How to Make the Right Domain Purchase for Your Online Business
The start of a new online business usually begins with the domain purchase. Before you buy a domain you should know how it can affect the success of your online business. The right one can help you rank well in the search engines while the wrong one can hurt your business’ success.
Getting Specific Can Help
In many instances the more specific you get with your domain name in terms of keywords relating to your business the better. For example, an online business that sells only wine gift baskets should choose a domain name which reflects this. ‘Winegiftbaskets.com’ or winebaskets.com’ is likely to bring in more targeted visitors that simply ‘carolsgiftbaskets.com’.
Long Tail Keywords vs. Catchy Domain Names
There are two general categories that domain names tend to fit into. One is the short and catchy domain name that may or may not describe your business. The other is a domain name that is comprised of a long tail keyword.
In short a long tail keyword is a string of related words put together to form a search phrase. Search phrases like “puppy potty training” indicate the searcher is not only looking to potty train their dog but that the dog is still a puppy. A business that chooses a longer keyword phrase such as this relating to their product or service stands a better chance of their website ranking near the top for that specific phrase.
Ranking well in certain niches can be difficult, especially in competitive niches. By finding a two or three word phrase related to your product or service which has slightly less competition but still gets many searches you stand a good chance of receiving targeted traffic to your website simply by choosing a specific domain name phrase.
On the flip side many businesses forgo the longer, more descriptive domain names in lieu of a short, catchy domain name. Geico and eBay are perfect examples of companies that have gone this route and succeeded. Their names have become synonymous with their respective products and services but this wasn’t achieved without some clever marketing.
This domination of their respective niches isn’t achieved by a smart domain purchase alone. A lot of effort must go into marketing for it to become a household name. While choosing a long tail keyword gives you an edge in the search engines initially many argue that a shorter and easier to remember name may pay off in the long run if you have the marketing talents to back it up.
Avoid the Use of Hyphens in Your Domain Purchase
In the hunt for the perfect and available domain name it has become common practice to use hyphens in between words in a domain name when all the non-hyphenated .com and .net options aren’t available. While it may be tempting to insert a hyphen in order to grab that perfect domain name it is strongly advised that you do so only as a last resort. For the most part domains with hyphens look tacky, are harder to remember and a nightmare to verbally convey to others.
While the .com domain name should always be your first choice when making a domain purchase when it comes to hyphens you would be better off buying the non-hyphenated .net or even .org version of the same domain name instead. If you must hyphenate do so only once between a two word domain name and not a hyphen more.
It Gets Better with Age
Want to give your new business in instant boost? Then out with the new and in with the old domain names. It’s not widely known but purchasing an older, expired domain name can often give your business a head start. Search engines such as Google prefer older domain names to new ones when judging the respectability and importance of a website attached to that domain. As an added bonus these older domain names often come with built-in backlinks earned from their previous life.
Backlinks, along with a rating system Google uses called PageRank, are likes votes of confidence for that particular domain. When you purchased expired domains all these “extra goodies” automatically come with the package. Purchasing an expired domain may cost you a little more than a new one but it is considered a wise investment in your business’ future. Yes, you will still need to market your new business but you’ll have a leg up you didn’t by buying a new domain.
Your domain name should not be a choice you make lightly. It serves as the “face” of your business to the Internet world as well as the offline world. So choose wisely and strive to make the domain purchase that will benefit your online business the most.
Filed under: Domains