The six things to consider when buying a domain

Building a website is difficult enough without worrying about what to call it, and with so much to consider, it can be tempting to just pick the first name that pops into your head. But the fact remains that good domain name can make or break your business. It’s the first thing people visiting your website will see, and since you’re probably going to spend a lot of time saying it, the pressure to pick a good one is high. So, we’ve compiled a list of six things to consider when choosing a domain name for your business.

READ NEXT: How to start a business

How to pick a perfect domain name for your business:

1. Think about branding

You want your domain to be unique, but don’t go overboard with keywords. Keywords certainly help with SEO and generating traffic, but stuffing your domain name with them is generally a bad idea. If you want to sell flowers, don’t buy Flowers4Sale.com. It’ll blend in with every other flower website and there’s nothing recognizable. Instead, consider using a thesaurus to find more unique and brandable words, play around with a translation app, or find some references to pop culture, history, or mythology.

2. Make it easy to spell/pronounce

You want your domain to roll off the tongue just as easily as it flows into the keyboard. You shouldn’t have to spell it out for people when telling them about your website, and you don’t want potential clients misspelling it in their browser and coming up with nothing. Once you think you’ve got the perfect domain name, ask some people to spell it. If it’s constantly misspelt, you might need to rework your idea.

3. Make it short

The best domain names are snappy and easy to remember. Keeping yours nice and short can help boost these factors. Some of the top websites, like Google, Yahoo, and Twitter, all have 6-7 characters in their names. Yeah, it’s nearly impossible to get a three letter domain at this point in internet history, but it’s not unrealistic to aim for around ten characters. The shorter your domain name, the easier it’ll be for clients to remember it.

4. Only bother with a “.com”

There was once a time where domain extensions existed to indicate the purpose of your website. For example, “.org” was originally meant for non-profits, while “.com” was meant for commercial purposes. Now, with the exception of “.edu” and “.gov”, no one really cares what top-level domain (TLD) you use. That being said, you should almost always go with a “.com”. It’s the most common and recognizable extension, and in general, that’s what people will automatically assume your TLD is. So unless your website is operating locally and you want to snag a TLD like .uk, aim for the .com.

READ NEXT: The horror stories every startup needs to know

5. Check for Trademarks

This sounds like it should be obvious, but it’s always worth mentioning considering how costly and frustrating a trademark infringement can be. You can use a service like KnowEm to see any trademarks associated with your potential brand, or simply Google your desired domain name to see if there’s already an associated website. Make sure to also check websites with a similar domain name, but a different TLD. For example, ExampleFlowers.com might not be taken, but if there’s already an ExampleFlowers.co, you might run into some confusion down the line.

6. Get the associated social media names

When checking for trademarks, it’s also important to check social media to see if the name is already in use. You’ll probably want to set up a couple accounts for your business, and you don’t want to register your domain only to find that the Twitter handle is taken. In addition to trademarks, KnowEm can also check over 500 social networks. Even if you don’t plan on setting up a social media presence for your business, you might want to consider snagging a couple of accounts anyway, in case you change your mind further down the line.