Finding a Domain Name

Introduction

A domain name is the text you enter into a browser to visit a website. For example, the domain name for this website is ‘netmonics.com’. You will need to register a domain name for your website or we can do this for you if you prefer.

If you don’t have a domain name already, you will need to register one at some point or we can do this on your behalf. It can be tricky to think of and find an available domain name, so in this article I’d like to offer a few tips.

Top Level Domains

When picking a name you also need to decide on a top level domain. ‘.com’ is probably usually for a worldwide business or organisation. If you do business in a single country, a country code top level domain may be better:

.co.uk (United Kingdom)
.jp (Japan)
.us (United States)

A country code top level domain tells the search engines your that your site/business is related to that country. If you use ‘.co.uk’ you’re telling the search engine your company or organisation is based in the UK and therefore will be easier to rank in the UK but harder to rank in another country. So if you’re in the UK but sell worldwide you probably want to use ‘.com’ domain. Also remember that .com is what people are most likely to type if they’re not sure.

A full list of top level domains is available here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_top-level_domains

You can consider buying multiple names and redirect one to the other. Also consider buying similar names before a competitor does.

Domain Name Availability

You can easily check the availability of a name at sites like this:
https://www.123-reg.co.uk/
https://uk.godaddy.com/domains/domain-name-search
https://stablepoint.com/domain-names

Just enter the name you’re interested in and the site will tell you if the name is available, if it can be purchased and may also make suggestions with differing top level domains and even variations of your chosen name.

General Tips

Try to keep the name as simple and as short as possible, make it easy for people to type it in correctly and also easy to pronounce. A simple way to test a name for ease of pronunciation and spelling is to give it to a colleague verbally and ask them to email it back to you.

Localised names like ‘bestberkshirewebdesign.com’ for example, may help for organic local search, if someone searches for “best web design in Berkshire”, though I wouldn’t use that name personally.

If your business is international, check the name doesn’t have a different meaning in another language, especially those languages spoken in countries you intend to trade with.

Avoid dashes, numbers and plurals, it’s too easy for people to enter the wrong details and possibly find a competitor with a similar name. For the same reason, it’s not a good idea to deliberately misspell words. Also, avoid acronyms.

For a personal website, consider using your own name, if available. Though this isn’t a good idea if you have a long or complicated name to pronounce. Using your own name for a business may indicate a smaller entity than you might prefer.

If the domain name you’re looking for isn’t available try post fixing the name with another word possible words are:

hub
page
pages

space
engine
motor

rocket
design
site

So as vegetarian.com has gone try Vegetarian + hub = vegetarianhub.com

Homophones, Homographs and Homonyms

Homophones are words are pronounced the same but differ in meaning.
Homographs are spelled the same but differ in meaning or pronunciation
Homonyms can be either a homophone and homograph or both.

Examples:
A wave can be of the hand or in the sea, waive is spelt differently but pronounced the same as wave but has different meaning altogether. Other examples are ball/bawl, knew/new, plain/plane.

Using Homonyms in your domain name means it will have to be spelt out when given verbally or risk giving out the wrong name.

Common Misspellings

Internet users are prone to typing errors, and these mistakes can lead them astray from your intended website. By purchasing domain variations that include frequently misspelled versions of your desired name, you can effectively safeguard your online presence and ensure that visitors still land on your site. You would just need to forward the misspelt domain name’s settings to your intended site

This also avoids a competitor buying your a misspelt domain name and redirecting it to their own site.

For example, see that the misspelled domain name ‘netflicks.com’ redirects to ‘netflix.com’.

Safeguard Your Domain Name

The names are usually reserved for 1 or 2 years, so be sure to set up a fail safe way to remind you to continue the name when it expires. This just avoids the risk of someone else taking the name and in any case is required to keep your web site running. Don’t rely on the internet registration company emailing you about expiry dates.

Set up recurring reminders on your digital calendar well in advance of the expiration date. This ensures you’re notified ahead of time to renew the domain.

Most domain registrars offer auto-renewal services. Enable this feature to automatically renew your domain before it expires, eliminating the risk of forgetting or overlooking the renewal.