| f the most common questions I'm asked by my | | | | the search keyword 'weight loss'. As one would |
| clients is "What domain name should I use for my | | | | expect, 'weightloss.com' and 'weightloss.co.uk' were |
| website?". In response, I would recommend | | | | already registered - so I opted for the domain name |
| considering several factors. In the following article, I | | | | 'weightlossweb.co.uk'. Choosing an added word that |
| will go through these factors in a question and | | | | begins with the same letter as your first keyword |
| answer format: | | | | helps your visitors remember your domain name. So, |
| 1. Should I choose a country code domain name (like | | | | going back to the purple widgets example: |
| .CO.UK or .CA), or a global top-level domain like .COM? | | | | Alternative domain names could include |
| If your target market is specific to one country, I | | | | 'purplewidgetpro.com', 'purplewidgetpower.com' and |
| would recommend using a country code domain | | | | 'purplewidgetparadise.com'. |
| name, especially if you sell physical products that can | | | | 5. Are some domain name extensions better than |
| only be delivered within that country. Many people I | | | | others? |
| have spoken to tell me that they are often uncertain | | | | Yes. Generally speaking, the most desirable top-level |
| of where online stores are located, and it is not until | | | | domain is the .COM. Charitable websites may choose |
| they reach checkout and are asked to pay in a | | | | .ORG in order to declare that they are a charitable |
| foreign currency that they are not able to order the | | | | organisation, but there are currently no restrictions on |
| products in their shopping basket due to the website | | | | who can register .ORG domain names or what they |
| not selling internationally. Having a country code | | | | need be used for - and many commercial websites |
| domain name instantly lets your potential customers | | | | still use them. |
| know that you are located in the same country as | | | | My personal "league table" of favoured domain name |
| them, and that your service is designed specifically | | | | extensions is as follows: |
| for that nation. | | | | 1 .COM |
| Alternatively, if you have a website developed for | | | | 2 Country-code (.CO.UK, .CA, .IE etc.) |
| the purpose of sharing information, with little or no | | | | 3 .NET |
| content which is only relevant in one part of the | | | | 4 .ORG |
| world, my advice would be to choose a global | | | | 5 .BIZ |
| top-level domain such as .com. | | | | 6 .INFO |
| 2. Should I break up words within my domain name | | | | 7 .NAME |
| with hyphens? Is 'widget-shop.com' better than | | | | I currently have in excess of 300 domain names |
| 'widgetshop.com'? | | | | registered, none of which are .INFO or .NAME. I |
| There seems to be a general consensus within the | | | | would only recommend that one registers .BIZ, .INFO |
| search engine optimisation industry that using | | | | or .NAME domains if they have a large website with |
| hyphens helps search engines deduce what the actual | | | | a brand name to protect. For example, my business |
| words within an URL are, therefore leading to those | | | | trading name is 'Starsol.co.uk'. At the time of writing |
| pages being ranked higher in the search engine | | | | this article, 'Starsol.com' is currently registered by a |
| results. However, there is also speculation that using | | | | domain name squatter, who is asking for an |
| 2 or more hyphens within the domain name incurs a | | | | extortionate price. I have chosen to register |
| penalty. With this in mind, I would advise anyone who | | | | 'Starsol.biz' to prevent a similar situation occurring in |
| plans to receive most of their custom from organic | | | | future. I feel it is very unlikely that anyone actually |
| search engine results to use one hyphen in their | | | | types the domain with the .BIZ extension into the |
| domain name to separate their targeted search | | | | address bar looking for my website - but if I didn't |
| keywords. | | | | register the name myself - someone else might and |
| However, if your business model is not heavy on | | | | go on to use it for purposes that may harm my |
| search engine optimisation, my recommendation | | | | brand. |
| would be to not have any hyphens in your domain | | | | 6. What about .TV and .WS? |
| name, as the vast majority of internet users | | | | Although they may be marketed as such, .TV does |
| intuitively enter domain names in their browser | | | | not mean tele-vision and .WS does not mean |
| address bar without any hyphens. In domain name | | | | web-site or world-site..TV is the country code |
| value appraisal circles, the non-hyphenated version of | | | | extension for Tuvalu and .WS is for Samoa. Tuvalu is |
| a domain name is usually considered to be of greater | | | | small island country located in the Western Pacific |
| worth. | | | | Ocean with a population of approximately 11,000 in |
| For search engine optimisation, studies show that one | | | | the Western Pacific Ocean that gained independence |
| hyphen may give you an advantage, but on the | | | | from the UK in 1978. Samoa, also in the Pacific, |
| whole I would recommend not using any hyphens in | | | | gained independence from New Zealand in 1962 and |
| your domain name. | | | | has a population of around 180,000. If these countries |
| 3. Is it better to have digits (2, 3 etc.) or words for | | | | are not your target markets, I would personally |
| numbers (two, three etc.) in my domain name? | | | | dissuade you from using their country code domain |
| Generally speaking, I would dissuade anyone using | | | | names. |
| word of mouth advertising from having any numbers, | | | | Other similar domain names include .FM (Federated |
| either as digits or as words, in their domain name. | | | | States of Micronesia) which masquerades as the TLD |
| The reason for this is that a domain name should be | | | | for radio stations and .CC (Cocos Islands). |
| easy to remember and easy to spell correctly. Lets | | | | 7. Why do some domain name registrars charge |
| say for example you had the domain name | | | | more than others? Are their domain names better? |
| 'widgets4u.com'. If you meet someone that is | | | | Perhaps surprising, this is a question I have been |
| interested in your product, and tell them to visit your | | | | asked on several occasions. Just like how some |
| website, you are going to have tell them specifically | | | | supermarkets which charge more than others for |
| that the 4 is numeric and the U is just one letter. | | | | identical cans of fizzy drink than others, domain name |
| Otherwise, they may input 'widgetsforyou.com', | | | | registrars also charge differing domain name |
| 'widgets4you.com', 'widgetsforu.com' and end up at | | | | registration costs. Although some domain name |
| the website of one of your competitors. | | | | registrars may provide extra tools with domain name |
| If however you are prepared to accept this risk, in | | | | registration, a domain name registered for $8.95 a |
| my experience the layperson tends to instinctively | | | | year will work in exactly the same way and one |
| put the numeric version of a number in a domain | | | | registered for $35.00 a year. If I may give my own |
| name. Therefore, use 'widgets2.com', not | | | | service a plug here, Starsol Domains at offers .COM |
| 'widgetstwo.com'. | | | | registration for what I believe are some of the |
| 4. How long should my domain name be? | | | | fairest prices on the 'net. |
| As short as possible. Long domain names are harder | | | | I hope this article has helped you in your search for a |
| for your customers to remember, take longer to | | | | perfect domain name. I would like to add however, |
| type, longer to spell out (you may find yourself | | | | that with domain name registrations being so cheap, |
| having to spell your domain name letter-by-letter to | | | | that registering multiple domains and redirecting them |
| some clients) and also may be harder to actually fit | | | | all to your one "main domain" may prove to be a |
| onto your business cards, print advertisements and | | | | very good idea. If there is one domain that you will |
| similar. I have one client whose business name | | | | be heavily marketing, I would strongly advise you to |
| consists of four words, two of which are tricky to | | | | at least also register the .COM version of that domain |
| spell. My advice to him was to use a domain name | | | | name too, and if you are outside the United States |
| with the first letter of each word only, which has | | | | to also register the relevant country-code version of |
| proved very easy to remember. | | | | the domain name. Many of your customers may input |
| If you are targeting specific search keywords, I | | | | the wrong extension when looking for your site, |
| would recommend that your domain name consists | | | | possibly leading to you losing their custom to a |
| of those keywords and as little else as possible. If | | | | competitor of yours; or like my personal situation |
| you were targeting 'purple widgets', my advice would | | | | which I described earlier, may lead to a domain name |
| be to use the domain name 'purplewidgets.com'. If | | | | squatter registering a domain similar to yours in the |
| that domain name is not available, I would | | | | hope that you will spend many thousands buying it |
| recommend adding one extra word to the end. For | | | | from them. |
| example, I personally have a web site which targets | | | | |