
A vital part of any business, big or small, is having a website. To direct people to your site, you need a domain. Some people start thinking about domain names before they’ve even named their business—that’s how important it is. The domain name is the most essential element of a website and choosing the right one is not always easy.
Here is a quick checklist of things to consider when selecting and registering your site domain.
A Checklist For Selecting & Registering a Domain
Use .com Extension
No matter how many extension options are available today, .com is still the most popular and frequently used one. You may want to register additional domains with other extensions as a way to protect your brand. However, your website should always use .com, and any other domains can be forwarded to that main one.
Include Location or Keyword
Although it might not always be possible, consider adding a location or a service-related keyword to your domain. This may offer an SEO advantage if your business is based in one geographical area or if it provides a niche service.
Avoid Dashes, Abbreviations, Or Long Words
Try to keep your domain name relevant, simple, and short. Domains should be memorable, easy to pronounce, and hard to misspell. Symbols, numbers, and abbreviations can make them more challenging to recall. Long domains usually end up being misspelled, and also make uncomfortably long email addresses.
Register The Domain Yourself
Registering a domain is simple and affordable. You should always have full control over your domain. When you allow someone else to register it, you become dependent on that person to renew it for you. You also risk losing the domain if you ever lose contact with them. And unfortunately, some people could hold it for ransom if the business relationship ends badly.
Keep Registration Records
Keep the registration information on file. The convenience of auto-renew payments and 5+ year registration bundle pricing makes it easy for people not to think about their domain for a very long time. But that can be a problem when there is a need to update payment information or make changes to their settings. People tend to forget where it’s registered or struggle to figure out the login for their account.
Register Alternate Domains
If your domain is regularly misspelled, register another domain with the common misspelling and forward it to the correct one. This will help users find your site regardless of having that typo.
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