Top Tips When Choosing an Effective Domain Name

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1. Make it easy to remember; this way, both existing customers and new customers who have been told your web address by a friend will be more likely to remember it – and search for it.

2. Keep it simple; don’t complicate your domain name with unnecessary words or punctuation. This can irritate or confuse potential customers.

3. Keep it short; short domain names are easier to remember. You want your potential/returning customer to remember your web address over your competitors, even if they can’t remember your company name!

4. Use your name; Incorporating your company name into your web address is great, as it ensures a high chance of your website getting high search engine rankings for those customers who type your company name in; company names are usually far less ‘competitive’ than service related keywords.

5. Include a service you provide; so many customers type in a service or product into the search engine when they’re looking for a company. Expand your domain name’s keyword web to include services and/or products and you’ll increase the chances of customer clicks.

6. Use a keyword identifier such as Google Adwords; this program helps you to identify popular keywords and non-competitive keywords, both types of which can help to boost your rankings. Google Adwords is available as part of Yellsites packages.

7. Location is Key; not only does a location within a domain name indicate your business’s service area and location, it also boosts the SEO potential of your site for those customers who type in a location along with other search terms (e.g. ‘painters in Plymouth’).

8. Make it interesting! What would you rather click on, crash-and-bang.com or drab-and-grey.com? Keep your domain name short or use exciting language to grab searcher’s attention.

9. Keep it relevant; there is no point having a short, exciting domain name if it has nothing to do with your business or your services! This can even have a negative effect on search engine results, as well as confusing customers.

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