What is the best domain for your website?

It all boils down to how you want your website and business to be presented online. When it comes to selecting a domain name, the options are practically infinite.

However, there are a few guidelines we recommend you follow.

• Start with “.com” – “.com” domains account for 52% of all websites.
• Choose a unique name; avoid naming your site after existing sites.
• Make it simple to type – you don’t want your visitors to type your name incorrectly.
• Make it brandable – your domain name will serve as your brand.
• Shorter is better – use JTFlowers.com instead of JennyTylerFlowers.com.
• Avoid trademark issues by conducting a search before registering the name.
• No numbers or hyphens – avoid them at all costs.
• Get married to your domain name – make sure you adore it.
• Search social media for the same name – Always search social media for the same name.

Other domain tips

You might want to secure your intellectual property. Domains are relatively inexpensive. It is a good idea to purchase various extensions of that name. If you buy a .com, get a .net just in case, and maybe a .us if you live in the United States.

You may also discover that a desired domain name is already taken, but not necessarily in use. These are commonly known as premium domain names. They are domains that have been registered by someone else and are being offered for sale. On the market, there is no way of knowing how much a domain is worth.

However, you can look into auctions such as Godaddy Auction or Sedo. If it’s not up for auction, you could try contacting the domain owner to see if you can make an offer to buy it. You can find the domain owner’s contact information by using Whois Tool.

It should be noted that the majority of hosting companies also provide domain registration services. Some people keep their domain name separate from their hosting account with the registrar company.

I believe it is easier to keep everything under your hosting account for easy management and maintenance. But, whatever you do, make sure that your domain is registered in your name, not the name of your friend or web designer who assisted you.

In addition, if you choose to use a separate domain registrar, you will have access to the control panel of that registrar company.