Creating and growing an online presence for your home-based business is crucial in this ever-growing digital age. More and more consumers are turning to the internet to find the services and products they are looking for. However, before deciding on your website design and content, you’ll have to make one extremely important decision – the domain. There are several basic guidelines to follow when deciding on a domain name to purchase and develop as the hub for your home-based business.
Your domain should be a .COM name
While there are many extensions to choose from, like .CO, .CLUB, .NET, .GURU, .VEGAS, .NYC, .BIZ, .INFO, .ORG, etc., .COM remains the best choice for several reasons. The public assumes that all domain names are .COM, and the words “dot com” describe the online industry. A .COM name signifies many positive attributes, but most importantly, stability, longevity, professionalism and more when combined with the proper domain name.
The shorter the better
You should always choose a concise, descriptive name or group of names for your website. Shorter names tend to be easier to remember and will result in less misspellings when people search for your site. Remember, the domain name will set the tone of the website, and will also be your online brand forever, or as long as you own your business. It is crucial to stay away from hyphens, numbers or unconventional spellings.
Local, regional and national considerations
If your business serves the local community, try to include a city name within your domain, such as ScottsdaleMiniBlinds.com. If you serve national or international markets, your physical location is not as important. In this case, again, you should select the best brand name and .COM you can obtain that perfectly describes what services or products your business offers.
If your dream domain name is not available, BUY IT!
Do not give up hope if it appears that your dream domain name is taken. There is a good chance that your first choice domain name has already been registered, but is still available for purchase. While it is great to get your name for less than the $10 per year registration fee, it’s typical for businesses to spend between $300 and $20,000, or more, to have the perfect domain name. If you see that your first choice is not available, you can use a service like Whois to determine the owner of the domain. You’ll also be able to obtain the owner’s contact information.
What is your budget?
This is the big question, and only you can decide how much to spend on the perfect domain name. Remember, this domain purchase could end up being the difference between the success and failure of your business. The right name is crucial and can greatly increase your chances for success.
Once your domain is purchased, develop it with quality content
With Google constantly changing its SEO (search engine optimization) guidelines and algorithms used for ranking websites, it is nearly impossible for business owners to keep up with the changes. Google strives to deliver quality results for a specific search, so the best thing you can do is make a commitment to post original, interesting and quality content to your site as often as possible. This will serve your business well in increasing traffic to your site and getting your site noticed by search engines.
Selecting a domain name for your home-based business can be a daunting task, however, by taking these simple guidelines into consideration, you’ll be on your way to establishing a trusted online brand identity and presence.
