How to Secure a Well-Chosen Domain Name

As discussed in the article, Establishing YOUR Web Presence, a business’ web presence must include its own website. The first step in having a website is choosing an appropriate domain name and registering it.

Before we get to how that is done, let’s first ensure we understand the basics about the what, why, how of domain names with the help of the video below:

Every domain name consists of TWO parts. DOMAIN NAME = NAME + EXTENSION as shown below…

Image source: RHW Websites

The NAME part could be a personal name, a business or trade name, or a combination of relevant keywords.

The EXTENSION part would be one of the following types:

• gTLD (generic Top Level Domain) like .com, .net, .org, .name, .edu, .gov
• pure ccTLD (country code Top Level Domain) like .us, .tt, .jp, .ca, .md
• split ccTLD (country-set subdomains of the ccTLD) like .co.nz, .net.uk, .org.mx

When deciding on a domain name for your business, you should keep in mind what we’ve already discussed about brand identifiers. Your domain name will form part of your brand identity, so choose well.

Our friends at Name Stall offer the following 7 Major Criteria of a Good Domain Name to help you out:

If available, and if possible (financially), you should consider getting the .COM in addition to your country-specific one provided your business is more than local.

If you still need help coming up with a domain name, you should consider using some domain name generators or other such tools to give you some ideas.

Here are some well-known ones that you can check out:

• Dot-o-mator
• Impossibility!
• LeanDomainSearch
• Looka's Business Name Generator
• Namelix
• Wordoid

Now that you’ve decided on a domain name for your business, it’s time to register it. Remember, your domain name is an important investment in the success of your business.

To secure your well-chosen domain name, you must

• choose a quality domain registrar
• register your domain name and, if possible, appropriate alternatives

A quality domain registrar should:

• be accredited by the relevant authority registry (ex. ICANN, Nominet, CIRA, etc.),
• provide reliable customer support,
• offer a wide-range of TLDs,
• have user-friendly domain management interface,
• have NO hidden costs.

For an in-depth coverage of these factors and more, please review the article, Is YOUR Domain Registrar Proving its Worth?

In an effort to protect your brand and prevent cybersquatting or misuse, you might want to consider also registering the following types of domain names in addition to your well-chosen one:

• common misspelling (ex. gooogle.com, 4health.com – misspelling of forhealth.com)
• keyword based domain (ex. mikeautoparts.com)
• singularized/pluralized version (ex. mikeautosparts.com or mikesautoparts.com)
• product based domain (ex. Apple’s iphone.com)
• additional TLDs (ex. .net and .org)

For a more in-depth look at domain names, you might find the following resources helpful:

• Domains – SEO Best Practices
• Domain Name With or Without Hyphen?
• 5 Rules To Registering A Domain Name
• Is it Possible to Create a Website Without Buying a Domain Name? The High Price of “Free”
  

Also, check out our “Domain Name Guidelines” board on Pinterest for some more insights.

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