Choosing the best and right domain name for your website can be one of the most critical decisions you will make when you want your business to thrive online. A domain name is the web address or URL that people will use to find your website as it serves as your identity and foundation. Since you’re competing for views with millions of other businesses, it is as important that you stand out from the vast amount of competitors online. When creating a new website for your business, choosing a domain name and registrar is important. There are many alternatives to GoDaddy, which is one of the most popular domain registrars around, that cost less and offer better customer support.

Here are some tips to guide you on the steps you can take to maximize your website’s exposure when choosing a domain name:

1. Dare to stand out with a unique and brandable name

Avoid generic names that can be easily forgotten and leaves no impact. Consider a name that you yourself will consider interesting. It should pique your curiosity and leave you wanting to explore the website more. Just like any other face in business, when you have a name that stands out, customers will more likely listen to what you have to say and will become more interested in what you have to sell. All you have to do is to avoid a drop in traffic after maintenance.

2. Keep your name easy to remember

Having a unique domain name does not mean using the longest word in the dictionary or the hardest or weirdest name on the internet. Always ensure that once you catch your audience's attention with your creative and unique domain name, they can still remember it and easily return once they have left your website. The easier it is to type your domain name into a web browser, the more chances of it being the first one that pops into their minds even when they are just out to look for the same product or services.

3. The domain name should fit your brand

It can be easy to select a creative and interesting domain name but choosing one that fits your business is much more difficult. Choose a domain name that summarizes or at least highlights what your website is all about. Fitting your domain name to your actual business can boost your site's trustworthiness and legitimacy.

4. Choose a name that is easy to pronounce and spell

Make sure that you could easily pronounce and spell your domain name. When brainstorming or sharing ideas with your friends or support group, let them hear about it and see if they got it right. Word-of-mouth is one of the most effective marketing strategies available and you want to make sure that your audience gets it right the first time they hear about your domain name. Complex and long domain names may result in your customers typing or misspelling it, causing them to just look for alternative websites when they cannot find yours.

5. Avoid numbers, hyphens, and double letters

Don’t think about creating a domain name with numbers and hyphens as they can often be misunderstood. Using numbers can create confusion as people who have just heard about it would have to guess if you are using a numerical number or if the number is being spelled out. Using hyphens can be a sign of spam domain names, and being associated with those can drastically create a negative impression on your site’s legitimacy. Moreover, avoiding double letters is a good idea as it decreases your chances of typographical errors.

6. Do your research

Bear in mind that there are already millions of registered domain names online. No matter how unique you think you’ve made your name, and regardless of how long you have brainstormed about it, there is still a chance that another company is already using it. To make sure the name you selected is not copyrighted or trademarked by another company, do a quick search and see what comes up as you could be on the hook and face legal issues when you use a domain name that has already been taken.

7. Give importance to the domain name extension

You can always see words such as .com or .net at the end of web addresses. These suffixes are called domain name extensions. There are over hundreds of different extensions available and each covers a different purpose. Below are some examples:

• .com (commercial) -  most popular extension and is being used for all kinds of websites
• .net (network) - serves as a good backup in case your ideal choice is taken in the .com extension.
• .org (organization) - non-commercial organizations and nonprofits
• .edu (education) - used by colleges and educational institutions

8. Act quickly

You have to act fast as thousands of people like you are currently doing the same thing of choosing a great domain name for their website. Domain names sell quickly and, each day, thousands of new domain names are being registered from all parts of the world. Don't wait too long if you have already found a domain name that you like.

Conclusion

Just keep in mind that the domain you'll choose is going to inspire visitors to come back to your site. It should be unique and memorable. Remember, the success of your website all starts with a great domain name.