A key thing to consider when deciding upon a domain name is how relevant and memorable it will be for your customers. This will depend on variables such as the location/service area your business covers, your target customer, how well known your business already is, and of course the nature of your business (or the services you provide).
1. The company name
It is advisable to incorporate your company name in the domain name if possible, as it will be immediately recognisable to your existing customers and people who have heard of you from other advertising or by word of mouth – especially if you are already well established. Some company names include a service (e.g. E. Xample Painting Services), which can also be beneficial for search engine rankings (see bullet 4).
2. The location and service area
The location and/or service areas your business covers are very important to include in your domain name, as it indicates to the customer your whereabouts and where (if applicable) you deliver to. A huge percentage of customers type in a location when they search for a service or business using a search engine. This means that, by including a location in your domain name, you are potentially boosting your rankings in the search engine results, and opening up your website to more customer traffic.
3. Your target customer
Is your typical customer a stay at home dad? A busy working professional? A retailer? These are questions you need to consider, as your domain name should not exclude your target group. If your customers are mainly domestic, your domain name could include a domestic search term (e.g. www.furnitureforyourhome.co.uk); If commercial, a commercial search term (e.g. www.wholesalehammers.co.uk) and so on.
4. The nature of your business
Are you a painter? A designer? A chiropodist? Then make sure this goes into your domain name! Many, many customers type in a service or product when they’re searching for a business; it is vital that you boost your company profile by having highly-searched for services in your domain name. www.e.xamplethepainter.co.uk would have a higher chance of being found by a customer searching for ‘painter’ than www.e.xample.co.uk would.
