San Pedro en Linea is a leading San Pedro de Alcantara web design company. As such we regularly publish articles that we hope you find informative and useful in the development of your own internet presence. In this article we take an in-depth look at domain names and how to choose the best domain for your business or organization.
The right domain name for your business
So you want to set up a website for your business? But how do you go about selecting a domain name that will best represent your company online? We offer a number of handy tips to take into consideration when choosing a domain name.
Why you need a domain name
Think of a domain name as the Internet address of your website. In the same way as consumers can locate any store by going to the right address (e.g. 101 High Street, Anytown), the domain name allows potential customers to locate your website by typing your address (e.g. www.mybusiness.com ) into their Internet browser.
Once registered, your domain name is unique to you, which means that any Internet user who types that name into their browser will automatically be directed to your site and no other.
Besides acting as your online ‘address’, your domain name acts in a similar way as your company name and logo, as it identifies who you are or tells potential customers something about your business while giving them a specific image of that business.
Domain names are also a lot easier to remember than the IP address of the computer that hosts your website. This is all thanks to the Domain Name System (DNS), a directory service which translates domain names into the IP addresses of the computers which host the websites you wish to connect to. Instead of having to type an IP address like 80.86.41.172 into your Internet browser, the Domain Name System allows you to enter something simpler like www.mybusiness.com and still be directed to the right website.
As a general rule of thumb, choose a name that is not too long, that is easy to remember, and that catches the attention of Internet users while creating the image your company wishes to promote. You should also try to opt for a domain name that relates to your company name (if you already have one) or that in some way describes the products and services your business provides (e.g. www.widget-supplies.co.uk).
Choosing the right domain name
The following principles should help you choose the right domain name for your business:
Keep it Short
Short names are easy for people to remember. If your domain name is short and simple, potential customers are also less likely to misspell it when typing it into their Internet browsers. Where possible, avoid the use of non-alphabetical characters and the excessive use of numbers.
You can’t use blank spaces in domain names, so if you opt for a name of two words or more you may find it necessary to use a hyphen to distinguish words (e.g. www.my-business.com). Remember, though, that the use of non-alphabetical characters makes your domain name more complicated and can therefore lead potential customers into errors when typing it into their Internet browsers.
Company name or product description?
The easiest way to select a domain name for your business is to use your company name, e.g. www.mybusiness.com . If, however, your company name is rather long or difficult to remember, (e.g. www.beagle-shyster-and-beagle-attorneys-at-law.com) should consider using an abridged version (e.g. www.bsb-law.com ).
Alternatively, you could simply select a name that describes the goods or services your company provides (e.g. www.legal-services.co.uk). This approach can be effective in helping to bring targeted traffic to your website.
In some cases, though, you might find that using either your current company name or a descriptive name as your domain name promotes the wrong kind of image or makes you sound, well, rather boring. In this case, read on.
Make it snappy
Just because you want people to be able to recall your name quickly and spell it easily, it does not follow that your domain name has to be composed of everyday terms and phrases. In fact, domain names composed of unusual phrases can often grab the attention and curiosity of potential customers and make your company sound more exciting. Some of the catchiest names on the Internet use words that are not exactly part of everyday speech: ‘google’, for instance, is based on an obscure mathematical term. Be imaginative.
Image is important
As well as being short and memorable, you should try to select a domain name that creates the right image for your business. If, for example, your company is a leading supplier of potted meat products, selecting www.beef-paste.com as your domain name may not promote a professional online image even if it accurately describes your product.
The ‘brand’ name
If your company is particularly ambitious, why not aspire to make your domain name a ‘brand’? Think about sites like www.google.com or www.ebay.com. These are ‘brand’ sites because every Internet user has heard of them. After all, the easiest way to get potential customers to remember the address for your site is to make your domain name as famous and familiar to consumers as Coca-Cola or Nike!
Pay for your name
One word of warning – avoid the offer of free domain names. Such names usually limit your choice and provide a web address that acts in direct opposition to the principles outlined above. If, for example, you have Internet access at home, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) possibly offers you free hosting/webspace for your site. Although free, the name provided with this service could actually cost your business more in the long term as it can appear so convoluted, forgettable, or unprofessional that it sends potential customers away. What customer is likely to be impressed by, or even remember, an address like;
‘www.mybusiness.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/mybusiness/index.html’?
.com or .co.uk?
You have quite a lot of choice when it comes to selecting the right ‘extension’ (e.g. ‘.com’, ‘.co.uk’) for your business. If you are wondering what difference this might make or why you should opt for one over the other, here are a few simple pointers:
Doing it the Dotcom Way
The domain name ending in .com is what is known as a generic top-level domain (as distinct from country-code top-level domains like .co.uk, which are discussed below). Opting for a generic top-level domain name has the following advantages:
If your business trades internationally, a generic top-level domain name like .com may be a better way of reflecting the geographical reach of your business and of attracting a large number of potential customers.
You can register numerous generic top-level domain names besides .com. If, for example, you find that www.mybusinss,com is registered by someone else, you can opt for alternatives like .net, .biz, .org, and so on.
The .com part of a domain name is instantly recognisable and could be said to be a ‘brand’ in itself. After all, think of the Internet, think www.website.com.
However, there are some things you should take into consideration when opting for a .com domain name:
Expense – Generic top-level domain names like .com cost a lot more to register than country code top-level domains.
Competition – You may find that the .com name you wanted is already registered as the domain name of another company.
National names
If a generic top-level domain name proves to be unavailable, too expensive, or unsuited to your needs, you can always consider a country code top-level domain. Country code top-level domains are used by specific nations and, unlike their generic cousins, only have two letters. For example, the country code domain for the United Kingdom is .uk. Other country code top-level domains include .au ( Australia ), .de ( Germany ), .fr ( France ), .it ( Italy ), and .us ( USA ).
When browsing the Internet, you may have noticed that country code domains are usually accompanied by other letters like .co.uk or .gov.uk. These extensions let the user know what kind of institution or organisation the domain name relates to, for instance:
- co.uk. = company
- gov.uk = governmental department
- ac.uk = university or college
<a href=”http://www.norid.no/domenenavnbaser/domreg.html”> Click here for a list of top level domains and country codes.</a>
Since we are talking business here, we will restrict our discussion to .co.uk domain names. Not only are .co.uk names less expensive than .com names, they also give potential customers an idea of where you are located. This could be particularly useful if you trade and distribute solely in the particular country where you are based. A name of the form www.mybusiness.co .uk, for example, instantly lets potential customers know that you are a company based in the United Kingdom . You may also find that while the .com version of the name you wanted is registered to another company, the .co.uk. domain name is still available.
By bearing some of the above points in mind, you should be one step closer to choosing the right domain name for your business.
Is the domain name you want available?
By now, you’ve probably realised that selecting a domain name isn’t simply a matter of picking the first name that comes to mind. Neither is it simply a matter of choosing a name and telling your customers that your website is henceforth to be known as www.mybusiness.com.
To begin to use your chosen domain name as the address for your website you will have to register it, and this involves a fee. Before you do this, however, you should check whether somebody else has already obtained the domain name you want.
If you choose a highly competitive name like www.double-glazing .com, will probably find that somebody else is already using that domain name. So how do you find out whether your proposed domain name is already taken?
Type your proposed name (e.g. www.mybusiness.com; www.double-glazing.co.uk, etc.) into the navigation bar of your Internet Browser (the bit after the http://) and press return. If, instead of an error message, a website appears in your browser window, then the domain name you wanted is already registered to someone else.
Alternatively, for addresses ending in .com, .net, etc (generic top-level domains), carry out a ‘Whois’ search for your proposed name on the Internic website. If your proposed name ends in co.uk, check its availability with Nominet http://www.nominet.org.uk
Visit the website of a company that registers domain names for you. These companies can be found by carrying out a search for ‘domain names’ in popular search engines like Google, Yahoo, or MSN. Often, these websites will check whether your desired name is taken for you and even offer alternative generic and country-code top level domains that are still available for the desired name.
Once you have discovered whether your proposed name is available – or found an appropriate alternative – you will, of course, have to go through the process of registering your domain name (which we will cover in a separate article). Nevertheless, you will be one step closer to starting your online business and making a meaningful connection with a larger pool of potential customers.
Anthem Dentist