Domain Name

9 common mistakes to avoid when choosing your domain name

These days, having an online presence is essential to the survival and growth of most businesses. A business website helps to establish your online presence, increasing brand awareness and attracting customers.

Sometimes creating a website may not be as challenging as choosing a domain name. Keep in mind that a domain name has a huge impact on the success of your e-commerce website Malaysia.

Here are 9 mistakes you shouldn’t make when choosing a domain name.

1. Choosing a Domain Name That Is Similar to That of Another Brand

While the name you choose needs to represent what your brand is about, it should be unique to avoid getting consumers confused. 

If your brand doesn’t have a strong recognition yet, make sure you choose a domain name that no other brand uses.

You risk losing your customers if you use a domain name that is similar to one that already exists.

2. Thinking That Your Business Name and The Domain Name Must Be The Same.

It is not compulsory for your business and domain names to match. Instead of looking for matching names, focus on getting a domain name that correctly describes your business and what you offer.

Your target audience doesn’t care if your domain name rhymes with your business name. All they want is for your website to meet their expectations.

3. Choosing a Domain Name That is Hard to Say

A domain name that is hard to pronounce will most likely be difficult to remember.

Avoid using words that people shy away from using because of their pronunciation. Stick to words that are easy to say, so that people will not forget it in a hurry.

4. Choosing a Long Name

Not only are short names easy to remember, but they are also easy to spell. When choosing a domain name it is advisable to limit it to one or two words.

Unusually long domain names make it hard for you to be found online and those who may want to access your site with a mobile device may find the name too lengthy. Unless you want to deliberately reduce web traffic, use a short domain name.

5. Opting For a Name with an Odd Spelling

In a bid to make your domain name stand out, you may want to use a name with an odd spelling. This means that the words will not be spelled as pronounced.

Odd spellings are a recipe for disaster. Not only does this make it hard to find you online, but it also frustrates potential customers as even voice recognition software like Siri cannot find you if the customer decides to run a search through them.

6. Choosing the Wrong TLD Extension

TLD here means ‘Top Level Domain’ and it comes after your preferred name. The most popular TLD is ‘.com’ and it is appropriate for most websites. 

However, there are other TLDs that may suit your website better.

That being said, you need to be careful when choosing a TLD extension as some of them sound odd and are associated with spammers. 

You should also not use country-specific TLDs if you are looking to attract customers from different parts of the world. This will make it hard for your website to appear in the search results.

7. Spending Too Much To Get a Generic Name

It’s OK to want to get a generic domain name Malaysia that specifically projects the nature of the services you offer. But spending a fortune just to get it is not a wise move. Generic names are no longer in vogue.

You can opt for other catchy names and invest more in other important aspects of your business such as marketing.

8. Not Picking the Right Domain Name Because Of Cost

If you find the perfect domain name but refuse to go for it, you will end up spending more in the long run.

Domain names are of different prices and well-targeted names cost more but produce the desired result and do not need as much publicity as cheaper names.

9. Not Doing a Thorough Research

It will be a mistake to just choose a domain name without doing thorough research. Search for similar domain names to yours and see what happens when the name is misspelled or when a different TLD is used.

Does it take them straight to your competitors? If it does, you may be losing your customers to them. Plus research helps you to use the right TLD for your website.

Takeaway

If you can avoid these mistakes, you will end up with a suitable domain name Malaysia. Don’t be in a hurry to pick a name.

Take your time and do the proper research to ensure that your domain name does not cause confusion and frustrate potential customers.

How to choose the right domain name for your website

domain name cube

In choosing the right domain name for your website, ensure that it is a name that sends the right signals to get the most value.

Sending the right signal means a domain name that will influence your click-through-rate, develop trust, roll off the tongue during mouth publicity, and get attention in search results.

So, here are the points to help you choose the right domain name that will send the right signals and get the most value.

1. Choose the Right Extension

Most popular websites use the extension .com. It doesn’t mean you should get the same domain extension without knowing the following:

  • If your site is business-oriented, then using .com or .biz could be perfect. If you’re an organization, then .org is the most viable option.
  • If the domain is targeting a local geographical area, then consider the SEO first. There are around 200 different country-code TLDs, pick the one that matches the users’ website country code, like .com.my or .my for Malaysia.
  • If your business is targeting a global reach, intending to rank better in search results, then .com is the best choice.

Other top extensions you can use include:

  • .co: an abbreviation for company, commerce, and community.
  • .org: non-commercial organizations and nonprofits.
  • .net: technical, Internet infrastructure sites.
  • .biz: business or commercial use, like e-commerce sites.
  • .info: informational sites.
  • .me: blogs, resumes, or personal sites.

2. Use keywords

When choosing a domain name for your website, use a name that is related to the business or service you offer.

For example, if you’re a building contractor, you could use greybuilders.com. It will help to boost your ranking in search, and it makes sense to your clients.

3. Don’t use numbers or hyphens

Using numbers in your domain name will likely confuse your audience. People who hear your domain name will be confused if they should type the number in words or numerically.

If you must include a number in your domain name, buy both variations. Example, fivechair.com and 5chair.com.

bunch of numbers

4. Do your research: Don’t use trademarks

Ensure that the name you pick isn’t trademarked or copyrighted.

Using another company’s name could result in legal actions that could cost you money and even your domain name.

5. Protect your business

Protect your brand by buying different variations of domain extensions, including the misspelt versions of your domain.

It prevents competitors from registering other versions of your website. Also, ensure that your customers are directed to your main website even if they mistype it.

6. Keep it short: Use a name easy to remember

Pick a name that is uncomplicated and easily relatable with your business.

It should be easy to pronounce and informative and also imply what your business is all about. If possible, make it catchy.

When you think of a name, share it with close friends to make sure it sounds appealing and makes sense to others.

keep it short

7. Target your local area

If your business operates in a particular geographical location, add your city or state in your domain name to make it easy for local clients to find your business.

It will also help boost your Local SEO. Example, penangpainters.com.

8. Move fast

Domain names sell fast, and they’re also inexpensive. So, register your favourite domain name in Malaysia.

If you have any difficulty in finding a particular name, the domain registrars will suggest names during your domain search to help you find the perfect name for your website.

Deploy these strategies when choosing a name for your website. When you do this, you will be able to choose the right name for the website.

Do you wish to check the availability of your favourite domain names? Check now at Buy Domain Names.

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