Choosing Best Niche Domain Names - Tips for Finding Domain Names That Work
Many people think that domain names don't matter, but they are extremely important because they appear in the search results and can become part of your brand.
A classic example is the term 'wotif' which has become a household name in Australia for a discount accommodation website that has become very successful.
Adding a new work to the dictionary is very hard to do. It is far easier to choose a domain name that instantly links to what your site is about. If you use a long hyphenated name people will not remember it and it will look dumb in the search results.
The keyword should relate to your keywords that you are targeting.
Using a '.com' domain name is always preferred because people will always use this phrase first when typing into the name box.
If you choose '.net' or '.info' because the '.com' one is already taken you may be sending many of your customers to your competitors '.com.' site.
Given that most of the '.com. options are now taken, especially for short names you will probably have to make compromises and spend a lot of time searching. This article is designed to provide many great tips on how to choose the best domain name for your website and how to purchase and register it.
Great Tips for Choosing the Right Domain Name
Stick with '.com' - as it is the most widely accepted and expected extension for a domain name.
If run a business that is based in a country outside of America, buy the local version as well and set it up to redirect to the plain '.com'
site ( e.g. .de for Germany, .au for Australia, .ca for Canada, .cn for China, etc.).
Choose a Domain Name with only possible
spelling - This will avoid people not finding you because they can't remember what version applies to your
site
Shorter is much better - I know it is hard to find the short ones but they are easier to
remember and they stick in peoples brains much better an for longer periods of time. Given the shortage you may have to use an
abbreviation - which is OK provided it is a recognisable one.
Commercial Appeal
as a Brand Name - Imagine you have placed your domain name on a billboard or on a commercial - would it
look good there? Your domain name becomes your brand or part of your branding and so
this is really important.
Don't Use Hyphens - You may be tempted to use a hyphen because another
domain name is unavailable, but people won't remember it and there will be lost of leakage of potential customers to the other
site.
Singular vs. Plural - Use your common sense and choose the option that most people are
searching for. If necessary purchase both the plural and singular variations of your domain name and redirect traffic
from one to the other.
Include the Keyword in the Domain Name. This may be hard to do but there
are definite advantages in terms of page ranking and getting a higher position in the search page results.
Keywords are of course vital for getting traffic.
Look around for the best price. Once you have found a domain name that is available it pays to shop around to find a supplier that offers a good price. Many of the suppliers often short term discounts and so it is worthwhile checking every time. You may have to pay a premium price or participate in an auction to secure your name. This may be worthwhile to secure the ideal name and it is a once off payment for life with ongoing registration costs generally less than $10 a year. Do your homework to get the best deal from a reputable and reliable registrar.
Avoid Numbers in the name - Try not to use the numeral '4' to replace 'for' or '2' instead of 'to' - people won't remember them and they look cheap.
Try to Choose Domain Names that are Brandable - A brandable, catchy and memorable domain name can help to making your site a success.
Choose names that are easy to type - Complicated and tricky names will mean that many people will make mistakes and will not find you. Simpler names that are easy to type are better.
Choose names that are easily understood - Makes sure that your name always conveys to a user what the site is about. This will help people to choose your site from the list of sites on a search page.
Avoid any copyright issues - Don't outsmart yourself by trying to choose a name that closely resembles an existing brand - you may get attacked and lose your brand names.
Look for a Recently Dropped Domain Name - The names that are available are very limited, but there are a large number of names being dropped all the time. These names are real treasures because many of them retain links and PR scores which can benefit your site until you get your own ratings and links established. Most of them are free, but you may have to pay a fee for the better ones. It is often worthwhile to pay this fee to get an ideal name.
Choose a Memorable and Catchy Domain Name - This is common sense. Catchy names will be recalled more easily.