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Contents
What Makes a Good Domain Name
Online, your domain name is your brand. Finding a domain name that is recognisable, easy to remember and as short as possible are the keys to a strong foundation for digital success.
Finding a Good Domain Name
Ultimately, it will come down to trying a lot of different names to see what's available. Use DomainTyper to try different ideas quickly for a lot of top-level domains (TLDs) e.g. .com, .co.uk, .io, etc.
Domain Name Guidelines
A good domain name will meet the following criteria and make it possible to turn the name into a recognised brand:
Easy to type – words that are spelt like they sound and exclude any slang terminology.
Short – shorter names are easier to remember and type.
Keywords – having a domain name that is descriptive of the business makes it easier for people and search engines alike to know what the website is about.
Brand – in addition to a keyword or phrase, also include a term that can be used for branding.
Avoid hyphens and numbers – hyphens are often misunderstood and numbers can be interpreted in two ways, making mistakes more likely.
Domain name extension – a domain name extension, such as .com or .co.uk, should reflect the scope of the business. For example, a UK based business should use a .co.uk domain name extension while an international business would most likely use .com.
Perform a search – make sure there isn't another interpretation of your domain name or a similar brand by searching in Google.
Domain Names for Search
If you will primarily be promoting your website via SEO and PPC you'll also want to consider the following criteria:
Don't be too generic – a domain name that describes what you offer is great but don't be too generic. Not only do these domains get lost in the noise, you'll also find it hard to "own" brand searches and have increased PPC competition.
Check for competition – if you've found the perfect domain make sure you perform a search in Google to make sure nobody else is using the same name or has a similar brand. Ideally, you want to have a name with minimal competition so you can dominate the search results for your brand.
An Example of a Good Domain
If you sell outdoor furniture, for example, a domain like outdoorfurniture.com might appear attractive but you'll be much better off with something a bit more unique like turnoutdoors.com. To explain why, first let's consider how people will search for each of these brand names.
If your website is outdoorfurniture.com then people will search for "Outdoor Furniture". What they'll see is a page full of ads and highly authoritative online retailers like Argos, IKEA and B&Q. This domain is far too generic and it will cost you a fortune to appear for "brand" searches, the majority of which won't really be seeking your domain.
What you want is a domain and brand that is relevant, easy to remember but also unique. If you're going to invest money in marketing and advertising to raise awareness of your brand in the first instance you want that second visit, once they know your brand name, to be as cheap as possible.
This is achieved with a brand that is distinct enough that people aren't already searching for it in another context. "Turn Outdoors" for example isn't a common phrase, therefore your domain will quickly rise to the top of organic search results without facing stiff competition. Additionally, because the intent when searching this way is to find your specific website, if you do need to defend your brand with Google Ads the cost-per-click (CPC) will be much cheaper.