Choosing a domain name is one of the most important decisions when building a website. Your domain name is the core of your company and product brand. It should memorable, easy to say, and chosen with SEO in mind. But with so many domains already taken, choosing a domain can be a daunting task. This article will tell you what to look out for when choosing a domain name and how to ensure your domain is SEO friendly.
Domain name checklist
- Choose a memorable domain
Choose a domain that is catchy like your brand. Your domain should be easy to remember.
- Keep it short
Keep it short. Less than 15 characters is ideal.
- Include keywords
Effective use of keywords, or partial keywords, can make a domain more memorable and SEO friendly.
- Choose a popular top-level domain
Choosing a popular top-level domain such as .com or .net will not only make your domain easier to remember it will show authority in your industry.
- Easy to say, easy to type
Avoid special characters, odd spelling, hyphens and numbers. Say your domain out loud. If you have to explain how to spell your domain it is probably not a good choice.
Which domain registrar to use?
There are many domain registrars to chose from. Some offer additional features like privacy protection, SSL certificates or email. The domain registrar you choose will come done to the features that are important to your business.
Privacy protection
Most domain registrars offer basic levels of privacy protection. The most common feature is a WHOIS personal details protection service. These services allow you to use proxy details on WHOIS instead of entering your personal details. Any notifications regarding your domain will be passed through the proxy service to you. This service can help prevent spam.
Registrars also offer more sophisticated privacy protection in premium plans. These include:
- Malicious domain transfer protection
- Domain hijacking protection
- Domain security monitoring
SSL certificates
Several domain registrars offer free SSL certificates with domain registration. Ensure you pay close attention to the certificate authority, the level of encryption and the domain restrictions of the certificate as it may be of limited value.
Domain email address
Some registrars will include web based email in the domain purchase. This can be useful to get up and running quickly and allow you to use your business domain email rather than a personal email address.
Popular domain registrars in 2020
Below is a list of some of the most popular domain registrars in 2020. These registrars offer combinations of the features listed above and often have limited offers where some features are included in the domain purchase price:
