A domain name is what identifies you online; there is a need to choose a perfect domain name that reflects a brand right.
A perfect domain is very relative.
You have to consider several factors before you arrive at perfection.
A domain name would be like your name.
We keep names for a lifetime.
Funny and ugly names get you ridiculed and laughed at.
You may change names at one point, but, consider the cost. A person changing their names will have to go through courts and swear affidavits, while a company may not do that for the domain name, consider the cost of changing names – from branding to publicity.
That is why it is important to choose the perfect domain name at the first try.
Here are some ideas you need to keep in mind as you choose the perfect domain name.
First and most important, as a rule of thumb, a domain name should be one that is identifiable, easy to remember and marketable.
Brand/company name
While deciding on what domain name to use, it should be obvious to choose a domain name that stems from the brand or company name.
For uniformity and consistency, it is always easy to remember a domain name as long as you can remember the name of the company you are dealing with.
Besides, when people search for your company online, having a name related to your domain name would make it easily identifiable.
If it helps, as you decide on what company name to use, check for relevant domain names too.
Brand voice/values
The perfect domain name should be one that plays into your brand voice/culture/values/beliefs.
A serious and formal brand should look for names that demonstrate that, while a playful and youthful brand image would easily work with a funky and playful name.
Keywords for SEO
The purpose of the domain name can also guide you.
Domain names created with Search Engine Optimisation in mind would do well with the relevant keywords in the domain name.
You shouldn’t, however, give a lot of weight to this today.
In the early years of search engines, one could rank high for such a domain name; today, the standards for ranking high have changed.
Descriptive names
The perfect domain name may not take from your company name, but it could be one that describes what you are about.
This is different from a keyword-based domain name as the focus here is not search engine rankings, but rather a memorable industry semantic.
A domain name like the famous freelancer website fiverr.com is descriptive – from it, you can glean it is about five – at inception, the platform had services that charged five dollars.
So you want to choose the perfect domain name, think in the lines of what you are about, what do you do, what words and synonyms best represent you.
Then use those to identify a name that is perfect for your brand.
Choosing a domain extension
A domain name is not complete without the domain extension.
In the early days of the internet our choices were limited to .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz – these were the first TLDs (Top Level Domains)
Today there are thousands of extensions to choose from. From generic to the country code.
Consider this to choose the perfect extension for your domain name.
Nature of business
We have come to expect for-profit businesses use a .com extension and .org for not-for-profit organizations.
So when you are to choose a perfect domain have this in mind.
Location-based
It may make sense to consider using a localized domain name extension.
If your target customer base is located in a particular country, then, choosing that country-code extension would be a logical option.
If you are looking at an international audience, then the more popular TLDs should be preferred.
A business registered in the UK serving a larger audience in the UK would look good with a .co.uk domain name, as would, a .com.au work for an Australian based company.
Function/industry based
This stretches to the newer extensions.
With new domain name extensions released annually, it should get easier for a company to choose a perfect domain name.
It may be hard or almost impossible to get popular names with a .com or .org extension, but, one can easily get one with .guru, .photography, .clothing, .art, .cafe, .film, .ceo, .ninja, .games extension.
Choose an extension that is related to your industry or function.
If you took the route of using such extensions, then it is quite possible to get short and memorable domain names.
As the use of new extensions increases, soon the misconception that you must have a .com domain name to succeed will end.
Conclusion
It takes more than a domain name to rank high in search engines, so do not get tied to the traditional ways of thinking when it comes to choosing the perfect domain name.
For specialized business, be willing to experiment and use extensions related to your industry and business.
You may also want to learn how to choose the best domain registrar.