How to Buy The Right Domain Name For Your Website?

Launching a new website can be a long and stressful process. Finding the right domain name to go with your site can be even more daunting. Whether you’re creating a website for a new online business, blog or other reasons, having the perfect domain name is vital.

Your domain is important as it can spell the difference between success and failure, therefore it’s essential you make the right choice when it comes to deciding upon a name.

We’ve compiled a list of eight tips that will help you with your journey and ensure you’ve made the best choice possible.

1. Know Your Goals

Before you can even begin to start looking for the right domain, you should have a good understanding of what you’re setting out to achieve with your website. Knowing the exact goal(s) of your website can help you understand what you should look for in a name.

2. Know Your Audience

You’ll need to consider your target demographic as well. Understanding your audience helps you create a relatable name that will draw in potential visitors, and not scare them away. Look for what your visitors might want from your site so you can keep these interests in mind when searching for a domain name.

3. Figure Out The Right Extension

When it comes to domain extensions you’ll find plenty of different options. Some of the more common extensions include .com, .org, .net, as well as .co.

Since .com is the most popular of all the domain extensions, a good rule of thumb is to try and use it with the name you’re wanting. But know that going with .com may not always be the best choice; for example, if your website will be primarily focused on a certain country, going with a country-code extension may be the smarter choice as it can boost your local search engine rankings.

Different extensions have their different uses and benefits so make sure to consider their impact on your website.

4. Keep it Easy to Pronounce

A domain name should be simple and easy to pronounce and spell. One common issue is having digits in a domain; the overwhelming majority of people looking for your site will end up spelling the number instead of typing a single digit into the URL.

Another thing to look out for is the use of hyphens. “Example-URL.com” might sound like a great domain name until you help someone find it; “example hyphen URL” sounds awkward and isn’t practical. To remedy this issue we suggest saying your chosen name out loud as if you were helping someone find it on their computer or phone. If it sounds too complicated, chances are it’s not a great domain name.

5. Avoid Trademark/Copyright Infringement

It’s important to be aware of whether or not the name you’re considering will infringe upon any trademarks or copyrights. Buying a domain and getting your site running only to receive an email from a company that owns the rights to the name you’re using is the last thing you want.

6. Buy Similar Domains

If you’ve found a great domain, it’s a good idea to check for similar sounding domains as this can help drive traffic to your website. Buying domains that sound similar or have different extensions is a smart move as you can have these domains redirect to the correct site.

This helps visitors that may have typed in a different extension or simply misspelled your name find the website they’re looking for quickly and easily. This is strongly recommended for online businesses as losing a visitor due to an incorrect URL can mean lost sales and revenue.

7. Compare Pricing

You won’t have difficulty finding a decent place to get a cheap domain name from. These are referred to as domain registrars and there are plenty of them out there.

Each registrar sets their own prices for domain name registrations based on the extension and registration period; 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, and so on. Some registrars periodically offer discounts on certain extensions and some offer discounts on bulk registrations. Shopping around helps you find the best pricing possible.

8. Research The Domain’s History

If you’re buying a domain that’s been used before, it’s always highly recommended to research its history. Looking into the history will give you an idea of what the domain was used for, who the owners were, how long it was registered for, other sites and pages that link to it, and more.

This step is largely overlooked by many new buyers as they don’t realize that the history of a domain can play a big role in whether or not it’s a good choice. Domains that were associated with spam or any kind of questionable activity should be avoided at all costs as they may make the SEO process extremely difficult for you.

Next Step: Find a Reliable Web Hosting Service

After you’ve found the perfect domain name for your website, the next big task is to find a good web hosting service within your budget.

Some of the most important things to look for in a web hosting plan include: Fast SSD storage, automatic backups, uptime guarantee, adequate server resources, and prompt technical support.

For a new website that has modest content and traffic, a shared web hosting plan would be the best option in most cases. The price will vary from one provider to another depending on technical specifications as well as the level of support included with the service.