A domain name is essential if you want a web presence. A domain name in the specific TLD of the country in which the website is based is often the best way to promote a website business, but .com is still the top choice as well, for international based businesses. But how do you know which domain name is best, or how to choose a good domain name?
The truth is, it is pretty hard to get a proper domain name these days that is unregistered, without having to buy it from someone, especially for domains with .com TLD. Most suitable domain names with a .com TLD have already been registered, and for a business, many times, the easiest route is to simply purchase a domain that is being sold.
Some pointers for getting a good domain name are:
- Keep it short or find a short name. Not too short to be meaningless if you want a website that is well defined, but not too long either as it will not be easily remembered. Something under 10 characters is probably the acceptable limit.
- Keywords are very important unless you’re seeking a brandable name. For example, if you want to create a website on selling a green widget, the name should at least contain the word, “green widget.” This helps your website get ranked well in the search engines for its main subject, which is of course in your domain name.
- If the domain name is old, it gets a few more points from Google, basically because Google likes old domain names.
Where are the good places to get domain names? There are actually many places to register or buy a domain name today. Some of the main ones are Godaddy, Sedo, BuyDomains and Afternic. With a good domain name in hand, you can then focus on building and designing your website up.
