CANN, the organization that deals with domain names, has added no less than 1400 new domain name extensions to the internet, such as .APP, .SHOP, SYSTEMS and .TECHNOLOGY. This makes the domain name landscape a lot more complex; the options have become enormous.
How do you choose the best domain name now? An important question, because the domain name plays a major role in search engine marketing / SEO. The majority of visitors will find a website by consulting Google. In this blog article we explain how you can make a good and well-founded choice for a new domain name. With our 10 tips you lay the foundation for a successful website.
How do I select a domain name?
Which domain name you choose depends on the purpose you have with it. A starting organization will select a domain name that is linked to the company name, while a specific marketing campaign will receive a domain name based on specific keywords. It is always important that the domain name is appropriate and can distinguish itself from the competition. The goal is to create added value for the brand that you want to position. Our 11 tips for a strong domain name help you with this:
- Unique: provide a unique domain name. The domain name should not be confused with another popular website or, perhaps more importantly, with your competitor’s website.
- Short and powerful: try to use as few letters and characters as possible. A short domain name is easier to remember. Bol.com is a short and powerful domain name that is not focused on the product, but has been partly responsible for the success.
- Good to remember: the goal is ultimately to register a domain name that is easy for the user to remember. Rhyme or alliteration makes names easier to remember. For example, hostingheld.nl or schoenenschuur.nl.
- Spelling: choose a domain name that is easy to spell. You must take into account the pronunciation of the domain name. Domain names that are easier to pronounce are more often spelled correctly.
- Language: write domain names in Dutch as much as possible and do not use dashes or numbers in the domain name. The chance of errors increases if the domain name is written in a different language, or if numbers replace letters. Shoes-4u.nl and similar domain names are difficult domain names that will often be spelled incorrectly.
- Keywords: use important keywords that describe the company and / or the services offered. Try different combinations of these keywords, possibly supplemented with words before or after.
- Expectations: provide a domain name that matches the message of the website. This gives the visitor a good idea of the website before he has actually visited it and you create realistic expectations. Visitors quickly drop out if the website does not meet expectations.
- Trademark infringement: prevent trademark infringement and not only check whether the domain name is already active, but also whether companies are already registered at the Chamber of Commerce with the same company name. For example, in the past there has been a lawsuit between thuisbezorgen.nl and thuisbezorgd.nl.
- Extension: use a suitable extension. The new extensions play an important role in personalizing the domain name. By choosing a suitable extension, you also create added value around the expectations of a visitor. Extensions such as .SHOP or .BLOG are ideal for a webshop and a blog site respectively.
- Consider alternatives: by registering highly comparable domain names, there is no need to worry that the competitor will pick them up. This also applies to registering the domain name with other extensions. For example, we have registered various extensions for Interned services.
