These days, almost anyone can build their own website, but it’s still important to know the nuances when it comes to deciding on your website name. Your website holds so many implications for the success or failure of the business. So, it’s important to think wisely.
This article will not only provide you with tips you need for identifying the name of your website, it will even direct you in the key seven steps you need to implement to ensure that others know how to find your site.
- Consider your brand
- Make it easy to remember
- Make sure the name doesn’t already exist
- Optimize for SEO
- Consider your domain extension
- Identify your URL and others if needed
- Register your domain
Everything starts with branding. If your business has a brand that it identifies itself with, that’s your starting point. From there, it’s about making sure internet users know how to get to you. And you do that by focusing your attention on SEO and the simplicity of the name and URL.
Here are the key seven steps you need to know to name your website and register your domain name.
Step 1: Consider Your Brand
The name you decide for your website should reflect your brand. When people see that website they should be able to connect it to your company or your brand. Using a name that has no association with what your company does is not recommended. However, it has been done. Also, think of the future and the values your brand stands for. Take all of this into consideration so your name can still be something you’re proud of eight or 10 years down the road.
Step 2: Make It Easy To Remember
Ensure whatever name you give your website will be easy for the public to remember. Neither should they have to consult a dictionary to spell it. Simplicity is best. Keep it at no more than 15 characters.
Step 3: Make Sure The Name Doesn’t Already Exist
Research to make sure this name isn’t already out there. If it is, this could be a legal nightmare for you. If it already exists, modify it just a bit (and as simply as possible) to keep it in the same vicinity as the original name you thought of. You don’t want to veer too far off from it.
Step 4: Optimize For SEO
So you have a name, now ensure that it has a key name that ranks in google. Don’t underestimate the power of SEO. You want to make sure people will find you.
Step 5: Consider Your Domain Extension
Now you’re ready for your domain. This is an important element and should not be taken lightly. The domain you choose to use quickly identifies to the public the type of site you have. Is it a business, is it educational, is it government? Sometimes the domain extension even helps to identify the legitimacy of the site. Some of the top level domains are:
- .com (commonly used for businesses)
- .edu (commonly used for educational institutions)
- .net (used for a variety of industries)
- .org (commonly used for non-profit organizations)
- .co (used for companies)
- .biz (used for companies)
Some domain extensions are restrictive, so you wouldn’t even consider them unless you were specifically in that industry:
- .tv (used for online projects related to television)
- .post (used for the post office)
- .gov (used for government sectors)
- .mil (used for the military)
There are many other extensions, but these are the ones most commonly used.
Step 6: Identify Your URL And Others If Needed
You’ve decided the domain extension you’re going to use, now break the website name down to a URL. Again, you want to make sure it’s easy to remember; simplicity is best. Keep it short and minus characters other than the basic alphabet, if possible.
It’s possible that after applying the extension to your URL, you find that it already exists. You will either need to look to other extensions or modify the URL for your website. If this turns out to be challenging, consider using a domain name generator. Some recommended ones are Wordroid, Lean Domain Search and DomainHole. These tools will help you come up with a domain name similar to your original idea.
Step 7: Register Your Domain
You’ve got the name for your site; you have the URL, now you have to register it ASAP before someone else does it first. There are hundreds of places to register your domain. Some places allow you to register for free. Otherwise, a domain name can be anywhere from $9 to $24 a year.
We recommend considering the platform that’s hosting your website. Usually, web hosting companies also offer domain registration as a service. Oftentimes, for free. Other sources to consider are:
