Wednesday, 24 May 2017 / Published in online business, online store owners

Why You Need A Domain Name For Your New Website

So you just got yourself a new website, but don’t know if you should buy a domain? Click here! Learn why you need a domain name for your new site in this post.

Whether it’s a personal blog, online portfolio, or landing page for your business, you’re probably concerned about how your new website can reach the most people.

There are, after all, over 1.6 billion websites online today. So how can you stand out among such a vast ocean of competitors?

You can start by staking out your own corner of virtual territory by purchasing a domain name. Keep reading to find out why you should buy a domain name for your Website or online business.

Why You Should Buy a Domain for Your New Website

new website

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a domain name is simply the address where your new website lives. It’s what every visitor will type in their search bar before heading over to your website.

Purchasing a domain name gives you the ability to define exactly what you want your web address to be. You choose everything from the address to the extension—that’s the .com, .net, or .biz at the end. There are several reasons why it makes sense to pay for that level of customization.

A domain name increases the likelihood people will remember your site.

A simple web address is infinitely easier to remember than a complicated one.

This is especially important in networking situations. You only have a moment to make an impression on someone and wasting that short amount of time spelling out a complicated site address won’t impress your prospective client or customer.

Along those same lines, remember that each time you hand out a business card, the recipient has to manually type out the address you’ve given them. A concise domain name can make that process short and sweet, making it more likely that they’ll take the time to follow up with you.

A streamlined domain name adds credibility to your website.

Your name—or your business name—followed by a simple .com can do quite a bit to increase your online credibility.

.Com is the most popular domain extension by far. It accounts for 126.9 million domains registered across the web. The second-most popular domain, the China-based .cn, only makes up 21.1 million.

A simple domain name with a popular extension feels more “official” for readers because it’s what they’ve grown used to over the years.

This is especially important if you plan on accepting payments through your website. Your customers need to feel safe typing in their credit card information.

If your official website includes a lengthy series of backslashes or hyphens followed by the name of your web hosting platform, it can give off the impression that you don’t take your website seriously enough to purchase a domain name for it.

And if you’re not invested in your new website, why should anyone else be?

It may help people search for you.

people search

A simple domain name can actually boost your SEO performance. By matching up your domain with your name, you increase the chance that anyone searching for you will end up on your official webpage instead of on an embarrassing social media post from years gone by.

Your domain name is a chance to make a good first impression online and can be one of the most important tools in your SEO arsenal.

You can use it as an opportunity to include other relevant keywords.

This is especially useful if you’re trying to tie your website in with a specific geographical location.

Just be sure to employ some long-term thinking before settling on a keyword to include. You want your domain name to stay relevant for the life of your business, so don’t include a keyword that may not fit your business plan five years down the road.

If you don’t buy one right now, you may wish you had in the future.

Sure, right now your website is brand new and you’re just starting out. It may seem too early to think about staking your claim online, but purchasing a domain name early can save you money in the long run.

That’s because when you’re starting out, your name may not have much capital associated with it. If no one’s heard of you or your business, it’s highly unlikely someone else out there on the web will have already purchased your dream domain name.

And since domain names are sold on a first come, first-serve basis, if you wait until your popularity rises, someone else could scoop that name up. If you want the domain name badly enough, you’ll have to pay whatever price they ask.

You can sell your domain name later.

Think of a domain name as a piece of virtual real estate. If you decide to change the name of your business or you end up selling the entire entity, your domain name becomes an asset that can be sold, too.

If you’ve worked hard amassing some capital in connection with your name—or if you chose a domain that has the potential for a lot of different uses—you may be able to make a tidy sum of money by selling it later on.

How to Choose the Right Domain Name

Not all domain names are created equal. If you’ve decided to buy, consult these quick tips before making your purchase.

Keep it short. You want to be sure it fits on a business card and is easy for users to type.

Make sure it’s easy to say and spell. You don’t want to have to repeat yourself when telling others about your new website. It should be easy to pronounce so they can tell their friends about it, too.

Make it memorable. Your domain name should be unique enough that your prospects remember it even if they misplace your business card. Avoid anything too generic.

Skip the hyphens. Hyphens complicate your site’s address and they’re easily forgotten.

Brand it. Your domain name should match the brand you’ve already settled on for your website. Think of it as a chance to further the brand voice you’ve created.

For more tips on creating your new website, visit Turnkey Website Hub.