It’s not that easy to find the perfect online address for your own website – as you need to find the matching domain extension for it, too. The most popular domain names, especially those under .COM and .DE, are very often taken so it seems that you can actually give up on your favorite domain. But there are plenty of excellent domains for you if you consider a few rules when choosing.
But why is it so crucial for companies to get hold of the best matching domains? In simple terms: The URL is the first direction sign that puts customers on the right track to the website. To avoid basic mistakes when choosing a domain, the following rules should be taken into account:
1.) Recognition
It should be easy to recognize the company in the domain name. This helps potential customers to connect the domain with the company and keep the online address in mind. If you also integrate keywords in the domain name, they will be highlighted in the Google search results.
2.) As short as possible
A short domain is easy to remember and reduces the risk of typos. Instead of creating long, complicated terms it's better to build uniqueness through short and significant words. This also makes it easier to type in the domain name on mobile devices.
3.) Hold scale
Keywords are well and good. But as always – less is more! If the domain gets exceptionally long because you want to integrate loads of keywords, the damage will outweigh the benefit.
4.) Stay regional
Are you active in a special region or city? Then show it in your domain! So called geoTLDs such as .BERLIN, .LONDON or .NYC, are a great eye catcher and add even more uniqueness to your domain name.
5.) Home sweet home
Using the extension of your home country, for example .DE, indicates the language of your website and attracts potential customers of your country. Another advantage: apart from .COM, Internet users tend to enter their actual country code as domain extension.
6.) Reachable throughout the world
Are you aiming to address customers outside your home country? Then you should not miss to get hold of matching domain names under the ccTLD of your target markets – for example .IT for Italy. Thus, you will pave the way to your website for potential international customers.
7.) Punctuation is confusing
Forget punctuation. Punctuation marks create confusion and make your domain difficult to remember. Also if this might sound funny: Punctuation marks are dangerous! Cyber criminals love to modify domains with hyphens in order to forward potential customers to fraud sites.
8.) Take note of the Copyright
Do you think it might be clever to stick close to a well-known brand in order to get as many clicks as possible? Attention! This could infringe trademark rights and make you liable to prosecution. To prevent you from this, better check trademark rights before on the website of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUPIO) as well as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
To protect your own trademark rights you should secure domains similar to the name of your company or your brand. Thus, you can enhance the chance for potential customers to land on one of your websites.
9.) Appeal to Motion
A call to action right in your domain name can secure valuable clicks. A perfect example is www.visit.berlin. Why? The user has the feeling of being addressed personally – you get in direct contact to your target group. Another benefit: The imperative form is short and therefore especially catchy.
10.) KISS:
"Keep it short and simple", that’s the magic formula for a perfect domain name. The easier a potential customer finds what he’s been looking for the better is his user experience. Significant domain extensions, such as the new gTLDs .SHOP or .NEWS, have made marketing history. Short’n sweet they make clear what can be found under their domains.
In addition, you can use relevant domains as URL shortener if you use redirects: for example www.schlund.tech will be redirected to schlundtech.com.
Now try for yourself and register the best matching domains here!