How to choose a good domain name:

The first step in creating a successful website is choosing a good domain name. A domain name serves as a unique online identity for your website. It is divided into two sections:

The mid level domain (MLD) and the top level domain (TLD).

For example, in www.company.com, the MLD is “company” and the TLD is “com”. The TLD could be further divided to include the country code, as in .co.uk for United Kingdom domain names.

In order to pick a good domain name, you will need to consider a few key points:

Brand name versus keyword domain names

Domain names consist of brandable domain names, or keyword based domain names:

• Brandable Domain Names: Choosing a domain name as a brand name (e.g. bouncingcube.com) emphasizes upon your domain name rather than the content of your website; thus, your domain name should be catchy and easily memorized.
• Keyword Domain Names: On the other hand, a keyword (example:buy-online-products.com) provides a clearer picture as to what the website is about, and targets search engines more easily.

In other words, if you need to establish brand awareness , like selling some product online, a brandable domain name is favorable. If not, sticking to domain names containing key terms will help gaining some traffic to your website.

Allowed characters in a domain name

The allowed characters in a chosen domain name are the letters, numbers, and the hyphen. The characters in a domain name are not case sensitive.

Length of a domain name

While it is permissible to register a domain name with around 60 letters. It is usually advisable to keep your domain name short, as shorter domain names are easier to remember and less prone to typing mistakes.

Hyphens in a domain name

While aesthetically pleasing, hyphens tend to be easily forgotten. In addition, communicating a domain name with hyphens verbally is liable to error. Therefore, domain names that contain hyphens are generally not favorable.

Country Code Domain Names

If the primary market of your business is local or regional, buying a local/regional domain name could prove useful. (example: .co.uk for United Kingdom , .eu for European Union)

Registering variations of a domain name

In order to protect a brand name, domain name owners might resort to buying several domain name variations. For example, if a company’s website is example.com, this company could buy example.org and example.net. Some companies consider buying common misspellings of their domain name too. Note that redirecting multiple domain names to a single website is an easy process.

Choosing the right domain name is the first major step in establishing a website; therefore, website owners are advised to take their time and meticulously pick their domain name. After choosing a domain name, it is useful to check for opinions of people around you. Doing so would ensure its quality, and provide potentially helpful insight.

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