How important is the right domain name?
It’s very important. First impressions matter. Your domain name is your visitors first impression of your company. A good domain provides a sincere and direct experience.
Domain names send an important signal to search engines, and to your customers as well. So the big question is: Which factors are most important when selecting a domain name and what can you do to improve yours?
Use .com
The preferred Top Level Domain by far is “.com”. The “.com” TLD was created to distinguish a domain as commercial vs “.org” for non-profits. The reason most people choose “.com” as their Top Level Domain, is because it gives them world wide exposure for their commercial enterprise. The vast majority of Internet traffic is generated by websites using “.com”, which is now regarded as the de-facto standard for online business.
Shorter is better
Concise domains are best. They are easier to type, easier to remember, and better in social media and advertisements. Also, check your spelling and make sure the domain is easy to pronounce. If its spelled poorly or difficult to pronounce it will be nearly impossible to remember.
State your purpose
Make it obvious as to what your site is about. Search engines and your customers both appreciate it when you plainly state your purpose in your domain name. So if you are in the car business, use “auto” or “car”.
Include keyword(s)
Including keywords in your domain names also helps maximize your Search Engine Results. Consequently, your most important keyword(s) should be included in your domain name. For example, if you are selling properties, then “Properties” or “Property” or “Homes” should be in your name.
Location
If your business is local, consider including your city or state in your domain name. If you operate in a specific region, consider adding that as a keyword. Location examples could include “Southeast” or “Dallas”.
A local domain name is a good tool to capture consumers searching for businesses like yours in your locality. Click here for more.
Choose Age
Sometimes an older domain name can be found that will have an SEO advantage over a new domain name. Treading carefully, you may be able to use this remaining SEO power to your benefit. Consider an older name if its website was active for 3 years or more but only if the site was still in operation fairly recently. Otherwise, odds are good that any remaining SEO boost will have already faded.
For maximum benefit, confirm that any backlinks are from reputable high quality sites, rather than lower quality directories.
Use familiar keywords
Many people are busy, overworked and stressed. So, keep things easy and familiar. Make them comfortable by choosing a simple and direct domain name. Familiarity builds brand recognition and loyalty.
Summary
A good domain defines credibility while at the same time optimizing consumer response based on search engine results.