A domain name that is easy to find and promote is a key part of helping customers find you online. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect restaurants, stores and local businesses, the importance of establishing an online presence has never been more critical. 

 

Simple, straightforward websites are a great way to keep people informed about limited menus, new operating hours, online ordering forms and contact information.

 

Here are some quick and simple tips to keep in mind when choosing a domain name for your online presence:

 

 

1) Keep it short. Keep it simple. It is best practice for your domain to match your business or organization, as closely as possible and in as short a format as possible.

There’s a reason why so many Internet startups have short, punchy names. You want customers to be able to easily recall and reach your website.

 

2) Research. Make sure your preferred domain hasn’t been taken, trademarked or copyrighted. This will save you from legal troubles down the road.

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3) Rehearse. Think about how everyday users would type your URL on their keyboard or mobile device. You want to make it easy to type, so skip numbers or hyphens, as well as words that are easily misspelled.

 

Pro Tip: This may sound extreme but goes a long way in ensuring you choose a strong URL: Once you pick your domain name, practice typing your chosen URL on desktop keyboards, tablets and smartphones. Practice typing slowly as well as quickly to make sure your fingers don’t trip on each other and that it’s easy to type out.

 

4) Consider keeping it keyword-focused. Including keywords in your domain name can help you rank on search engines, and thus help customers easily find your site. For example, if you run a business that creates unique, gourmet desserts, you may want to look for a domain that includes “desserts” or “GourmetDesserts” as part of the URL.

 

5) Location, location, location. Location also plays a big part in keyword search, so if you’re a local business, consider keeping your state, city or town in your URL. If you run a window installation company in New York City, you might want to choose nycwindowreplacement as a domain. You can also incorporate it as part of the domain extension. For instance, windowreplacements.nyc

 

6) Appeal to your audience: While it’s important to keep it short and think about keywords, it’s also important to appeal to your online followers. Before registering a domain, run it past a small circle of employees, friends and family to make sure it’s relatable, customer-friendly and memorable.