If you are looking to buy a domain name, then you already know that it is the name of your website that your visitors will access from their browser. When you are choosing it, it is important to help clients look beyond a mere web address for their sites, as it will be the hallmark of their brand on the Internet.
Searching for a domain is one of the most fun tasks when starting a project, and playing with words and extensions like a puzzle is going to take some time, so here are some recommendations to get you started with confidence. And if you are a hosting and domain reseller, these arguments can help you to better promote your services.
- Check the domain names in your industry
Check what “your competitors” websites are usually called. That is, what domain names are used in your industry or market niche, and this includes whether it is about using the trade name, or if keywords are incorporated, and even what extension is the most used (extension is what comes after the first point).
If you are starting a new website or ecommerce for your new fragrance brand, then you can use names like “fraganciasamor.com”; or “pizzajuancho.com” if you have a page for your own pizza delivery.
- Easy to spell and remember
If the domain qualifies for excellent search engine rankings, and you publish fresh and relevant content, it becomes a great source of traffic; but it is still important that it can be passed on by word of mouth without difficulties to communicate it.
Domains with strange spelling, numbers, or the use of hyphens, can hinder the retention of the name in the head of your visitors, which will make them look for an approximate name in Google when they have to navigate your site, and end up in another site that is not the correct one among their search results. People should know how to write it as soon as they hear it or after a very brief explanation.
Imagine you hire an ad on the radio. The domain has to go into a clear and objective message, not a word you have to spell.
- Don’t use buzzwords
Unless your website is a temporary project, we recommend that you don’t use slang words, words from a specific demographic, words in inappropriate language, or words with little acceptance. Although it may sound cute, it may not go down well enough with your audience, or even seem like your project is a joke. If the objective is long term, then think in terms that will not go out of fashion.
Think that the Internet is global, so you could also attract traffic from other cultures or audiences and languages, as in English; and that is why we recommend neutrality for the treatment and the word.
- The shorter the better
If having an easy-to-remember domain name adds up to several points, if it is short, it is twice as good.
The number of words or length of the words influences the ease of transmitting an Internet domain, and we suggest using the shortest possible terms to achieve a shorter and simpler domain.
- .com extension first and then others
The most popular and easy to remember extension is the .com domain name, and it is used by billions of people around the world. .com domain names usually extend up to approximately 15 characters, and it is one of the most sought-after domain name extensions.
If the domain name you were looking for was not available with the .com extension, then you can search among other alternatives depending on your industry. There are .info, .online, .store, and hundreds of other alternatives.
- Check the landscape
Do a brief research to see if the domain name you are about to register is not being used by another person or company in social networks. The domain may be available, but if you find that a colleague or similar business is using it, it could get you into trouble later.
- Avoid Trademarks
With all the new domain extensions available, people may be tempted to take advantage of the reputation of a brand already established in the market to buy a domain. Imagine registering a domain name using the word “Coca Cola” ( – disclaimer: “Coca Cola” is a registered trademark of the Coca Cola Company, and all that we should mention – ) along with added words and a newly released domain extension, and then using it to distribute your products.
Fortunately, brands have monitoring of their names and legally urge users who dare to register domains with their trademarks to give it up, cancel it, and pay financial compensation. If you think that registering your domain with false data or “protection ID” will save you, you are wrong, because hosting or domain registration companies committed to doing good will provide your real data or cancel your domain without hesitation.
At the same time, if you are creating a new trademark, we recommend you to register it at the Patent and Trademark Office in your country. This will also guide you if someone else has registered the trademark you are looking for.
- Protect your trademark
Even if you registered your idea as a trademark, someone could still buy a similar domain name or another extension. One way to protect yourself can be to avoid bad actors by registering multiple variants of the domain you have chosen as we told you above.
There are also managers and services for registration and custody of your trademark, but they cost money and may be expensive to maintain at first, but it is worth it if you have a long term project.
- Forget the scripts
We already mentioned it and it may be tempting, but try to forget the hyphens when buying your domain. The reading may be easy, but remembering over time that the name has a hyphen in it, or remembering where the hyphen goes becomes complicated.
The risk of not remembering if a site is hyphenated or not remembering where it is hyphenated is that the surfer typing it will accidentally land on someone else’s or your competitor’s site.
- Avoid numbers
Like hyphens, numbers can present a problem. The most common mistake is not remembering whether the number is written in numbers or “in letters”. Who hasn’t?
Something that also happens is that business owners name their domains after the name and height of the street where they are located, but what happens if for some reason they have to move?