How to Choose the Best Domain Name for Your Brand

Choosing a domain name for your brand, be it business or product should be considered an integral part of naming the business or the product itself. This can be quite hectic and confusing but still manageable with the right perspective. Whether yours is a new entrant to the market or an existing brand, a number of factors need to be considered as you begin the process of choosing a domain name.

So how do you go about it?

For you to choose the best domain name for your product or business there are two key components that must work together. They include the keyword and extension. These are the two main elements that must be kept into consideration besides other factors such as the marketing budget and acquisition costs. Let us look at them separately:

• Selecting a keyword

When the aim is to promote your product, service or general business, the best way to achieve this is by choosing a related generic keyword set or keyword itself. Begin by writing down a list of top 5 keywords or terms that hit your mind, which can best provide a description of your company or product (brand). After developing the list, you may then pair the keywords or even add prefixes to check out what looks unique. While still on the keyword, you may want to consider picking terms that are memorable as well as easy to type. Users will want something they can easily remember and one that does not give them trouble when typing.

Creating a brand identity

A strong brand presence is an essential factor you should bear in your mind when you choose a domain name to represent your business online. It should be reflective of your business values and product portfolio, making it evident for visitors to know what to expect from your website just by seeing your domain name. It holds more importance if you are just starting out anew. The best way to approach this is by encompassing both the name of your company and a word and two describing what your business does.

An easy to type and remember domain name

As stated earlier, a domain name that is simple, catchy and easy to remember, free of any jargon and complicated terms is more likely to be successful. This is essentially a simple tip yet extremely critical. Word of mouth is considered a powerful tool of advertising regardless of the type of business. Therefore, ensure to keep your domain name reasonably short and easy to recall. You obviously wouldn’€™t want to be firm with an all dancing and singing website but one with a domain name that no one manages to remember or even tell their friends about.

Ensure your domain name is unique

By all means avoid choosing a domain name that has too much resemblance to a well-known, highly recognized or popular brand website that is owned by someone else. Additionally, avoid names that are simply hyphenated, plural or in a misspelled version of an existing domain. It is so easy to forget a hyphen when typing a name or word into the computer. This will obviously in most cases lead your prospective client to your competitors’ website. It is, therefore, necessary to avoid this by all means.

• Selecting a keyword extension

The type of extension you choose is dependent on a number of factors such as the geographical location of your prospective customers. For instance, if your target audience is global, you may want to consider choosing a .com extension type. If your organization is of non-profit making nature, the best option would be an .org. On the other hand, if you are planning to target a specific geographic area, choosing a local extension would be the best thing to do such as .in domain. There are some extensions that have led to extraordinary brand value regardless of their country of origin just because they are common English phrases or words.

Regardless of what you come up with as the domain name of your brand, it is important to see if it is too similar with other competing domain names. Also ensure that your chosen domain name is not in violation of another person’s trademark. This can be checked online by using the internet. Failure to comply with the rules could lead you to a legal battle that will cost you a fortune to clear.