One of the most crucial aspects of having an online presence is choosing the domain name, as this is the primary link that people will use to proceed to your website. As a result, it’s vital that when it’s time to register a domain name for your website, that it’s clear, appropriate and suitable for the website & business.
To guarantee that you buy the most suitable domain name, the experienced team at catalyst2 has compiled the experienced to create this guide on the most important things to keep in mind before purchasing a domain name.
Research before you buy
Before you can even consider purchasing a domain name, you will need to identify the domain that you would like to purchase. The very best approach for the name is, of course, your business name, or related keywords/names that are associated with your website and business. This is to guarantee that any web users can easily distinguish your domain apart from others.
For research, we would suggest using a domain name search tool, where you will be able to identify whether or not your primary domain is available, or which related domains are available with similar key terms.
What will your domain name extension be?
Also within the research aspect, you will also need to decide what will be your main domain name extension. Having .com is the most popular option around the world, primarily because it is abbreviated for commercials, which is the category that most websites can fall under. However, it’s also recommended that you purchase your countries individual top-level domain, so for the UK, it will be either .UK or .co.uk depending on your preference.
Consider other main domain name extensions
That being said, it’s also worth considering looking at other main and non-traditional top-level domains. For this, there are several options available, all of which can easily purchase for a much cheaper price compared to the most recognisable. If you chose to go with this option, remember that web users are still more likely to click on top-level domains such as .com over less known alternatives.
Purchase easy to type domains
As we have already said, your domain name should be related to your business through associated key terms or names, but it also must be easy to type. There are four rules to keep in mind with domain names which are; short, simple, just words & predictable.
Following this, if you have the funds then you should also consider purchasing common misspellings of your domain. This ultimately is a personal choice, but if you know that customers regularly misspell a name or word, then buying the misspelt domains may help you to guarantee all potential customers reach your website.
Keep an eye on competitors
It’s more than likely that your competitor is trying to beat you in any approach that they can, and domains are no different. A competitor, website phisher or anyone else that has a vested interest in your business could potentially purchase a very similar domain in order to disguise as you to poach customers or to retrieve personal data from clients.
Checked for trademarked domains
Finally, it’s important to check that your domain name isn’t legally trademarked, otherwise, you could end up facing a potential lawsuit. To be safe, it’s always recommended that you check on the GOV.UK website through their trademark searcher, where you should be able to identify whether or not your domain name is available or not.
Register with catalyst2
Finally, got a better understanding of the importance of domain name registrations? Then why not take the next step and buy your desired domain name before it’s too late? By heading over to the catalyst2 website, you can take a look through the domain network to identify the most suitable domains still available to purchase. Throughout the entire process, one of our consultants will be more than happy to support you, as well as addressing any questions and concerns that you may have.
To get in touch, simply give us a call today on 0800 107 7979. For general enquiries about any of our other services, we recommend emailing sales@catalyst2.com with your message and contact details, where you can expect a reply within a single working day.
