Posted on May 10th, 2010One of the most important attributes in your online presence is you domain. Without the right domain name your brand will suffer. Choosing a good domain name that will create a lasting impression is often easier said than done. Many people make crucial mistakes when choosing their domain name, and in the end it costs their online business lots of time and money. To avoid this fate you’ll need to take heed to the following tips.
Choose a Unique Name And Secure Your Brand
To prevent lawsuits and conflicts with you competitors, you’ll want to pick a domain name that is completely unique. This will help establish your brand as it’s own entity. Once you’ve secured a domain with the original title you conceived, you should then purchase any domain names that would be similar to the original domain. In other words, if your domain name is “webdomainexample.com” then you’ll want to secure the domain names: “wed-domain-example.com” and “web-domain-name-example.com” etc. You’ll also want to trademark your brand name as well. All of these measures will prevent your competitors from capitalizing on your success. Domain names can be purchased for less than $10, so they are definitely worth the investment.
Secure a .com Domain
There are many domain name extensions that can be used, and in some instances there may not be a .com extension left for your domain name. In this instance it would be best to formulate another domain name that has an available .com extension. Although other extensions such as .info or .biz are also viable, these extensions will not give you the maximum amount of exposure that you’ll receive with a .com domain. While you want to secure a .com domain, you also want your name to be something that is very memorable and easy to read and spell.
Incorporate Keywords
It is important to include a relevant keyword in your domain, as this will improve the search engine optimization of your domain. You can use keyword tools to find the right keywords for your niche. Try to pick a keyword that receives many searches, but is low in competition. This way you’ll be the leading presence for this keyword.
Secure Full Rights to Your Domain
Many people assume they have full rights to their domain simply because they paid for it. However, may web hosting companies include domains within their packages, but these domains have restrictive stipulations that keep the domain “owner” from transferring the domain to another host. Therefore the domain is not fully yours, instead it is partially owned by the web hosting company To prevent this kind of situation form occurring you’ll want to purchase your domain from a website registrar, rather than form a web hosting company. If you do decide to purchase your domain from a web hosting company then you’ll want to make sure there are no contract stipulations regarding the administration of the domain.