Domain Registration: 5 Tips For the Perfect Domain Name

Summary : Your domain name is also what you become known by online, so it's important to get it right...

What is a domain name? A domain name indicates your web site location on the Internet. This name is also what you become known by online, so it's important to get your domain registration right.

Each website on the is labeled with something called an IP address, which is the actual hex-based address online. A typical IP address looks like this: 159.134.27.64. Remembering a string of numbers like that is difficult, so a domain name translates all those numbers into something meaningful like www.amazon.com. This is far easier to remember.

1. Dot what?

   Each domain has what's called an extension. The most well known of these extensions is .com. This, however, is not the only type of extension available for domain registration. There is also:

   • .net
     If you can't find your preferred .com domain name, you could always choose the same domain with a .net extension. It might not have the same ring as a .com but is still as just useful as a .com.
   • .org
     These domain extensions were originally designed for educational and more formal websites. Anybody can register a .org however, so you have more options for domain selection.
   • .info
     A more recent introduction to the domain name game are .info domains. Many of the valuable .info domains were bought up overnight, but there's still a huge range of good .info domain names available. With a little creativity, you could really make a .info work for you e.g. www.moviereview.info.

   Bear in mind that most web surfers tend to remember .com more easily than anything else, so you'll want to select your main domain name carefully if the .com extension is unavailable.

2. Branding vs. Business Name

   Believe it or not, comain registration ties into web marketing. There is an age old debate on the whether or not you should establish a brand name online, or use a domain that more accurately reflects your real business. Let's look at Amazon as an example. Amazon sells books online. Most people setting up a business would have chosen say www.booksonline.com instead of www.amazon.com. Amazon has since established itself as a brand name of global recognition - proving the value of building a brand name.

    

   You'll need to choose between the two schools of web marketing thought ; brand name or your own business name. Consider how your domain sounds, how it might look on a business card, and how well it relates to your business.

    

   There's no one right answer to this question. You need to choose what type of web marketing makes most sense for you, your website and your business in general.

3. Hyphenated or not

   This is another area of debate. Should your domain be one single word, or should the words be separated by hyphens? There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. Single word domain names can be easier to explain, use on header paper and lend themselves to brand names very well. Single word domains, however, are in very, very short supply.

    

   Hyphenated domains names can be slightly more difficult to explain, may not look as well on headed paper and possibly harder to establish as a brand name. There's no shortage of multiple word domains.

    

   The single biggest advantage a hyphenated domain has is that search engines can "read" the domain more easily. For example in a domain like www.foreignholidaysonline.com the search engine can only read the first word "foreign" and that's it. It can't tell anything else about the website domain name.

    

   If you hyphenated that to www.foreign-holidays-online.com the search engine can read "foreign", "holidays" and "online" as separate words, and therefore knows that this website is about foreign holidays. This is can be important in establishing keyword relevance with the content on your site, and increase your ratings at search engines. For this reason, a well chosen hyphenated domain name can be just as effective as a single word domain name.

4. Your Domain Registrar

   These are the people you pay to handle domain registration. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of domain registration companies out there, so which one do you choose? You'll find there is more to think about than the price of the domain name registration. It takes some research to find the best domain registrar, but the following items are worth checking :

   • Do you retain sole ownership of the domain, or does the domain name registrar keep some level of control over it?
   • Search Google for any horror stories relating to the registrar.
   • Does the registrar allow you to transfer the domain to another domain name registrar?
   • Is there an online control panel for domain administration?
   • How easy is it to change the domain Name Servers?
   • Shop around for domain name registrars. What you really want to find is a previously satisfied customer to ask questions before you buy.

5. Cheap Domain Registration

   You can save a lot of money on the domain names you purchase. Domain registration for a typical .com costs about $15 from most domain registrars. You can, however, get cheap domain registration for the same name for as little as $7.95 from other, very reliable, companies.

    

   Oddly enough, some of the cheaper domain name registrars are more reliable, have fewer horror stories, and offer equally good customer service as their more expensive competitors. Cheap domain registration does not mean poor quality.

    

   Are there any disadvantages in using a discount domain registrar? Will it affect your website in any way? The answer to both is a definite No.

The author : Naiall Roche.