Choosing a domain name for an online venture can be a hard nut to crack. This is so to a greater extend because most of the so easy and good names have already been taken. To get a good domain one ought to do a lot of research before purchasing the name. We have compiled some guidelines to help you out;
- Keep it short
When selecting domain names, size matters. Keeping it short doesn’t mean you should turn your business name into an acronym, however the shorter it is the more memorable and easier to use it will be. If nothing else remember these two points on your search:
- All the 3 and 4 letter domain names are currently taken but aim for under 10 letters if possible.
- Try and keep the domain name to two syllables or three at an absolute maximum.
- Choose your residence, country
This is a question most people ask. Should my primary domain name be the .co.ke, org or the .com? The answer is solely based on your preference. If you are a business based in Kenya and your market is mainly Kenyan residents, then a .co.ke holds more sway with search engine ranking than any other domain extension, so this is an easy choice.
That being said, it’s always good practice to buy the .com too and have both, as .com is the standard top level domain name extension and the most popular extension on the web. Another reason to go for the .com is because we are just so used to it.
If you search for a .co.ke domain name (depending on your residence) and the .com is unavailable maybe think twice, keep searching and see what alternatives are available.
- Make it memorable
Memorable domain names are exactly what everybody wants, easy to remember. So pick something that is easy to spell and feels catchy to you. It doesn’t always need to be whole words, however pronunciation is key. Take as an example ‘YouTube.com, and facebook.com’ It’s easy to spell, to remember and to brand. Think about the websites you remember and why you remember them. Straight away we have a movement where two words have been compounded to make one catchy name i.e. YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp. So get combining and see what you can come up with!
- Make it brandable
Competition is fierce so having your own strong brand is important. Make sure that name is brandable, make sure it’s available on your chosen social media platforms before you buy it. Twitter and Instagram are always a good place to start. Whether you have something to sell or something to show people you can guarantee someone else is doing it too and if they aren’t they will soon, which is why making a brand for yourself is so important.
- Don’t rely on keywords
Some people buy domain names with keywords in just for SEO purposes. It is true that search engines take the keyword into consideration but not nearly as much as website content. In 2013 Google removed their Keyword Tool and replaced it Keyword Place, which is aimed towards the success of your campaigns over anything else. Today’s tips for driving traffic to your site are much more content focused, in short there are many more important factors to your domain name.
- What about new TLDs?
If you haven’t heard of the new top level domain names yet they comes in endless shapes and forms. Instead of the classic .com or .co.ke you can now also choose from extensions such as .business .team .company .tv and many more.
Now you know what it takes to get your great domain name for your preferably new website.