The wrong domain name selection can make or mar your business. Your domain name demands hours, if not days, of study and is inextricably linked to your online brand name, website, emails, and digital marketing.
Customers will identify and locate you on the internet if you have a proper domain name.
However, it is challenging to change it after deciding on one. Thus, every business owner must ensure they get the right domain name first, as this will save them a lot of worry and problems later on.
So, before you consider products, prices, or marketing, you must come up with the correct name.
This detailed article will guide you on the right path. We’ll look more closely at how to devise a good domain name for your startup.
Tips On How To Find A Good Domain Name For Your Startup
Here are nine tips for picking the perfect domain name for your startup:
1. Keep It Simple
Registering your brand name as your domain is something you should do if you have one already. It lets people locate you online and connects your company to your website.
When finding a suitable domain name, let it have a maximum of 15 characters. In addition, avoid using slang (e.g., “U” rather than “you”). And avoid using terms with complicated spellings and meanings.
For instance, the domain name museumofartstore.org. Did you find something wrong here? Aside from the domain being too long, the words “fart store” jump out! It isn’t the perfect name for startups. Instead, the brand should go for a shorter, pleasant, and simple domain name like; theartstore.org.
Furthermore, being innovative with your startup’s domain name is a great idea, making it relevant while keeping it obvious. People make typos all the time; you have no control over it. Hence, removing hyphens and digits reduces the likelihood of someone mistyping your domain name.
For example, writing “3” instead of “tree” might lead to confusion about what to input while searching for your website.
By excluding numbers and hyphens, you make your domain name more mobile-accessible.
When typing a URL on the phone, you must transition between the alphabet and numeric keypad, which increases the possibility of mistakes, typos, and confusion. Also, avoid double letters like foreverrare.com. And do not combine letters with numbers, like Creat0r.com
2. Use A Good Domain Extension
It is usually easy to select the extension that provides the best version of your domain. Choose the .net domain extension if your brand name with the.com extension has been established.
A domain name extension provides information about the site to anyone who visits it. Such information is your organization type, your service, and your location.
With that in mind, it’s essential to evaluate your alternatives carefully. Then, select a top-level domain that meets your business’s demands and its users. Besides the .com, .net, and .org extensions, there are many other ranges of domain extensions with different needs. And we recommend browsing them all to choose the one that fits best for you.
Thus, these are commonly called the new top-level domain, or nTLDs. The new top-level domain extension comes with nearly 1,000 new domain types that span around 20 categories. Below are some examples of the new top-level domain extension.
- Fun: .cool, .ninja, .life
Education: .cash, .money, .tax
Legal: .attorney, .lawyer, .legal
Healthcare: .vision, .health, .clinic, .vet
Entertainment: .dating, .hangout, .video, .event
Business: .ltd, .group, .partners, .services
Photography: .gallery, .pictures, .graphics, .camera
News: .media, .chat, .info
Technology: .computer, .engineer, . software, .solar
Food: .cafe, .pizza, .fish, wine
Real estate: .camp, .home, .land, .apartment
Marketing and comms: .digital, .media, .studio, .agency, .studio
Fashion: .gold, .cloth, .boutique
3. Choose The Perfect Keywords
The significance of keywords in a domain has evolved throughout time. Before now, it was a staple of search indexing on sites like Google. And thousands of eCommerce firms relied on it during the early 2000s. Keywords continue to play a role in domain SEO today, albeit in a limited context.
Domains no longer need keywords in their names to rank higher in search engines. However, throwing in a notion or two to create clarity within your brand isn’t a terrible idea. When you add keywords to your domain name, you inform search engines about the nature of your website and explain your company and the services it provides.
For example, if you run an online fashion store, you may need to register a domain name that includes the phrase “fashion.” This helps to boost your site’s rank and attract more visitors from search engines.
4. Conduct A Thorough Search Using Domain Name Generators
Once you’ve decided on a name, check it on the internet. Often, somebody is already using that business name. While this isn’t a show-stopper, it should make you rethink. Technology will make your next round of brainstorming easier.
Thus, there are so many domain name generators available. They exist to assist both established businesses and digital nomads in finding a good domain name that will best fit their needs.
This software allows you to enter a few characters into a dialog box while you receive dozens of new company name suggestions.
5. Research Social Media Platforms For Its Availability
Another factor to consider when finding a good domain name is its availability. While it is simple to determine whether a domain name is registered, your definition of accessibility should also include any other locations where you may be using your domain name.
For example, if you want to raise visibility and engage your people online, you’ll need a social media strategy.
6. Choose A Domain Name That You Can Own Legally
Breaching a trademark might lead to a terrible day. And while recognizing that almost no one registers a domain name to infringe on anyone’s rights, these things do happen from time to time.
As a general rule, anytime you have a good domain name idea and are going to buy it, try googling the name and browsing the first and second pages of results. You’re looking for companies who already use this name and appear to operate in a comparable market or niche.
If you find anything, you should probably choose another domain name.
7. Check The Domain History
Note: This is worth verifying even if you have (what you believe to be) a fresh domain name. In rare situations, the domain name you’re looking for may have previously been registered. But subsequently abandoned by the owner. It’s still worth looking into what was on it.
There are two methods for researching the history of a domain name. Wayback Machine is one of the most popular ones, and it’s also easily accessible (read: not very technical). This is one of the very first of its sort. Simply said, it allows you to enter a time machine and see how any site used to appear in the past.
When we talk of any website, we don’t just mean ‘any website.’ However, you may find web pages that have noteworthy traffic at any moment. In this scenario, using Wayback Machine will allow you to discover if the domain name has ever been used for anything illegal or meaningful.
8. Use Premium Domain Registrar
The most common way to obtain a domain name is through websites usually refer to as domain registrar.
A domain registrar is a corporation that registers a domain name on your behalf and then grants you complete control over that domain name. These registrars frequently offer platforms for people to search for domain availability, buy or sell domain names. And such platforms also let you bid on taken domain names that are available for auction. As a result, they might be a good starting point when shopping for premium domain names.
However, many of these domain registrars have tons and all sorts of domains all mumbled together. This makes it difficult for you to identify the premium domains available in your niche.
And that’s why platforms like Domainify exist.
On Domainify, all the premium names available in your niche have been scouted for and listed for you to just make your pick, saving you the stress of shuffling through millions of domains that are not exactly premium.
9. Look Out For Deals On Premium Domains
A premium domain name may make a significant impact on the branding and web presence of your company. Premium domains are usually not cheap and you might not have an infinite budget. So, there are a few areas you may explore to maximize your odds of obtaining one that meets your unique needs.
Domainify is one of the leading domain markets where you can good deals for premium domains. Our marketplace provides branded packages for businesses. Not only that, you can easily find the premium domain names available for startups in different niches. Also, one can purchase a registered domain name within a few minutes.
Go Ahead And Buy The Domain Now!
Domain names are in high demand. Finding a good domain name should be a pleasant and exciting experience for any startup or online business.
With thorough study before selecting a domain registrar, you can avoid certain costly pitfalls and ensure that your domain—and your business—are in excellent hands for the foreseeable future.
Fortunately, domains are not too expensive. So get your preferred domain names registered as fast as possible.
If you can’t locate an available name, domain registrars such as Domainify may recommend alternative names throughout your domain search to assist you in choosing the right domain name. Visit our domain name selection tips if you’re unsure which one is best for you.
