When planning a website, your domain name is one of the first things your visitors will encounter. Even if it’s not exactly the same as your organisation’s name, it will be inextricably linked with it, and for that reason, your domain name will be one of your key brand assets. Therefore, it’s important to choose it carefully.

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According to https://hostingfacts.com/internet-facts-stats-2016/ Hosting Facts, as many as one-third of British consumers choose where they shop based on the reputation of the brand name of that store, and online it is no different.

Keeping it simple

A short, memorable and easy-to-type name using letters only, will encourage internet users to visit your site. Hyphens or numbers aren’t ideal; these can be misinterpreted if dictated verbally.

Keeping it clear

The extension for your web address shows what kind of organisation your website is. While the .com extension is popular, other extensions can convey more about your business before your visitor has even hit the home page. For example, .co.uk indicates a company based in the UK, while .org is used for non-commercial and non-profit organisations; .net is for technical sites, while .info is used for informational sites.

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Keeping it safe

Once you’ve settled on a domain name, it’s also advisable to protect it. This can be done by purchasing similar domain names, similarly spelt domain names or the same domain name with different extensions. By doing this, you are effectively blocking competitors from using similar domains. Of course, when choosing a domain name it is important to ensure that what you have chosen hasn’t been copyrighted or trademarked, or is being used in some way by another business.

Keeping it local

Including keywords that describe your business in your domain name will help keep your website buoyant in search results. If you’re operating locally, you may want to include your town or city name as a part of the domain name.

Choosing the right domain name and protecting it can be a minefield, but there are professionals that can help. If you’re based in the Southeast, for example, a web development company in London like https://www.redsnapper.net/web-development-services-london will have the expertise to help you identify the optimal domain name for your brand.

With your domain name chosen and protected, you’re already half way to establishing your organisation’s online identity.