The first step when creating a website is to choose a domain name for it. With thanks to Nominet for the inspiration for this post, here is a list of things to consider to help you make that choice :
As well as using it for your website (e.g. www.silverwebsites.co.uk), the domain name will also be used for your email address(es) (e.g. hello@silverwebsites.co.uk) so try to ensure it is not too long.
- Is it easy to pronounce?
- Is it easy to spell, or is there a chance of people getting the spelling wrong?
- Does it make sense? I.e. is it clear why you’ve chosen it?
- Does it match/complement your business name?
- Does it explain what you do?
- Does it contain keywords which could help with SEO (search engine optimisation)?
- Is it easy to remember? (the shorter the better and try to avoid hyphens or numbers etc.)
- Is it futureproof? I.e. is it usable as your business grows and changes what it offers?
- Do you want a .com, .co.uk, .biz, .net etc.? “.co.uk” is the recommended one for UK based customers, but sometimes a “.com” or a “.org” might work or sound better. Also consider if you need to secure the different versions, e.g. registering the “.co.uk” and the “.com” domain names and redirecting one to the other.
- Have you asked for feedback? It’s a good idea to get a shortlist of suggestions and ask friends/customers which one they prefer.
- Is it similar to a competitor?
- Is the name (or similar) already registered elsewhere (e.g. a limited company)?
- Check out whether your domain name is also available on social media. From a marketing perspective having the same social handle as your website can really help you to be found (thanks to Eleanor Lester from Shrewd PR for this suggestion).
Want to find out if your perfect domain name is available? Click here for our recommended supplier (Kualo) and start searching.
Need help choosing your domain name, just ask and I’ll be happy to help.
Remember that your domain name is your own, so I recommend that you register it yourself which gives you greater control in the future. I can help you with this process too.