Once you have a business model and marketing strategy, what’s next? If you haven’t already set up your website, now is the time to choose your domain and start getting traffic through your site. Here are some tips on finding the best domain.
1. Choose a unique name.
For legal reasons, you want a name and domain that hasn’t already been taken. To be sure that you aren’t infringing on someone else’s trademark, search the first couple of pages of Google for your chosen name to be sure it doesn’t crop up.
What to do if your desired domain name is taken
If the name you really want is already claimed, do a bit of research and find out whether the website is even being used. It could be that the owner is holding it and will be willing to sell it on. Even if there is a website active, there’s no telling if they will be persuaded to sell!
Alternatively, there is always the option to obtain a domain at a later date and redirect your existing site. You can find ways of contacting the owner of a domain by using tools such as WHO.IS. Remember, it is essential to get the brand message right, even if the domain isn’t exactly what you wanted.
2. Check up on the history of pre-owned domains.
If you are about to purchase a pre-owned domain, be sure to check its history. You may be lucky and find that it has already got some good hits on Google and might attract some bonus clients, but you could also be faced with a nasty surprise if the site wasn’t legitimate or was deemed offensive.
3. Connect your social media channels.
Most people will head to Facebook or Instagram before even clicking on your actual website, so when browsing domain names (https://www.names.co.uk/domain-names), you should also keep in mind which usernames are available on your chosen social media accounts. Don’t be guided by this, though, as there are always ways to be creative with social media profiles by adding prefixes, suffixes, country codes and more.
4. Choose a reputable registrar.
When looking to buy a domain, you should always go through a reputable and reliable registrar. The company should register the domain on your behalf and then transfer all rights and access to you.