So, you’re ready to launch your online business – to get started you need the perfect domain name. It’s an important decision – you’re excited, you want something unique, and you want it to be a good representation of your business. Here are answers to some of the questions you probably have right now.
What type of names would be good for your business?
Choose a name that is simple, easy to type on mobile devices and is related to your business. For example, someone intending to sell smartphone gadgets in the region may choose “asiamobilegadgets.com”, instead of choosing an unrelated name like “itiscool.com”. And, if you’re a brick-and-mortar store owner looking to go online, you need to think of your strategy before deciding on the right name. For example, you may want to use your already-established brand name to maintain association, and so your customers can easily find you online. Alternatively, here’s another great example from BigCommerce: A locally-recognised paint supply business based in the US – when going online – decided to cast a wider net and target as many people as possible looking to purchase paint supplies in the country. So, they chose to name the online version of the store “US Paint Supply”, rather than the family (brand) name.
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Remember:-
- Use a name that is short, easy to remember.
- .com is preferable to .in or .net as it’s most popular
- Stay away from names that are already famous lest you should get in a legal dispute with the owner.
Is the domain name available?
It’s often disappointing to know that the perfect name you’ve chosen for your domain is already registered by someone else. So, it’s good to run a search to see if the website name is already used while you’re at brainstorming stage.
You can always use domain name generator tools (i.e. Name Mesh) to see if the name you want is available. Domain registrars would also let you know if a name is already taken and suggest matching options.
And, take action! Register the domain name as soon as you’ve decided on it, before it’s taken.
How to register for a domain name?
You need to pay for a domain name. You can register for it at well-known registrars such as GoDaddy and Namecheap (among others) – they accept different payment methods including PayPal. They will let you register your chosen name directly after you place your order.
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[1] Wallace, Tracy. Your Domain Name if Your Brand – Here’s How to Pick One. BigCommerce. 18 Dec 2015. 16 May 2016