If you are considering having a website, there are several important things to be aware of before buying your own domain name.
So what is a domain name?
A domain name is a web address that people type into their browsers to get to your website. It is also what Google and other search engines display or use to link to your site. So the question is where do you get one and how do you choose a good one.
Well, first off choosing your domain name is very important and shouldn’t just be taken lightly or taking one that doesn’t fit just because it sounds cool. Here are some things to look out for before choosing your name.
1. What is the domain name for?
Are you trying to sell a product or a service? Are you promoting your band or your hobby? You need to have a specific reason for wanting and using a domain name. The more specific you get on your reasoning and desire for the name, the easier it will be to pick one that will get you high rankings and more traffic.
2. Purchasing a keyword rich domain
If you are looking to promote yourself, you will want to have a domain name like – johndoe.com or janesmith.net. If you are promoting a hobby like basket making you will want to have a domain like basketmaking.com. The idea is to have a keyword rich domain name using common words and phrases that relate to your topic. If you were going to sell a book on dog training, you want a domain name like dogtraining.com not RoversResources.com. Be keyword specific. You can get more than one domain with your keywords and forward the domain(s) to your main domain.
3. .com vs .net?
What extension should you choose? As a rule of thumb, you will want to choose .com then .net then filter through the others. The main reason for this is we have been conditioned to say .com before we say any of the other extensions. So whenever possible choose .com.
Purchasing your domain is the next step in the process. There are many registrars out there. The most popular are Godaddy.com, Namecheap.com.
There are many others out there and if you go to Google.com and type in “buy domains” into the search engine you will get a huge list. Domains cost about $10.00 a year.
Now you are ready to go out there and purchase your first domain name.
Just remember these key points.
1. Be specific about the purpose of your domain
2. Buy a keyword rich domain
3. Get a .com domain whenever possible
Last, take your time and triple check your spelling before you complete your purchase. You don’t get refunds if you pick a misspelled domain.