Answer
Apr 27, 2022 - 06:41 PM
Out of the more than one billion websites in the world today, the .Com is the easiest and most common Top Level Domain (TLD). Most potential customers will instinctively type in .Com at the end of a brand name during a typical type-in.
Other than having another business having legitimately acquired the domain name, there is the possibility a web squatter may have registered the one you are interested in.
Decide whether your brand name is to be used primarily offline in media such as TV and billboards, in which case it should be important to spell easily.
If online searches are the main method potential customers will find your website, it may not be as important. Note that on both mobile and desktop searches, the domain name is not even notable in any prominent way.You have several options available to you.
1. Find out who owns the domain
You do this with the intention to explore possibilities of buying it. You may be lucky and find that it's not in active use.In such a case it may be wise to invest some money to purchase it. Whois.com lookup is a tool that will help you achieve this.
2. Add small changes to your domain name
Tools such as Dynadot’s domain suggestion tool will help you come up with a relevant prefix or suffix.
3. Consider a different TLD
There are over 450 different extensions to choose from. You have to ensure you choose one that will enable your customers to make the connection with your core business when typing in the URL. It is important to note that non .Com TLDs do not confer any SEO advantage, since search engines do not put the extension into consideration. They include .online,.shop, .agency.
4. Add another word to your domain name
Examples include ‘online’ and ‘best’. You may also consider using verbs such as ‘try’ and ‘get’.
5. Extend your brand name in the URL
Remember to choose a word that is directly connected to your core business. It should not compromise on meaning and memorability. The most famous example of such a case was
Tesla,which until 2016 did not own tesla.com. Instead they used TeslaMotor.com as their domain, and very successfully so. It helps your customers continue trusting your brand name.
The One Thing You Should NOT Do...
Don't use domain hacks. For example, a brand known as ‘myhouse’ using myhou.se as the domain name. This kind of thing may seem clever but it really only appeals to geeks. Everyone else will get it wrong no matter how clearly you spell it out--or how loudly and slowly you talk! The other major disadvantage of this is that search engines do not consider domain extensions, so you sacrifice on SEO.
You are best advised to start off with the best solution you can find rather than trying for the perfect domain. Remember to make it as short as possible for easier type-ins and full search engine visibility.
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