A domain name is the ultimate identity of your website and the entire business/organization. Therefore, one has to be careful before going forward with a name.
Here are a few things to keep in mind before getting a domain name registered:
- Keywords: First and foremost, list out the keywords to be included in your domain name. It should communicate the exact purpose of your business. Make it relevant and catchy.
- To the point: Keep it short, crisp and to the point. For example, if you selling cotton candy floss, ideally your domain name should be www.candyfloss.com instead of www.wesellbestcandyflossintown.com. Remember, the shorter the domain name is, the easier it is to remember and less prone to spelling mistakes.
- Easy peasy: The domain name should have simple spellings and simple words. Easy spellings increase the chances of the user typing the correct spelling in the search bar, else he/she might end up on someone else’s website. Therefore, avoid difficult spellings.
- Extension: Though ‘.com’ is the most popular domain extension, there are numerous extensions to choose from. The extension plays a major role in defining the purpose of your website. For example, .gov is used by Government authorities and has limited access, .biz is used by businesses.
Availability is a major factor while choosing a domain name since there are chances it might be taken. You can always try for a different extension in such cases. - Target audience: The ultimate consumer is also to be taken into consideration. Imagine visiting a website selling video games for boys names www.pink.com.
Imagine the chances of teenage boys visit something with ‘Pink’ in it.
A major challenge which one might face while registering a domain name is that IT IS ALREADY TAKEN. This is usually a big disappointment. In this case, you can always reach out to the current owner and ask if you can buy it. While buying an already registered domain name, keep the following points in mind:
- Spam alert: There might be chances that the website might have been used for spamming in the past. This brings a bad name to the domain.
Don’t end up selecting a blacklisted or banned domain name. - Penalty check: Check for DMCA penalty before buying a domain name. You don’t want to end up paying the penalty later on.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a United States copyright law that heightens the penalties for copyright infringement on the internet. - Copyright: Mostly, everyone gets the copyrights and trademarks. So make sure not to overstep. Even though copyright doesn’t protect domain names, that doesn’t mean domain names are entirely unprotected. Trademark law protects web addresses. And for a variety of reasons, companies are often more apt to go after individual instances of trademark infringement than individual copyright infringers.
Period of domain registration in which trademark holders may preregister names that are the same or similar to their trademarks in order to avoid cybersquatting. This occurs prior to the general launch of the top-level domain. This is called the Sunrise period. - Negotiate: Don’t just buy at the price offered. Always negotiate. And make sure, not to seem too excited if you get a favorable price. Stay neutral.
Though there is not much bracket to cut down the cost, negotiating doesn’t harm!
Choosing the right domain name is one of the initial steps towards a reputed website.
I register domain names using Domain and Server. You may visit their website to register your desired domain name.
Source: Quora Answer
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