By Ushamah Sammy
When many people think about setting up their own web site, whether for personal or business reasons, they have a list of things they need to do. This usually includes choosing a content management system to organize and present the site and creating the look and feel. The importance of selecting the right domain name is often overlooked choosing the right name is not as easy as it sounds. This plays a very active role in how well people can find your site as well as how easily they can remember the address. An effective name is a crucial part of the overall web site design.
When selecting the right domain name, there are a few things to keep in mind. It should be short and easy to pronounce. Many people try to be clever and use a unique spelling or incorporate numbers and letters to create a word. Although it is fun, it makes finding your site more difficult. It is worth the time to sit down and brainstorm ideas. Start by listing the five keywords phrases that best describe the domain you want. If this will be a business site or one that is focused on a particular topic, use words and phrases that relate to those subjects.
Most businesses use their name as their web site domain. This helps build brand recognition. Once you have found the name that you think works best, make sure there are no similar domains already registered to other users. It is recommended that you do not use “the” at the beginning of the name, plurals or hyphens when selecting the right domain name. Web searchers usually cannot remember which combinations to use. If there are already similar domains, then those will be shown higher in search results at first. The dot.com suffix is the most commonly used option.
If you want to increase brand recognition, and web site traffic, choose a domain with this suffix as an option. Most users are still not comfortable using dot-net or dot-org. Selecting the right domain name for your site can be the difference between being found quickly and not being found at all. Short, catchy names that describe what the site is for or that contains your business name are the best way to increase traffic to your site. It also builds recognition. Site addresses that are easy to type and remember will increase your branding marketing value.