How to choose a domain name / web address URL for your website

Choosing the right domain name (also known as your web address or URL) for your web site is very important ... it will pay to spend a little time thinking about your options. If possible, register your domain name before you start your business website!

With tens of millions of domain names already registered, and thousands more being registered every week, it is becoming more and more difficult to find a suitable domain which will reflect your company.

When your business caters to the local or national community, such as a taxi firm or double glazing company for example, it makes sense to register a country-specific domain extension. Your web site will benefit from the use of a local TLD (Top Level Domain) because people will know they are dealing with a local company the moment they see your web address.

Someone in the UK, for example, is not likely to order double glazing from windows.com because it suggests a US or an international site. Better to register a UK domain like windows.co.uk instead. The Swiss like to see .ch at the end of their websites, the Belgians .be and so on.

For an international business or a company based in the USA, aim to register a dot com rather than a .biz or .info extension.

Your domain name can be from a minimum of 3 up to a maximum of 67 characters and include lower case letters of the English alphabet, numbers from 0 to 9 and hyphens (-). However, it may not begin nor end with a hyphen and other symbols, including the ampersand '&' and apostrophes, are not allowed.

HINTS FOR CHOOSING A DOMAIN NAME FOR YOUR WEBSITE:

Try to register a domain name containing a popular keyword which is applicable for your industry, it will help customers remember your web address.

Hyphens have advantages and disadvantages, depending on your needs. People can forget they are there, and may end up at your competitor's website. If you decide on hyphens, register the non-hyphenated URL as well, then you can simply re-direct visitors to your other domain.

Be wary of using the zero in domains unless it is obvious that it is a number and not the letter. 0 and O are easily confused.

Avoid registration of domains that contain '2' for "to", '4' for "for" and 'u' for "you". Customers will get confused. If you must register such a domain, register the expanded form of the domain as well, and use it to redirect your visitors to your other website.

Ask family and friends for their opinion of your choice of website URL. What seems good to you may not appeal to others.

Never use a well-known company, product, trade mark, or any variation of this in your domain name registration in the hope of attracting more customers to your web site. Not only is this unethical, it can also land you in court!

Register your web address in your own name. Sometimes your host may offer registration for you, but this could cause you problems in the future, should you decide to transfer your web site domain to another hosting company.

When you register your new domain name, make sure your domain registrar will send you a reminder when your domain name is about to expire.

Most dot com domain names are registered for a minimum of 1 year. Local URL extensions, like .co.uk, .ch, .be, .ca and so on, are usually registered for a minimum of 2 years. You may register for several years in advance if you wish, or renew annually.