Domain name registration: 3 tips to getting it right

If you are in the process of deciding on an appropriate name for your business, you’ll soon realise that whilst registering your domain name may be simple – deciding on the right name for your business can be something of a mine-field.

Domain name registration is big business and there are many firms vying for your income. The big hitters in this market are; Godaddy, 123-reg and Ukreg who all facilitate registration as well as offering links to other services. So get clued up and read on…

If you are in the process of deciding on an appropriate name for your business, you’ll soon realise that whilst registering your domain name may be simple – deciding on the right name for your business can be something of a mine-field.

Domain name registration is big business and there are many firms vying for your income. The big hitters in this market are; Godaddy, 123-reg and Ukreg who all facilitate registration as well as offering links to other services. So get clued up and read on…

Tip 1
Give your business a name that is relevant to the type of service you are offering. For example, if you are a caterer selling freshly made sandwiches to order for local offices a name like, ‘Gourmet Goodness’ might be too broad and vague. What type of gourmet food is being sold exactly? An indistinct name could slow the growth of your brand recognition and rankings.

Tip 2
A name that is too specific to your services, products or geographic area could also harm your business long term. If your 5-year strategy includes the gradual introduction into other services, products or areas, the business name mustn’t be too restrictive. If this same sandwich making business, for example, wanted to eventually offer home-made desserts, being called ’Sandwiches At Noon’ wouldn’t do. In the same way that the name ’London City Sandwiches’ would restrict growth if areas outside of the City were being considered.

Tip 3
To avoid any legal issues check with the Companies House web service that the name you have chosen is not already taken. You may also want to check that your name of interest is not the subject of a third-party trade mark. Taking the time to ensure that you are free to use your preferred name at an early stage may help to avoid unnecessary costs further down the line.
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To sum up, don’t buy a domain name simply to get ahead in the search rankings. There are many other ways for your website to be optimised that over time will see customers continually coming to you because they know your name.