5 Tips for Finding the Right Business Domain Name

There are many hurdles to starting an online business presence, but finding the right business domain name is one of the earliest challenges you will face. A good domain name is vital if you want to be noticed, with brand awareness playing an important part in your growth. If your business already has branding, choosing the right name is fairly easy. However, startup companies with an idea and no name could benefit greatly by following the following five tips.

1. Branding

Branding is key to a good domain name, but there are various routes you can take. A good brand name should stick in the memory, represent what you do, and be noticeably different from any competitors. A brand could be a strange word, a neologism, or a compound word, but you can also make it specific to your industry. Not every company needs to be quirky and different with many successful companies explaining exactly what they do in their domain name.

2. Avoid Exact Match

Exact match domain names feature your main keyword phrase as the URL. Using exact match domains was very popular a few years ago, primarily because they were good for SEO purposes. With an exact match URL, you could sometimes rank on the first page of Google without even building your site in full. Search engines algorithms have changed since then, so there is no longer the same benefit of choosing your main keyword phrase. However, if the exact match domain is available and appears natural, there is no reason for not choosing it.

3. Private Auctions

Private auctions list many quality domains for sale. Domains may not be renewed or the owner might be choosing to sell, so it is a great opportunity to uncover some gems. A domain owner might have been unable to make their business work, meaning the brand has not become publicly recognized and can be used for your benefit. Another business may not have built a known brand, but it doesn’t mean you can’t find success with the same domain. If nothing else, auction sites like NameJet, Sedo, and GoDaddy can prove to be excellent research and brainstorming tools.

4. Domain Research

If you find your perfect domain name, some research is necessary before you make the purchase. Domains can be blacklisted based on their history, so you can find your new site struggles to get indexed in the search engines. Some common problems include sites that were heavily spammed, hacked, or linked out to explicit content. Rather than trying to overcome any issues at a later date, it is advisable to just search for an alternative domain. Sites like Moz, Majestic, and Domain Sherpa can make your research quick and easy.

5. Top-Level Domains

TLDs provide a good opportunity to create a memorable brand. In the past, almost every site was looking for a .com extension, but a huge number of alternative TLDs have been released to extend the possibilities. While each country has a unique domain extension, occupational domains can also be used to good effect. A few notable examples include .agency, .builders., .plumbing, .company, .property, and .consulting. The .com will usually be your first choice, but a wide array of options provides an opportunity for some innovation.

Many domain names can become valuable even if the business itself is not a great success. However, in the rush to get started, many people make rash decisions with their site name. Rebranding exercises have been incredibly expensive for many established businesses, so it is worth taking the time to make a smart and considered choice. A good domain name will set the tone for your whole business, creating a positive feeling from the beginning.