The first time people look at a webpage is not the time they see the graphic or animation, the bright colors, or the pretty font. No, the first time they see your webpage is the link written down on a piece of paper or in an email, and that is what counts as your first impression. You can get all kinds of cheap names at some XYZ.io domain selling sites. However, will that help your website stand out?

What is a good domain name? We tell you in this article and explain how to catch every eye and turn every head. Here are ten things that all good domain names need to be:

#1. Easy to Type

You know about that one village in Wales, right? The one with the largest name for a settlement in the world? If you were to make a webpage for that village, would you put its name in the domain? How much time do you think it would take to type it without making any errors? People would lose more time trying to spell the thing than on the actual site.

Keep these in mind when creating your unique name:

1. Don’t use any words that are difficult to type;
2. Due to a lower rate of attention, most internet users will want to simply click on a link and get it over with.

#2. Short

Building off the previous point, a domain name shouldn’t be very long. Make it short, make it snappy, and make it something anyone can type in a few seconds. That means it will be more accessible to the masses, and they will spend more time actually on your site than complaining about how long the name is and moving on to other things.

#3. Containing Keywords

Keywords exist everywhere, and the best way to gain traction on search engines is to use the most prominent keyword related to the business directly in the name.IT helps you funnel traffic and climb the ranks of the search results. It will also ensure that people know what the company is about without a Google search.

#4. Be Local

If the business is local, you could have the city or town’s name in the URL. This helps create a sense of belonging and advertises where you are from, where you are based, and whose interests you have at heart. It is going to make the community at large feel very welcome at your place and bring you more loyalty.

#5. No Numbers or Hyphens

When a site has a number in the name, and you hear it for the first time, how do you decide if it’s alphabetical or numerical? And what about dashes and hyphens? Confusion regarding these is widespread, so avoid them wherever you can.

#6. Memorable

Any good name needs to be memorable enough that people can replicate it from memory. This is where simplicity helps. If the name is memorable, people will be more likely to remember it, talk about it, and recommend it to others.

#7. Well Researched

Create a brand name that isn’t already taken. This helps everyone avoid legal proceedings and helps make the name more unique. As such, research is something you should devote a lot of time to.

#8. Have a Proper Extension

If the business is a coffeehouse and you named the domain californiacharlies, then consider getting the extension coffee. That way, you have everything you need right there on the domain name to tell all your customers what kind of business it is and what they might expect. A fun extension is also branding and can become a talking point among customers.

#9. Protective of the Brand

Make a point to buy a variety of extensions for the web page, as well as versions of your name that contain common typos, to safeguard your brand. This prohibits your competitors from registering different versions and guarantees that your clients will be led to your page, even if they make a typo in the URL.

#10. Bought Quickly

Domain names are in high demand. You can register your favorite names as soon as feasible while they’re cheap. Domain registrars will propose alternative names during your search if you’re having problems locating an available name.

In Summary

These ten tips should help your domain name to stand out. Now that you know how to choose a website name, make the best choices possible and push your business to success.

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The post How to Choose the Perfect Domain Name in 10 Easy Steps? appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Importance of choosing a domain extension

Just like choosing your name, choosing a domain suffix is also important. Domain names have three parts, which include: a top-level domain or domain extension, a domain name, and an optional subdomain. The most appropriate used domain with 52% percent of using it is .com. When picking a domain name to ensure that it’s easy to read and also easy to remember. This is to make it easier for your clients and visitors when trying to find you. This also applies to SEO. The name has to make sense for visitors to try and search for it. Domain names should follow strict SEO guidelines to rank well, and this means avoiding the Non .com domains. This is according to Moz, a reputable SEO agency in the US. Other ranking factors include:

Readability – A visitor should be able to read and understand the domain name.

Using broad keywords – Should be sensible with a keyword-rich domain name.

Finding a brandable domain name – This should not have only had keywords but also should also unique.

Hyphens should be avoided.

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Why Google Loves a .com Domain

The most used and treasured domain suffix is .com. I am not sure why but Google tends to favor websites with a .com TLD. Businesses are still scratching their heads to understand why .com is still accorded so much authority by Google. I think it’s because it’s the oldest and people interact more with search engines using .com than any other suffix. In other words, cognitive fluency favors a top-level domain (TLD) that’s easy and familiar. Websites with the domain name .com are likely to be accorded more authority by Google than a .co.uk or a .business because visitors will type a .com in the search bar than anything else. What makes it even bizarre is the fact that the three suffixes (.com, .net, and.org) share the same birthday but a .com has won the hearts of many and it’s used as a default domain extension making it memorable. This is why it is regarded as the most useful suffix for SEO. This is what makes it popular. Just like a custom license plate, competition has stiffened for.com making its price go up. Many .com domains are now taken or are only available in premium prices, making it difficult to acquire a .com domain. This has lead to many companies setting for a less common suffix. It may be reasonable for branding purposes but not so good for visibility. 

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Domain Extension Affects Your SEO Campaign

There are so many different domain extension options to pick from. For example, a bakery may decide to settle for .bakery which defines what a business is all about but this may hurt site visibility. From the three, the two that will do justice to your business include the obvious .com and .net. Let’s now look at the difference between the two on the SEO aspect of your business.

.Com Vs .Net in terms of SEO

When running a business online, the owner is required to choose a domain name accompanied by a domain extension. Like I just stated, the two common ones are .com and .net. These two are traditionally used by commercial businesses and a .net website extension denotes a network, email, or Internet service provider.

Examples of domain extensions and the website category they represent.

.com: Commercial businesses like Apple (apple.com).

.net: Internet service providers or networking websites like SlideShare (slideshare.net).

.org: Nonprofit organizations like Goodwill (goodwill.org).

.edu: Academic organizations and schools like Harvard University (harvard.edu).

.gov: Government entities like Veterans Affairs (va.gov).

A .com portrays a credible company and that is why many individuals, organizations, and businesses prefer it. Artists use it to promote themselves as prominent figures, while organizations want to send a message that they are legitimate. Since all .com domains are taken you can settle for a .net which is not that good but for business domains. 

When to Use a .net Domain Extension?

A .net, suffix which is short for “network,” is a domain name extension mainly used by network services online technology companies, Internet service providers, and database providers. Since this suffix was designed for web service companies, it is not proper for businesses outside this industry to use it. However, if you are providing web and Internet-related services, the .net domain extension would be a perfect pick for you.

Uses of a .net extension

Online networking brands–Since the .net extension is designed for these brands, it is very easy to remember and any visitor can identify your business easily.

Internet service or tech websites–This extension is also perfect for other businesses that offer services that make them run smoothly. These services include web-hosting providers, domain name registrars, internet providers, and online software companies.

Brand protection–To ensure that your brand is safe from being bought by other companies; it is recommended that you purchase both a .com and .net extension and redirect the .net to the .com website

All the above businesses are perfect for this domain extension and using it will help you with your site visibility and identity. However, when it comes to phone searches, the suffix is disadvantaged because keyboards only have a dedicated .com button, making it hard to type .net when searching for such a domain. You can still get a .com version and redirect it to your main .net site to ensure that you can still capture all .com domain traffic and prevent competitors from stealing customers. Web hosts such as Bluehost, allow you to easily do so and set up a redirect.

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.com vs .net SEO Considerations

In Google search rank, these specific extensions are not a big deal and have minimal impact on how your business website ranks. Extensions matter a lot when you’re trying to rank for local search results that are not within the USA. Local searches will favor domain suffixes representing their countries. These include .uk, .au, .in, .jp, .ru, and so on. Credibility plays a big role in search engine optimization and Google specifically favors .com because it is user-friendly. It is also relevant to many website visitors making it authoritative. With a .com domain extension, you will find out that you will get more clicks through Google search than .net or any other domain suffixes for that matter. On the other hand, if you are on the network sector a .net would yield better fruits. This is because you are targeting visitors who are interested in technological matters. The general idea that you must have is that your directory listings, backlinks, and page content are more effective on search engine rankings compared to domain extension.

How to Find a .com or .net Domain for Your Business

The first thing you need to do before purchasing a domain extension whether it’s a .com or .net domain name for your business is to check its availability. I would strongly recommend purchasing one from a website hosting service like Bluehost because of their intuitive search tool that lets you check whether a domain name or domain extension is available. The ultimate question that you should ask yourself is how an extension helps your brand stay memorable in the visitor’s mind. The extension should bring out your brand’s uniqueness. The domain extension should also fit your business type, and then use keywords to find a domain that aligns with your brand.

Tips for choosing an effective domain extension

Add a search keyword–You should try adding keywords that that is custom-fit to your brand and searchable by your customers. There are plenty of SEO tools to help you with this, Ubersuggest being one of them. This tool helps you to search your products or services and generate a list of related words that potential customers type in the search bar when trying to find companies that are related to your products or services.

Add a location keyword–It is also important if you have a local bakery that your customers are likely to search for you using the name of your city, state, or neighbourhood. Therefore, you should include your state or city name in your domain to help your visitors know where you are found or located. Indicating your location boosts your credibility and also your rank.

Use only meaningful numbers–when you decide to include numbers in your domain, ensure it brings about relevance and you are not just putting it there for the sake of it. The reason being that numbers cause confusion for Internet users and if you can please avoid using them altogether. 

Stick with pronounceable words–Always use words that can be pronounced. The reason why this is important is signs and other characters are confusing too when reading out to someone especially in a conversation.

There are many ways to market your domain name including pointing it to any social media profiles and portfolios. This helps you to create a professional brand. This is a great solution if you are an entrepreneur who wants to spread the word about your business. It is also a great idea if you are hosted on a third-party website and wish to market your products to other websites.

Pro Tips: .net vs .com

When choosing a domain extension, it is also important to know what has worked for other companies. Here are a few tips for experts who have tried it in different ways to make their domains work for them. 

1. Protect Your Brand by Buying both .com and .net

The best way to ensure that you are steps ahead is to consider purchasing both .com and .net but not at once. You can buy one domain extension first and when your business grows, purchase another. This way, you will gain ground from your competition.

2. Coin a Term to Create a Unique Domain Name

Since it is very hard to find a .com domain extension (almost impossible), the best solution is to coin a new term that is short, relevant, and easy to remember. You can use animal names to help you with your unique domain.

3. Be Conventional to Be Memorable

I will keep insisting that you buy these two domain suffixes over other extensions since there is no downside to it. These two are the most popular of all the extensions. They are also memorable and they don’t give customers room for a pause or make mistakes when typing. Purchasing a .com is specifically mobile-friendly since there is a button dedicated to it. If you are running a company related networking and or the internet a .com will do just fine. And it will also help you market your company when visitors are looking for digital products or web hosting services.

Conclusion

Although there are other industry-specific extensions like accounting and financing, these will do very little or nothing for your SEO. Certain extensions reduce the credibility of a company and make it questionable. They include .biz, .xyz, or even .company. If you can, try to avoid using them.

The post .Com vs .Net –What is the Difference? appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Or already purchased?

And the best thing is the cost of the .com domain name you are looking for is too high.

If that’s the case.

I will guide you to buy a domain name if the .com extension which you are looking for is not available.

I mean the internet is changing, and people are using different domain extensions for their websites. Like there are different domain extensions like .uk for the United Kingdom, .in for India, .au for Australia, and likewise for the other countries. You can try from your country and see what kind of extension you are getting. Besides these, there are many more like .org for organizations, .edu for education purposes, .net for internet kind of things, .info for information, .gov for the government, .blog for blogging, and many other domain extensions are there.

How to check if the .com domain extension is not available?

There are many Domain name Generator tools and websites of the domain and hosting provider companies that can help you to look for the desired .com domain. There are domain and hosting provider companies like Bigrock, Bluehost, Namecheap, Godaddy, Hostgator, and more. You can use anyone to search for the domain name you are looking for; all will show the same results. But there are some particular domain names that are being reserved for the domain provider companies to earn a little more, so that can be a small problem while finding a perfect domain name for your website or blog. However, I have always preferred Godaddy, when looking for new a domain.

Now what to do when .com Domain is already taken?

First of all, let me tell you that .com stands for commercial. It is not necessary to get the .com your blog or website. And here are the things which you must do when .com is not available:

• Look for an alternate name your brand, website or blog.
• If you are in a mood to buy the same domain name, then there are other domain extensions for which you can go for.
• Choose the extension wisely. Like if you are in the education business then you can go for .edu, if you are looking to run a blog then you can go for .blog, and if you are an organization then go for .org.
• The domain name provider company will also show the related domain extensions. You can see the below screenshot for the same. 

Some Important tips for buying a domain

A domain name is a name that represents you, your company, or your organization. So, you must keep these tips in mind:

• Make the name of your domain as short as possible. Short domain names are easy to remember and type. And if you are getting it printed on your visiting card, it will be good and doesn’t occupy much space. Like Google.com, Digg.com, Apple.com, and many companies use a small name. A small name can even be good for Startup Company and help a company to represent their brand with ease. The companies like Amzon.com, Addidas.com, and many others have taken advantage of the short domain name.
• Do not buy domains from a reseller. It can be a burden when you buy an old domain from some other webmasters. I am not saying that you should not buy domains which already have good domain authority but I will ask to check the factors like trust flow, citation flow and many other things about that domain. I will recommend you to you to check the old history of that Domain and even possibly check the links pointing to that domain.
• Don’t buy domains with a hyphen. A hyphen a can spoil the name of your domain. The user can be confused about the domain address and will be difficulty in remembering, eventually leading to some other domain or nowhere. And the many SEO experts give up when they are asked to rank a website with a hyphen.
• Do not buy a domain which is related to some other brand. Let me explain you. If you look for a domain which is adidas.com but it is not available, and you go for another domain extension like Adidas.In, Adidas.blog, adidas.net or related. And I will say that you are doing the biggest mistake because your website’s name is never going to be ranked on the first page of Google because adidad.com is already there. And your website will end up nowhere, and it will be too hard to rank that domain.
• Try to buy a Domain which includes a keyword or is a keyword itself. If the Keyword will be the domain name or domain name containing the keyword, then it will be a lot easier to get a huge amount of organic traffic in a short time.
• Check the Social media also. While buying a domain, you must also check that the domain you are buying is not similar to the pages created on the Facebook, and other social accounts. That can be a problem when you will be doing social media optimization.
• Buy the same domain extensions. If you are going to become a brand and you know that you are up to it. Then just don’t buy one extension, buy multiple extensions for your domain name like .org, .net, .com, .co.in and similar. And redirect all these extensions to one domain name. If you are not buying these extensions than someone can buy and use these domains extension against you.

Finally, what I want to say.

Sometimes Domain names play a major role, and sometimes they don’t.

So, don’t just rely on the .com domain, so you can go with an extension on the internet and start your business. Google these days gives equal priority to the different extensions.

And I would love to know your opinion about the .com domain.  You can share your opinion in the comments section.

The post What to do when .com domain extension is not available? appeared first on Tricky Enough.