What is a domain name?

The domain name is simply the web address for your website. For example, amazon.com, sueparker.io, zoom.com, tonyrobbins.com are all domain names.

What’s a domain name extension?

This is the top level domain extension after the dot, for example .com, .co.uk, .team, .io, .club, .biz, .org etc.

So which domain extension should you buy?

Wherever possible purchase the .com of your chosen domain name. It’s the most widely recognised, trusted and credited domain. Without regional limitations. Although if your business is exclusively in the UK you might just want the co.uk version or better still both.

This way you keep all related domains for your growing business. Preventing competitors or confusion with other sites by a similar name but the .co.uk or com versions.

How to chose the perfect domain name for your business?

Here you need to consider the brand of your business. This could be your company name, your channel on you tube, a podcast name or your very own personal brand.

If you are building your personal brand as an influencer or expert in a field I would strongly recommend that you purchase your name. Even if you have another for a company or channel name also.

7 Tips for choosing a domain name

There are a few handy tips for choosing the perfect domain name, here’s a checklist:

1. Buy the .com if you can
2. Make it memorable
3. Easy to spell
4. Avoid hyphens or special characters
5. Short is good!
6. Relevant, e.g your name or keywords
7. Make it obvious – creativity is not always best.

Avoid a domain with special characters, these can be incorrectly typed, less memorable and unclear. So best to avoid them.

Should I be creative with my domain name?

Ok so Amazon, is creative, Google is creative. And these are successful giants in the online world. But for most people starting out, transparency and relevance will be more valuable than trying to create a fictitious if creative brand name.

Allow yourself to be google’able’. If I meet you at a networking event, I might google your name afterwards.

If you present a product I might google the product name afterwards or the company name on your slides. Let’s keep your domain relevant to that.

Keywords can also add value to your domain allowing people to search the specific niche to find you.