Searching for Your Next Domain Name? Here Are Five Tips to Help

Getting started with your own website or blog is a critical part of building your brand. You might be in the process of setting up a business or looking for ways to extend your reach beyond social media. Whatever the reason for creating your website, one of the first steps is choosing and purchasing a domain name.

Your domain name is like a digital store name and becomes intrinsically linked with your brand. That’s why choosing the right one is so critical. It needs to be appropriate, unique, and memorable — after all, it’s how people will find you and interact with you online. Let’s take a look at five tips for finding your next domain name.

Five Tips When Searching for a Domain Name

Establishing your online presence is easier with a business or brand website. Statistics show that 73% of businesses have a website, so having one helps you remain competitive. However, you can only stand out in this crowd with the right domain name. Choosing one is simpler when you follow our tips.

1. Choose Your Supplier Carefully

Not all domain name providers are created equally. Choose a trusted vendor with a track record of providing excellent service and great value. Example services include the ability to buy bulk domains, internationalized domains, and multiple gTLDs and ccTLDs (e.g., .com or .br).

2. Find Your Brand

If your company name is “Snazzy Shoes,” then buying the domain name, “1234snazshoes.net” is probably not the best marketing move. Search for a domain name that helps you expand your brand. Your website should make it easier for potential customers to find you.

3. Ensure Your Domain is Unique

There are not many things as demoralizing as coming up with a fantastic company name only to find someone else has already taken it. Unfortunately, the problems don’t stop there. If you decide to plow ahead with a name that’s already in use, you could be at risk of legal action. Research your chosen domain name to check that it’s unique. Many domain name suppliers provide a search function to allow you to search and check availability. However, it’s worth also checking with your local/national trademark checking facility. This helps ensure your company name isn’t taken by a firm with an as-yet-unpublished website.

If you’re having trouble – such as every domain you try being taken by somebody else – you can even rely on artificial intelligence (AI) to help you make the right choice. An AI Domain Name Generator can use details about your business (or an idea you have for a business) to find a suitable and available domain name.

4. Choose the Right Extension

To .com or not to .com? Extensions are a tricky choice, especially if your desired domain name already exists with the extension you want. For example, you might have your heart set on /snazzyshoes.com. But, upon research, you discover that this has been taken by a fashion history blogger. However, you still have plenty of options. If you sell shoes, a .shop extension helps you retain a professional and trustworthy appearance. Other choices include .info, .company, or .store. Try to choose an extension that reflects the purpose of your business.

5. Keep It Short

Help your customers by making your domain names short and simple. If someone has to refer to their notes or an email every time they want to visit your site, they probably won’t bother. You can see how /snazzyshoes.store is so much more intuitive than /the-best-snazzy-shoestore-visitnow.info. Avoid hyphens if you can, and if the domain name says what you do and who you are, even better. Keywords in your domain name are a great SEO (search engine optimization) technique. It could help you appear more frequently in online searches, organically increasing traffic to your website.

Run a Domain Search Today

Remember, you may have to stick with your chosen domain name for many years. In fact, it’s good practice to do so. The longer you have your domain, the more deeply it becomes associated with your brand. Make it unique, keep it on brand, and try and opt for something as simple and memorable as possible.

You can find out today if your chosen domain name is available. Simply head over to Register.Domains’ domain name search feature and discover if your brand name is available to purchase for your website or blog. It takes seconds and can help you get started on building an online presence with impact and longevity.