Every business that wants to run a website needs a domain name. It is also called a custom domain name (in contrast to an IP address for locating the website). A domain is a unique name connected to the IP address of your website.
Ideally and hopefully, the domain name should be your brand’s name, or at least similar or related to your brand’s name in some way.
Nowadays, before naming a new project, it makes sense to go and check whether your preferred words for naming are already registered as domains or not. Many entrepreneurs actually register cool domain names they like, in advance, if they believe this or that domain name can be used for one of their future projects.
Domains can be quite tricky to register and manage for complete newbies. Before choosing the name for your domain, make sure you educate yourself about unique domain names and extensions, and registrars.
Now, a domain name is an important asset that is not just a technical aspect needed to establish a web address and help people find your website online. A good domain name (and the brand name correspondingly) will speak to your audience, evoke emotions, reflect your company’s features, and build trust in your brand.
This is why it is important not only to know how to register and manage domains, but also to learn techniques of domain choosing.
Techniques & General Rules
Before we dive into particular techniques for picking unique and original domain names, please check out basic recommendations that apply to all cases when choosing a domain name.
The very first recommendation that is often ignored is picking shorter over longer names. You want it to sound clear and nice, and be memorable, which almost always means being short. The easier it is to remember, the better. And mind abbreviations – it is very hard to pick a good abbreviation for a domain today, and in every case, you are likely to stumble across an organization that already uses this abbreviation. To avoid being mistaken for a different company, better avoid abbreviations.
Secondly, make your domain name stand out. It must not be mind-boggling, but definitely something less generic. Think of the long-term perspective and your plans for the future – will this generic name help you, or will it make your company one of many?
Thirdly, make sure the name of your choice is easy to spell, easy to read visually, and it sounds well when spoken out loud. If you have two or more words in your brand name, put them together without spacing and double-check if the combination of letters does not make some other words (especially embarrassing ones).
Fourthly, avoid misspelling. If you want to be original and use misspelled words to make your domain sound fun and memorable, you risk creating an impression of a phishing or fraudulent site or malware, and people will avoid the site altogether.
Relevant Keywords
The best option for any domain name, both in terms of relevance and in terms of long-term business strategy, is to make your domain up from one or two keywords. If you have a chance to do that, go grab your domain name, register it, and use all its advantages.
Keywords in the domain name will not only help you establish your domain authority and immediately mark your website as relevant in the niche. It will support your brand’s image at all times and will immediately indicate what your website is about, to any visitor, without even looking at the content.
Those websites that were lucky enough to get keywords in their domain names usually rank really well in search engine lists, they are easier to remember for the tribe, and do not require extra work on the company’s image. However, there is a catch.
Far from every niche will allow you to get a domain name with a keyword in it; some niches are so saturated that all nice domain names have already been taken. However, there is still some space for efficiency and creativity.
Niches Density and Keyword Abundance
Depending on the niche, you will have more or fewer chances of getting a domain name with keywords. The first nuance is the niche itself. For example, if your business is in the beauty niche, you can name it literally in any manner you like, if you fail to get a keyword domain. You can use women’s names, names of flowers, etc., and still make your brand recognizable.
If we are talking about the sport and fitness niche, the choice of relevant words associated with sport and fitness becomes smaller, and it is harder to pick a domain that contains keywords. In this case, you have to narrow down within your niche. For example, from fitness in general to running, yoga, or aerobic dancing. Narrowing down gives you more keyword variations and also makes your company more relevant for potential customers.
In some niches, however, the competition is huge, but the number and variance of relevant keywords are very poor. For example, in the online casino gambling niche, it is extremely hard to pick a free domain with the keyword “casino” in it. Many no deposit no wager sites actually start going creative because the keyword opportunities are exhausted by now.
There are some good free names, but they already cost an arm and a leg. If this is your case, you may combine the keyword with your brand and add another word to your niche keyword to give your domain name an unexpected twist. This technique will give you more options with possible domain names and will help you stand out among competitors.
Picking a good name is not easy; it takes lots of hard work, creative thinking, and inspiration. However, please remember one last important rule – if you have an average domain name and start working on your project, it is better than looking for a “perfect” domain name for eternity.
