If you start your own site, online store, or even blog, one of the required steps you need to go through is choosing and purchasing a domain name.
To help you, in this article, we will explain in plain language what a domain name is and why it is important for your online business. Last but not least, we will also give you some useful tips that will make your choice easier and more effective. Let's get started!
What is a domain name?
Before moving on to practical advice, let's first explain what a domain name is, but without falling into complex technical details. Simply put, the domain name is the address of the site that the user writes in the search engine to access it. Let's take as an example the most visited site in the world in 2021 - the social network Tik Tok. Its domain name is tiktok.com.
Domain names are created primarily to make it easier for users to search. Each site you visit online has a unique IP address. It represents a certain combination of figures, e.g. 157.240.229.35. Imagine if you had to remember a similar combination of numbers for each site you visit daily. It was going to be hard, wasn't it? Thanks to domain names, this is not required.
Why is domain selection important?
Choosing the right domain has the potential to bring significant benefits to any online business. First of all, the proprietary domain builds more trust in users and shows you as a real business with which they can safely interact.
In addition, if you have chosen an appropriate name, it will be easily remembered by users and increase the chance that they will visit the site more often when searching for information, products, or services in your field. In addition, the domain is important for SEO optimization, as well as helping to strengthen your online presence. All this makes it a great competitive advantage.
How can you purchase a domain name for your site?
The domains of all existing sites on the Internet are saved in the so-called Domain Name System. It is something like the Internet Address Book, which keeps all domain names as well as the IP addresses that match them. You should know that domains are unique – this means that you cannot register an existing domain name, just as 2 houses cannot be located at the same address.
The purchase of a domain is carried out through the so-called registrars (registrators). These are companies that own a large base of free domains and resell them to those wishing to use them for their site.
Prices vary greatly depending on the demand for the specific domain, the preferred extension (.com, .bg, .org, etc.), and other factors. You should keep in mind that the most desirable domains are often occupied, or cost significantly more. For example, if you want to sell cars, cars.com domain is probably long ago busy.
Useful tips when choosing a domain name
According to statistics, more than 350 million domains are currently registered and each year their number continues to grow. Therefore, it is good to be more creative in choosing a domain for your site. Here are some helpful tips:
The first tip is to stick to standard extensions, the most popular of which is .com, as they are most easily remembered. However, they are also the most in-demand, so you will need to show more imagination to find a free domain.
Make sure that the name you choose is short and that spelling is not too complicated. The longer and harder it is to spell, the more the chance that users will miss it and not reach your site. A bonus tip in this regard is to avoid the many dashes that separate the domain.
Good advice, in terms of branding, is to choose a domain that matches your company name or is directly related to the products or services you offer. This can be used for ranking the site in search engines, as well as for building a strong online presence.