How To Choose A Domain Name [10 Best Practices]

Do you know what is a domain name? Do you feel that a domain name is important for a blog?

A domain name is just an online address on which you will build a website. It’s just a name. Then why is there so much hype and confusion?

Many may argue that domain names greatly influence your blogging success. We know that the content is king, but you can’t ignore the importance of a domain name.

You need to take care of some things while choosing a domain name. This article will be all about How To Choose A Domain Name.

Importance Of Domain Name

• It defines your brand: Yes, a domain name defines your brand. The right domain name can improve your brand recognition.
• Improves SEO: If you add keywords in your domain name then it will improve the SEO of your blog.
• Adds Marketing Value: Many people buy attractive and branded domains and sell them for a premium price. So, if you plan to do the same, getting a good domain name will fetch more market value.

How To Choose A Domain Name (A Good Domain Name)

Here are a few of the best practices you should follow while choosing a domain name so you do not regret it later.

1. Go For The .com Extension

Yes, almost 37% of all domains are .com domain extensions. Why .com is so popular? It’s because .com attracts visitors from all around the world.

If you don’t get the .com extension, you can look for .org or .net. Although .org or .net does not carry the same value as .com, at least those are better than others.

2. Use A Short Domain Name

Try to get a domain name with up to 6-14 letters. If you choose a lengthy domain name, visitors may make a mistake while typing the domain name in the browser.

Although there is no SEO advantage if you choose a short domain name, visitors love to type a short domain name.

3. Avoid Special Characters Or Numbers

It is advisable not to use any numbers or special characters in the domain name unless required. Consider if Facebook was face-book.com, do you feel that Facebook would have had the same success? It may not be.

From an SEO perspective, there is nothing wrong with adding a hyphen or number to a domain name. However, visitors do not like special characters or numbers, so we should avoid those if possible.

4. Avoid Generic Domain Name

Your domain name should reflect your brand and not any generic word. For example, if your blog niche is SEO and WordPress, you may opt for a domain like WordPress SEO. But that won’t give you any advantage.

WordPress and SEO are generic words, and tons of domain names are already registered with these two words. You will soon get lost in the crowd. That is why it is better to choose a brandable domain name.

5. Don’t Use Copyrighted Words

Be very careful in this regard. Blogging is not a short-term business. You should be very careful while choosing a domain name and ensure you don’t use copyrighted words.

For example, if in your domain name, you have words like Amazon or Flipkart, you will soon get a copyright violation notice for using these reputed brand names.

6. Choose A Domain Name That Is Easy To Spell

If your domain name is not easy to spell, there is a chance that visitors may type incorrectly in the browser. So, ensure your domain name is short, crisp, and easy to spell.

7. Choose A Domain Name That Is Easy To Pronounce

Word of mouth is very important in the blogging business. If you choose a domain name that is not easy to pronounce, you will lose many visitors.

8. Use The Main Keyword In The Domain Name

This is very much essential for SEO benefits. For example, this blog is all about technology, so this domain name ( RiansTech) has the word “Tech” in it.

This will help Google understand what content the blog may have. To get the most out of your domain name, it is preferable to use the keyword at the very beginning of the domain name.

9. Think Long-Term And Choose A Domain Name

As I always say, blogging is a long-term business, and your domain name is your brand identity. If I choose the wrong domain name and later decide to change it, it is very difficult to do that.

On top of that, you will lose the brand, you will lose SEO benefits and you will lose visitors. So, think wisely for long-term goals and choose a domain name.

10. Don’t Copy Other Domain Names

This is one of the biggest mistakes that new bloggers do. For example, I own this blog ( Rianstech.com). Now, if someone buys the domain rianstech.in thinking that he can grab my visitors, then he is completely wrong.

As I said earlier, the domain name is the brand identity. So, even if you choose a copied domain name, you can’t build the brand overnight. Be unique, be special. That’s the only way you can gain success in blogging.

Here is a nice video from Shoutmeloud that shows a few of the tips I mentioned above.

Conclusion: How To Choose A Domain Name?

I understand it is not always possible to follow all the best practices mentioned above. But if it is feasible, you should follow a few of the rules, and you will get a good domain name. If required, you can use domain name generators.

FAQ | How To Choose A Domain Name