Each website on the Internet is labelled with an IP address which is the actual address of the website online. A typical IP address looks like this: 129.131.62.44. Remembering a series of numbers like that is difficult so a domain name translates all those numbers into something like www.elitewebdesigntoronto.com. Much easier to remember!
1. Dot x?
Each domain uses an extension. The most well known of these extensions is .com. This, however, is not the only type of domain extension available. There is also:
.net, .org, .ca, .tv, .biz and many, many more.
If you can't find your preferred .com domain (which is very likely) you could always choose the same domain with a .net/org/ca etc. extension. It might not have the same ring as a .com but is still as just useful as a .com.
A note about .info domains
A more recent introduction to the domain name game are .info domains. Many of the valuable .info domains were bought up overnight but there's still a huge range of good .info domains available. With a little creativity you could really make a .info work for you e.g. www.webdesign.info.
2. Branding vs Business Name
There is a debate on the whether or not you should establish a brand name online or use a domain that more actually reflects your real business. Take Amazon as an example. Amazon sells books online. Most people setting up a business would have chosen say www.booksonline.com instead of www.amazon.com. Amazon has since established itself as a brand name of global recognition - proving the value of building a brand name.
You'll need to choose wisely between the two. Consider how your domain sounds, how it might look on a business card and how well it relates to your what your business provides.
3. Hyphenated or not
This is another area of debate. Should your domain be one single word or should the words be separated by hyphens? Single word domain names are easier to explain, use on header paper and lend themselves to brand names very well.
Single word domains are in very, very short supply.
Hyphenated domains names can be slighltly more difficult to explain and remember, may not look as well on headed paper and possibly harder to establish as a brand name. There's no shortage of multiple word domains.
The single biggest advantage a hyphenated domain has is that search engines can "read" the domain more easily. For example in a domain like www.elitewebdesigntoronto.com the search engine can only read the first word "elite" and that's it. It can't tell anything else about the website domain name.
If you hyphenated that to www.elite-web-design-toronto.com the search engine can read "elite", "web", "design" and "toronto" as separate words and therefore knows that this website is about web design in Toronto.
A well chosen hyphenated domain name can be just as effective as a single word domain name.
4. Choosing a Domain Registrar
These are the people you pay to register the domain for you. This takes some research but things worth checking are:
- Do you retain sole ownership of the domain or do the registrar keep some level of control over it?
- Does the registrar allow you to transfer the domain?
- Is there a control panel for domain administration?
- How easy is it to change the domain Name Servers?
Shop around for domain registrars. Ideally you'd want to find a previously satisfied customer to ask questions before you buy.
5. Cheaper Domain Names
You can save a lot of money on the domain names you purchase. A typical .com domain costs about $15 to register. However you can get the same domain for as little as $7.95 from other, very reliable, companies.
Oddly enough some of the cheaper domain registrars are more reliable, have fewer horror stories and offer equally good customer service as their more expensive competitors.
Are there any disadvantages in using a discount domain registrar? Will it affect your website in any way? The answer to both is a definite No.
Good luck with picking out an excellent domain!
Visit elitewebdesigntoronto.com for affordable web design in Toronto
No comments:
Post a Comment