Domain Name Ideas: How to Choose

It’s not just about the website, it’s about your reputation. Too many eager entrepreneurs and business owners focus on choosing a brand name, a delightful logo, and the right platform for their web presence, while they overlook the importance of selecting a domain name that speaks volumes of their brand. 

The length, meaning, purpose, content, and the extension of the domain you choose will impact how easily people find you online, how memorable your website becomes, and ultimately, how search engines rank your business. So many effects can come from a single decision you make, hence the need to be diligent when doing your domain homework.

Thankfully, there are simple ways to check if you’re on the right track and consider a few factors that will help you make the final decision. From understanding the relevance of your domain all the way to researching your options, you can rely on the following steps when selecting your web address. 

Relying on domain name generators

Sometimes, brainstorming can be easier when done with a little help from tech. In the case of choosing the right domain name, there are different generators you can use to your advantage so that you can see what fits your brand and your SEO needs. Of course, you can always use a pen and a piece of paper to do the brainstorming yourself, but this is a far shorter route and it often comes with a slew of options you’d rarely come up with on your own.

What’s more, these domain name generators have the built-in feature to provide you with suggestions that are available for purchase, so you don’t need to cross off any options until you buy the address that you actually like. The variations you’ll get might not be overwhelmingly creative, but they’ll give you more than enough options to consider for your brand. 

Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-using-macbook-209151/

Taking a personal approach

It has likely taken you years to build your presence in your industry, and your name already stands for something. You have values attached to your professional persona, and you are recognized for those values whenever you collaborate with someone. Isn’t that precisely what branding is all about? That’s why top-level domains (TLD) often utilize such a personalized approach and include the name, last name, or even a nickname of the person behind the brand. That gives you another advantage: even if your career shifts focus, your presence will remain as steadfast as ever, and you won’t need a new domain.

When in doubt, choosing a .me TLD name can be the perfect blend of personalization and authenticity in the digital realm for your business. A blend of recognition and authority that lets you build upon your name no matter the industry you come from. Plus, unlike .com and similar domain extensions, the .me extension has higher availability than other, less meaningful alternatives, giving you an opportunity to personalize your brand from the get-go.

Factoring in your keyword optimization

Both for the sake of better SEO and your audience’s recognition, utilizing key phrases and words is vital when choosing your domain name – but you shouldn’t overdo it. Otherwise, it might seem too spammy in the eyes of your preferred search engine. When your name is your greatest professional asset and it works brilliantly well with a personalized domain, your work is practically done. When your brand is as unique and memorable as Amazon, then that too is a no-brainer.

But when you need to use something industry-specific and make sure there’s no confusion about what you do, then you need to be careful when selecting your domain keywords. Look for broad terms such as “marketing” or “SEO” that refer to your expertise and that you can attach to your brand or your name. 

Remember the key criteria for your name

After you’ve conducted thorough market research, gained the necessary insights into the most applicable words and phrases you can link to your work, you also need to make sure that your chosen name fits some other criteria, too. Since the name is meant for humans as much as it’s meant for search engines, it should meet the following expectations:

• Make sure it’s easy and quick to type and pronounce. This simplifies the search process for your audience and decreases their chances of coming across something other than your site. Remember, voice search is on the rise, too.
• Always go for the simple solution. Minimalism is the supreme overlord of all things digital, so keep it simple, silly.
• Do give yourself some creative leeway with your domain name. It’s a reflection of your ingenuity, so if you can use keywords to play with and still retain SEO relevance, all the better. 

Of course, depending on your industry and your own name and reputation, you will have limited options when picking the perfect domain Chances are, some of your favorite options are already taken, while its varieties might be your most optimal choice – so always stay creative and open-minded. Use this simple guide to research and choose the right domain name for your business. It will be one of the main ways the digital world will recognize you by, and the anchor for your future reputation – so choose wisely!