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How to Choose the Perfect Domain Name
By · 18 April 2019
7 useful tips when buying a domain name
One of the most important decisions when setting up an online presence is choosing a domain name. The right domain name for your website matters, both for your target audience and for search engines. Choose a name that makes sense for your business or brand, and one that will still make sense in 10 years. Below you’ll find our tips to help you make a good choice.
1. Do your homework
A bit of market research is certainly not a waste of time when preparing to buy the perfect domain name. Look at your competitors’ domain names, ask family and friends how your chosen name sounds, and note any feedback. Then make a list of the domain names you prefer, with the most desired at the top. Only after that do you go looking for which domain names from your list are still available and check them off. You don’t need to lock in your domain name right away, since the chance someone snatches it from under your nose is very small. Once your list is finalized, let it sink in for a few more hours before you go ahead with the purchase.
2. Choose a domain that’s easy to type and remember
Even if you plan to optimize your website for search engines, you still want a domain name that people can easily remember and type. Avoid strange spellings of words, multiple hyphens or other characters, numbers, and so on. Anyone who hears your name should immediately know how to type it, without you having to say things like “the number 4” and then “a hyphen”…
You should also avoid words that have more than one spelling. Otherwise your visitors are likely to get confused entirely. If someone types the wrong name twice, there’s a good chance they’ll already give up searching for your website. To work around this problem, you could buy both versions of the name and have both domain names redirect to your website.
Go for a short name, not something cryptic that people will struggle to remember. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool, and you want to make it easy for people to tell their friends about your site.
3. Avoid jargon
Try to avoid using industry jargon, and instead choose a name that will still make sense in ten years. It will also help your name be understood and remembered by non-native speakers. Whether or not you want to do business internationally, this can certainly help when addressing your local audience. And for most of us, especially when starting up your business, that’s your most important target audience.
4. Buy a domain that’s shorter rather than longer
The longer your domain name, the harder it will be for people to remember. And… the greater the chance that someone mistypes one of the words and never reaches you. Most good one-word domain names are unfortunately long taken. Still, you can avoid overly long domain names by being a bit creative. If there’s a single word you really want to use, try adding a word before or after it and hear how it sounds. Just make sure the name becomes an existing compound. The odds quickly improve that this spelling will actually be available. Think of your domain name as part of your brand or business, and make sure it matches how you want people to think of you.
5. Stick with .be if you have the option
Most people assume that a domain name for a Belgian company ends in .be, for a Dutch company that’s .nl, and so on. So if you buy a domain name with a different extension (e.g. .info, .com, .net, etc.), there’s a real chance that someone looking for a local business won’t even click your link. Don’t assume you may only buy .be domains, but never use a country extension (like .es, .it, .fr, etc.) if you’re a local business. There are other extensions to still be able to keep your domain name (.com, .net, .info, etc.).
6. What about hyphens
Using hyphens to separate words in a domain name makes it easier to read. It also makes it easier for search engines to immediately recognize the separate words. However, people often forget the hyphens when typing domain names. So if you use hyphens in your name, limit them to a maximum of two. That way your domain name consists of a combination of 3 words, which is really already more than long enough.
7. Avoid numbers
Avoid digits or numbers in your domain name. People can get confused about whether the number should actually be written as a digit (5) or as a word (five). If you want a number in your domain name because there’s a number in your company name, it’s better to buy both versions (with digit and with word) and redirect both to your website.