Selecting and Registering a Domain Name (URL)

First of all we need to review what a domain name is. Put simply, it’s the alphanumeric website address that your future visitors will use to go to your site. Here’s an example: http://www.imaginedatom.com. You may also see the term domain name referred to as a URL. They’re basically the same thing for the purposes of this article.

Now that we’ve got the jargon out of the way, it’s important for you to know how to register your domain name. Websites such as GoDaddy and Google offer easy domain registration, and the price of the domain name you select is dependent upon how popular those sites feel the name you’ve selected will become. So, “habaksksloz.com” will probably cost a lot less than “thebestcateringcompanyever.com” simply because the second URL contains a lot of popular keywords (keywords are “buzz words” — words that most people use when trying to search for a page on the Internet). The process of purchasing the domain name is relatively simple; if you’ve ever bought movie tickets online, registering the domain is an almost identical process.

“But how do I choose the right domain name?” That’s an excellent question. And the answer is an entirely personal one — only you can decide what domain name will be most relevant to your business. However this is the advice our article can provide to you:

• Choose a domain name that’s unique (stay away from URLs that are similar to another business’ because you want to stand out)
• Come up with a name that’s easy to remember (avoid lengthy “invented words” unless it’s actually the name of your business, and try to keep it 20 characters or less)
• For commercial websites, select “.com” as the suffix if it’s available and use “.org” for non-profits
• If “.com” isn’t available, don’t panic! You can choose from any other extension that you like, or tweak your domain name to find a .com that’s available

“How long should I register my domain name? The one year minimum or longer?” Go for the gold, baby! The price of a domain name is so minuscule in the scheme of starting an online business that you might as well register the name for a minimum of three years. This also eliminates the possibility that you’ll forget to renew your registration at the end of the first year and lose the use of your URL just as your website is becoming really popular.

If all of your questions are answered, that’s fantastic! And if not, you certainly aren’t alone in this. Consult with a professional and trusted web design and development company to field any final questions you may have.

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ImaginedAtom is a New Orleans web design and development company specializing in website design, mobile web development, HTML5 web and mobile applications, graphic design, and e-commerce development.