Right Choosing Domain Names for Your Business

Let's say that you're creating a website for Tutuk's Specialty Computer Products. Should the domain name be tutuksspecialtycomputerproducts.com?

Perhaps -- but don't stop there. Having the right domain name, or domain names, can bring more traffic to your site.

Why more than one domain name?

One domain is all you need to set up a website. But with more domains directing to your site, you can have these additional benefits:

• Bring site visitors who type variations of your domain name
• Acquire traffic that might otherwise go to your competition
• Harness the marketing power of keyword domains

Your primary domain name

If it's feasible, use your business or brand name in your primary domain. People will remember it and associate it with your business. Also consider the following factors when choosing your primary domain.

Domain name extensions

Should your primary domain end with .com, .net, or .biz, or with a country-specific extension such as .io or .co.jp?

If your website is aimed at people in a specific country, having a country-specific domain can help:

• Site visitors will recognize right away that the business has a presence in the country of the extension. They may therefore be more comfortable buying from you.
• Some country-specific search results include sites with the relevant country-specific domain extension even if the site isn't hosted in that country.

If you want to attract both people within your country and those in other countries, have both. Each domain could direct to the same site, with each audience seeing the domain intended for them. For country-specific search results, the primary domain should be the country-specific one.

Domain name length

A short domain is easier to remember, it has less risk of being mistyped, and it'll fit easily on your business cards and correspondence.

Conversely, if a short name doesn't represent your business, it's more difficult for people to remember. The short names you like may already be taken anyway.

If your business name is up to three easy-to-spell words, it'll probably work as a domain name. For a longer business name, the initials or just one or two words may be easier than remembering a combination of words.

Secondary domain names

Secondary domains directing to your site are for online use:

• For people who type your primary domain name incorrectly
• For people who search for your products or services online

Typing and spelling variations

How many ways can people spell and type your business name?

1. tutukssspecialtycomputerproducts.com
2. tutuks-specialty-computer-products.com
3. tutukspecialtycomputerproducts.com
4. tutukspecialtyproducts.com

For secondary domains, hyphens make long domains easier to read. Each word stands out when people see your domain. However, domains such as buy-keyword-product-now.com make some people view hyphenated domains, especially those with more than one hyphen, as spam-like.

Having the words in domains separated may help some search engines recognize keywords. With Google, though, hyphens don't make any difference.

Consider all of these variations for secondary domain names:

• With and without hyphens
• Different ways of spelling some words
• Singular and plural versions of nouns
• Extensions with .com and .net as well as a country-specific extension if relevant

What people search for

While having keyword domain names may not draw a lot of site visitors, using them is a technique to consider.

How to use more than one domain

Set up your website with your primary domain, and use that domain on your correspondence and with your customers.

Point secondary domains to your site using URL forwarding (also called domain forwarding, domain redirect, or URL redirect). To have the secondary domain appear in the browser, use domain masking. You can set up these features when you log in to your account with your domain registrar (if your registrar offers these services).

The next step

Once you decide on the available domains that you want, register them immediately. They might not be available tomorrow.

If you don't already have a business name, you'll find it easier to market your business online if you choose a primary domain and a business name together. If your first choice for a business name doesn't work well with any available domains, consider a business name that you can easily market with an available domain. Once you've registered that domain name and your business name, register secondary domains and put them to use.