When its about starting a new website then the first thing that comes in mind of every business owner is the domain name. And most of the people think that it is a small thing, just pick a name and buy it for few hundred rupees.
But let me tell you that the domain name is going to stay with your business for many years, so a wrong choice at the start can create problems later in branding and SEO also. Since lot of my clients ask me the same question before starting their website, I thought to put all the important points in one place.
Here are 7 tips that you should keep in mind before you click on the buy button.
1. Keep It Short and Easy to Remember
A short domain name is always easy to type and easy to remember. Suppose someone hears your website name on phone or on radio, they should be able to type it without asking you the spelling again. Try to keep it under 15 characters if possible and avoid the words which people usually misspell.
2. Choose the Right Extension
Now the .com is still the most trusted extension and people type it automatically at the end of any name. But if your business is only targeting India then .in or .co.in also works well, and Google understands that your website is for Indian users. Having said that, avoid the cheap extensions like .AyushSeo or .top because many spammers use them and users also don't trust them much.
3. Check the Domain History Before Buying
This is the point which most of the people skip and later regret it. Many domains that looks fresh are actually expired domains which were used before, sometimes for spam, adult content or gambling websites. If Google has penalised that domain in past, your new website will struggle to rank no matter how good your content is.
So before buying, use a domain history checker like this tool or a WHOIS history tool to see how the domain was used earlier. You can also check the backlinks in Ahrefs or Semrush free version, and if you see lot of spammy links from unknown foreign websites then better to leave that domain. If you are not sure how to read these reports, any good SEO Expert in Mumbai can do this check for you in few minutes.
4. Avoid Hyphens and Numbers
Hyphens and numbers make the domain look cheap and they also confuse the people. When you tell someone "best-dentist-4u.com" on call, they will surely miss the hyphen or write "four" in place of 4. And that visitor goes to some other website.
5. Don't Go Too Much for Keywords
Few years back, exact match domains like "cheapflightsmumbai.com" used to rank very easily. But now Google gives more value to brands and quality content, so stuffing keywords in domain name does not help much. A brandable name with one relevant word is a better option, it looks professional and you can grow the business in other services also without changing the domain.
6. Check Trademark and Social Media Handles
Before finalizing the name, do a quick search on the trademark registry website and on Google to make sure no other company is already using the same name. Otherwise you can get legal notice after spending money on branding. It is also a good idea to check whether the same name is available on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, so your brand looks same on every platform.
7. Look at the Renewal Price and Ownership
Many registrars give the domain in very low price for first year and then the renewal price becomes three or four times more. So always check the renewal cost before buying. And make sure the domain is registered in your own name and email, not in the name of your web developer or agency, because I have seen many cases where business owner lost the domain when the relationship with the developer ended. Turn on auto renewal also, so domain does not expire by mistake.
At the end of the day, domain name is the first step of your online identity, so it is better to spend some extra time on it rather than changing it after one year. If you are planning a new website and not sure which name will work for SEO, you can talk to an SEO Expert in Mumbai who can run a domain history checker, look at the competition and suggest a name that suits your business.
