Twenty years ago, companies providing local services would often choose names such as A-1 Carpet Cleaners or AAA Auto. Their naming decisions weren’t based on brand appeal or a catchy slogan. Instead, these businesses chose names in pursuit of a high listing in their local phone book. Shrewd business owners knew that being listed first in the phone book for their category meant more calls and more revenue for their business.
The phone book is dying
It’s now 20 years later, and regardless of what the friendly salesperson may tell you, the phone book is dying a slow death. To get noticed, your business now needs to focus on being listed first in online search and local results.
Domain names matter
A good domain is one of the most important factors in search rank. Good domain names also ensure your customers can type your domain name into their browser, remember your domain name and tell others about your services. So what makes a great domain name?
1. Get keyword rich
Keywords are the most important factor in choosing a domain name because they are important to search engines. You want to include the keywords your customers will use to find your business. To illustrate, let’s say you have a plumbing business in Seattle, Washington, and you’re considering three domains:
- PlumbinginSeattle.com
- PlumbSeattle.com
- SeattlePlumber.com
Which domain should you chose?
When a customer searches for a plumber in Seattle, that’s exactly what they’ll type: “Plumber Seattle” or “Plumber in Seattle.” They won’t type “Plumb Seattle” or “Seattle Plumbing.” So go with the keywords your customers are most likely to use in a search. In this case, the best choice is SeattlePlumber.com (unfortunately, it’s taken).
2. Make them remember you
You want to have a domain name that is memorable. A domain name that’s easy to remember will help your existing customers find and refer you and make your offline advertising more effective. A memorable domain name is typically:
- As short as possible
- Free of random numbers, letters and symbols
While the ideal domain name will be both memorable and keyword rich, these two rules are often at odds. Unfortunately, there isn’t an easy answer. You will need to decide whether it is more important for your business to attract new customers with great keywords or build a brand and gain repeat business with a concise, memorable domain name.
3. Vanity plates cost extra
If you have a distinctive and unique business name (please say yes), your website will rank first when customers search for your business. Ranking for your business name is easy. So don’t be afraid to leave your brand name out of your domain name and instead choose something that includes the keywords you’d like to rank for.
4. Dot com is still king
You should limit your search to three top level domains (TLD’s) when conducting your search: .com, .net and .org. And unless you have a great idea for a domain name that is only available as a .net or .org - stick to the .com domain. When your customers think about domains, they think .com. Unless you want to make your customers work (please say no), you should think .com, too.
5. Skip the spelling bee
Unless you are marketing to college professors, it is important for your domain name to be easy to spell. When in doubt, remember the 10-year-old rule: only use words that a 10-year-old can spell. If your business is in a niche that’s difficult to spell (such as acupuncture), you might want to consider purchasing common misspellings for your domain name and redirecting them to your main site.
6. Beware: double entendres
Web browsers will only display lowercase letters. Before you purchase a domain name, email it to a few friends and family members without capitalization and have them read it back to you. Are they able to say the domain name correctly?
It is especially important for your business to avoid unfortunate misunderstandings, lest you suffer the fate of these websites:
Choose Spain (www.choosespain.com)
Therapist Finder (www.therapistfinder.com)
Speed of Art (www.speedofart.com)
What now?
Once you understand the rules that make a domain name great, you’re ready to begin searching for and registering your domain. For this, read more about the domain name tools I use.
