9 Tips on How to Choose a Domain Name

Finding the right domain is not an easy task. After all, your domain is not just any address on the Internet. Rather, it is your digital home address, under which your audience or customers can find you in the future. Therefore, you should choose your domain name carefully.

In this article, I list a few of our best tips for choosing a domain. We hope that we can help you with your goal to find a suitable domain! Here we go.

Tip 1: The domain must be available

If you already have concrete ideas about the name of your domain, this does not mean that your ideas can be implemented one-to-one.

Many domains are already taken today, even though there is no website on the address. For this reason, you should always check the availability of your desired domain. This is effortless with the INWX domain check.

In addition to the domain you entered, you will also be shown other available domain extensions that you can combine with your desired domain name.

This increases the probability that you will find a domain that is still available.

Tip 2: Use a keyword or your brand name in the domain

Having a relevant keyword in your domain can have advantages. To some extent, it can have a positive effect on how many people click on your results in search engines.

For search engine optimization, keywords in a domain, unlike in the past, no longer have any advantages. But a psychological effect on the searching person can sometimes definitely exist.

This is because people searching online for something on a topic may be more likely to click on a search result that has a domain name that matches the topic exactly.

For example, if you are looking for a used car, a domain with the keyword "used car" might seem more relevant than a domain with an inappropriate name.

Before you decide on a keyword, however, you should think carefully about whether the keyword fits your long-term goals. Because if you get a used car domain now, but in a few years you might want to expand your business to new cars, this could cause confusion on the one hand and limit your options on the other.

An alternative is to include your own brand in the domain. The advantage of this is that you are also branding directly, since your brand name is always visible.

If you are uncertain whether a keyword domain or a brand domain suits your business better, there is also a middle ground:

Create a brand domain with your company name as the main domain and a matching keyword domain, such as www.gebrauchtwagen-berlin.de, that you redirect to your main domain.

Tip 3: Your domain should be easy to remember

Can you remember complicated names? No? With complicated domains, the probability that no one can remember it and find their way back to it is very high.

Therefore, make it as easy as possible for your visitors. Therefore, the golden rule is: "Keep it simple".

A domain should always be:

• immediately understandable
• easy to remember
• typeable without errors

Also, consider whether there may be errors in the spelling of your domain. A domain that contains a misspelling is called a "typo domain".

If these errors cannot be avoided, then register the domains with the incorrect spelling as well and forward the domain with the spelling errors to the main domain. This way, your potential visitors will make it safely to your website – even if they mistype.

Tip 4: Your domain should be short

Very long domains also bear the risk of mistyping and are difficult to remember.

Ideally, therefore, the domain name should not exceed ten characters or four short words.

To shorten your domain name, using a context-based domain extension can be a good option. For example, you can shorten your domain from www.reptiilien-und-tier-shop.de to www.reptilien-und-tier.shop.

Maybe there is a suitable domain extension for you, too, with which you can easily shorten your desired domain. At inwx.de/domainrobot you can rummage around and check whether there is a suitable extension for you.

Tip 5: Stand out with a new domain extension

In addition to the shortening, there are other advantages that the new domains (new TLDs) bring with them.

Since this type of new domain extensions has not been on the market for so long, there are also significantly more domains available than, for example, with the domain classics .com and .de.

Another advantage could be the potentially easier establishment in niches. Through specific domain extensions you can position yourself clearly.

For example, as a tech company you can use the extension .tech, for your online store the extension .shop or as a company in Berlin the extension .berlin. The list of possibilities is long. So be sure to take a look at them.

Tip 6: Your domain should match your content

Offer under your domain what the domain name also says. For example, if someone types www.graphicscard.shop into his/her browser, he/she will expect a graphics card store.

But if you offer the latest vegan food products, it will mislead the visitors.

Tip 7: Consider the country TLD and register!

Admittedly, this tip applies mainly to the German market. Because the .de domain extension is by far the most widespread domain extension in Germany, with over 17 million registered domains.

Because of this familiarity, it is also generally trusted.

Therefore, if your company operates mainly in Germany, a .de domain extension may be the best choice.

Tip 8: Avoid legal risks

Before you register your domain name, you should do a thorough research to verify that the name has not been trademarked by another company.

Even if it is hard not to choose a perfect-looking domain, it is the safer option. Otherwise, if it is already protected or registered as a trademark, you could soon receive mail from a trademark attorney.

Tip 9: Take your time

You don't change a domain name every day. It should be, as already mentioned, simple, typeable and consistent.

For this reason, take enough time to choose the right domain and do not make a hasty decision. A subsequent name change is often very time-consuming and confusing for your customers.

LONG-STORY-SHORT

Finally, I'll summarize the most important findings of this article so that you can see all the tips at a glance:

• Take enough time to find your domain and do not make any hasty decisions because the domain will be your home address on the Internet in the future.
• Always check the availability of a domain idea using our INWX domain check. Also, check if your idea is legally protected by a trademark or another company.
• Make sure that your domain is easy to remember, easy to write, and easy to type. Also make sure that you keep your domain short. This means a maximum of ten characters or four short words.
• Give enough thought to whether a keyword domain is also an option for you in addition to a brand domain. If this is the case, register both to achieve maximum visibility.
• Always consider the country TLD. If your company comes from Germany and also offers its services and products in Germany, definitely think about a .de domain.
• Meet the expectations of potential visitors. Your domain should say what visitors expect to see on your site.
• Use meaningful, industry-specific domain endings. For tech companies the extension .tech is a good choice, for online stores the extension .shop or for companies in Berlin the extension .berlin.

Conclusion

Finding the right domain is not easy. After all, you want a name that not only fits your business/idea perfectly, but also a name that you can use for years or decades.

It should be short and easy to remember. Take our tips to heart and never forget: finding a good domain takes time.

But if you have found a good name that is still available, you should not lose any more time. Register your name as soon as possible at inwx.de. This is the only way to avoid someone snatching your domain away.