know they wont go bankrupt. This makes it much easier when you renew; instead of re-registering, all you have to do is let your registrar know that you want to renew. Shop around a bit, though, so youll have a good idea of price ranges.
Clare Lawrence is CEO of Discount Domains Ltd A leading UK provider of
Please feel free to re-publish this article provided this reference box remains together with a hyperlink to
If youve tried to register a domain name recently, youve noticed; all the really good .com names are gone. Try it. Choose any animal, any generic medication, any sport, any mode of transportation, even emotions or silly names. You have very little chance of finding any of them free in the .com listings.
Fortunately, for businesses that do business primarily within the United Kingdom, Central Nic offers the alternative of the uk.com domain extension. You might think that this isnt an alternative for you, that no one looks at the uk.com names.
But the truth is, the uk.com name is starting to be accepted by the British public as an alternative to .com. Better yet, more people who are looking to do business primarily with British businesses are using the .uk.com name to find British businesses. This is really good news for you.
Some of the advantages of getting just the right domain name are:
Search Engine Placement
Search engine listings today frequently have millions of hits per search. The higher you are in this listing, the better your chances of drawing the right customers to your site. Most people whove done anything with search engine optimization know that careful use of your keyword and inbound links to your page affect your placement. But did you know that if you have your primary keyword in your domain name, it can improve your rankings
Your Business Name as Your Domain Name
With the benefits of instant recognition and a bump in the search engines for anyone searching for your business specifically, using your business name as your domain name has a remarkably positive effect. Your business name should be the first .uk.com domain name you look for.
With both this and the simple keyword, though, you should act quickly; the competition is increasing as businesses and other customers realize the value of these names. If youre a professional a doctor, lawyer, writer, or anyone with aspirations to celebrity you should register your own name as well, both to preserve your rights to the domain name and to protect yourself from what someone else might put on the site with your name. Cyber squatting, or taking someones name or business name to resell back to them at a handsome profit, is an increasing problem.
If at all possible, buy both your business name and your keyword for domain names, and talk to your host about having both URLs point to the same business website.
People Remember You
One of the best advantages to using a simple but memorable domain name for your website is that people remember you. What good does it do to advertise on the radio if no one remembers the URL listed on the site Same for billboards, television, newspaper, and often even direct mail.
If youre fortunate enough to find your keyword open, register it as quickly as you can. If you wait, someone else is likely to register it before you get a chance.
Clare Lawrence is CEO of Discount Domains Ltd A leading UK provider of
Please feel free to re-publish this article provided this reference box remains together with a hyperlink to