A domain name is a text-based label that provides a web address where you can find content hosted on a website or online service.
A domain name is usually built using the.com,.net, or.org top-level domains. Many people prefer to use their business website’s domain name as their contact information.
You can also use your e-mail address as a domain name, for example, “info@example.com” vs. “info@example.com.tw.” Let’s take a closer look at domain names and how to choose the right one.
What Are Domain Names?
A domain name provides an easy-to-remember web address where people can find content—such as a web page, email, or instant message—hosted on a website or online service.
When registering a domain name, you’re essentially registering the name along with a website hosting company’s IP address. When a person clicks on a link that leads to an IP address, the ISP (Internet Service Provider) knows which site that person visited.
Think of a website as a house. When a person visits your site, they come to your house. You own the house but don’t own the land it’s built on. The same goes for a website.
The website owner you’re viewing may have rented the space to an ISP who then provides the site’s hardware, software, and network access. This is called “web hosting.”
You can think of a domain name as a house number where people can find your website.
You can choose the name or have the website company register it. Many people like to choose a name that has meaning for their business or brand.
However, you do not need to register a domain name that is related to your business or brand—you can register any word or phrase as a domain name as long as you meet the requirements.
Why Should You Register A Domain Name?
- There are many advantages to registering a domain name. To name a few:
- It offers a memorable address that will make it easier for customers to find you.
- Having a domain name allows you to build a brand for yourself online.
- It offers protection against cyber-criminals who might try to take advantage of your customers
- It’s a great way to show off your business’ logo
- It offers a reliable place for your customers to return to
- It provides a contact point for people to e-mail or message you about your company
- It creates a memorable link for your customers to remember you
The Requirements For A Domain Name
- To be registered as a domain name, your site must meet these requirements:
- A hosting provider must host it
- The domain name cannot be a trademark or contain any other type of copyrighted material
- The domain name cannot be a misspelling of a popular brand or name
- The domain name cannot be purchased for commercial use
- The domain name must be unique
Find out more about domain names here. Here you can find all the information you need, including registering a domain name.
If you decide to go with a premium domain name, you gain a lot of additional benefits, including these:
- You can have your domain name set up in a matter of minutes
- You can park multiple domain names with one parked domain name
- You can change your domain name’s DNS (Domain Name System) settings
- You can put your domain name on hold
- You can create custom email notifications
- You can create automated responses to email inquiries
- You can set up email forwarding to send all incoming emails to a single address
- You can create email blast campaigns
- You can lock down your domain name so that only approved emails are accepted
- You can add an SSL certificate to your domain name for free
- You can add Google Analytics to your domain name for free
The list of benefits is endless, and it’s all thanks to the power of a premium domain name!
Tips For Finding The Right Domain Name
Whether you are looking for a change of pace after a stressful day at work or just want to create a fun, catchy domain name, coming up with a perfect web address can be tricky. Luckily, you can follow some simple guidelines to make the process a bit easier.
Here are some tips on how to find the perfect domain name for your needs.
Pick A Name You Will Use
One of the first things you should do is figure out what you will use the domain for. For example, if you have always wanted to be able to find a list of yoga studios near me but have never really found the time to look for one actively, this could be the perfect opportunity.
If you are passionate about living in London, you could use something like liveingeoods.com as your domain name. This way, when someone types in “yoga studios near me,” they will get a list of yoga studios in London that they can choose from.
Think About The People That Will Be Using The Website/Domain
Think about who you are targeting with your website. Are you making the site for musicians? Scientists? Market researchers? If you can, try and find a way to include the names of famous scientists or mathematicians on your list of possible domain names.
This will make it much easier for scientists or mathematicians who want to use the site to find it and provide you with some fame.
You can use the domain name for free (you will have to register it with the Whois server, however), and there are no restrictions on how you can use it, so you can put anything you want on there.
Look At The Most Popular Websites
If you don’t have the resources to develop a truly original domain name, you can always use a few of the most popular ones. Most domain name registrars will have a list of the most popular websites you can use to your advantage.
For example, if you want to create a blog about fashion, you could use a domain name like fashiongurus.com.
Use The “SEO Friendly” Version
If you are using Blogger or WordPress, you can use the domain name’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization) version. This is the SEO-friendly version of the domain name. You can use this domain name version to ensure that your content shows up on search engines when someone types in the keywords you have used.
In most cases, you will have to purchase an SSL certificate to ensure the security of your visitor’s personal information (credit card numbers, etc.).
Use Punctuation
If you are coming up with wordplays for your domain name, you can use them. For example, if you are creating a blog about fashion, you could use a domain name like fashiongossip.com.
Punctuation, such as periods, question marks, and exclamation points, is important in creating unique and memorable domain names. You should avoid using punctuation in your domain names unless you are doing so deliberately for the fun of it.
For example, don’t create a blog with a question mark at the end of the domain name, as this could make it unclear to readers what website they are accessing.
Avoid The Most Popular TLDs (Top Level Domains)
Just because a domain name is ‘popular’ or ‘SEO friendly’ does not necessarily mean it is a good choice for a website. In many cases, these are just indicators of popularity, not quality.
You should avoid using very popular top-level domains (TLDs) when creating a website, as this could cause huge competition and make it hard for your website to stand out.
Come Up With The Perfect Domain Name
If you have followed the above advice and used some of the most popular TLDs (Domain Names) available, it is time to put your creative juices to work and develop a perfect domain name.
You can follow a few simple guidelines to make this process easier. First, you should try and find a name that is as original as possible while staying within the guidelines set by your domain name registrar.
If the above guidelines do not provide you with a suitable domain name, you can use one of the many tools available on the internet to generate random words or a phrase that is relevant to your niche.
