8 Tips for Choosing a Good Domain Name for Your Business Directory Website
March 31, 2021
Choosing a good domain name for your business directory and coupon website is an important decision to make. Often times, the domain name is the same or similar to your actual business/website name that you will be operating under. A good domain name can help you build credibility, increase brand recognition and even impact search results. A domain name should be unique yet relatable, easy to remember and help explain what your website is all about.
Whether you're thinking about starting a business directory and coupon website with Ideal Directories, or considering rebranding your existing site, we can help. Grab a pen and some paper so you’ll be ready to make a list of 5-10 ideas after reading these tips for choosing a good domain name for your business directory website.
1. The shorter the better
Aim for a maximum of 15-20 characters in order to reduce the risk of your domain name being misspelled and mistyped. Keeping it short will also ensure it looks good on printed materials and when viewed in web browsers on smartphones. A long domain name could have an odd appearance since words without spaces don't always break properly when displayed on the internet.
If the area you serve has a longer name such as Wauwatosa, keep the extra characters you add to a minimum. For example: wauwatosadeals.com is shorter, and thus easier to remember than wauwatosadiscountsandcoupons.com.
2. Make it easy to remember
A good domain name is instantly catchy and easy to remember. As you start to write down domain name ideas, notice how the lack of spaces affects the memorability of the words. Avoid grouping words that don’t naturally fit next to each other such as wauwatosaallstarsavings.com and wauwatosaexpresssavings.com. Share your ideas with friends and family as a test to determine what they remember when you ask again before making your final decision.
3. Avoid numbers and hyphens
Hyphens are great for separating multiple word phrases, but they don’t work well in domain names because they’re difficult to remember and discuss. When somebody tells a friend about your website, you don’t want them to have to stop and waste time explaining that the domain name is hyphenated. Also, if a hyphen is forgotten or misplaced, the friend will likely end up visiting a competitor’s site instead of yours.
Numbers present problems because when someone hears your website mentioned, they won’t know whether to spell the number or use the numeral. If you really feel that using a number in your domain name is important, ask yourself why doing so will benefit the consumers and advertisers you’re serving.
4. Use keywords that describe what your website offers
People use words such as “coupons,” “deals,” "directory," and “best” when searching for local businesses online. In fact, digital coupon usage surpassed that of print coupons for the first time in 2020, which means it’s likely that people will continue to type terms associated with “coupons” when searching for local deals.
Since you want to choose a short and memorable domain name, consider using just one key word along with your area’s name.
5. Include the city name or the area you serve
You're likely starting your first directory website in the area you live in, so it makes sense to include the appropriate local term in your domain name. Incorporating the city or town name can help you establish yourself as a local authority, improve your search ranking, and differentiate your site from larger national sites.
For example, thebestofwauwatosa.com, wauwatosacoupons.com or wauwatosadeals.com would be good choices since people in the area will include the town’s name when searching for local businesses and discounts.
6. Choose “.com” or ".net" over other extensions
There are literally thousands of other extensions such as .info, .org, and .biz. If the .com or .net version of the domain name you want isn’t available, you might be tempted to use a different extension. Try to avoid doing so because consumers simply don’t remember the other extensions as well as they remember .com and .net.
If your ideal domain is not available with a .com extension, consider choosing a new domain altogether.
7. Make sure it’s available
Typing your domain name ideas into an internet browser’s address bar will show if a website is currently associated with it, but there is more to it than that. The best way to check if a domain name is available is to go to a domain registrar's website and use the search tool they feature on their homepage. Many domain registrar websites will even show you closely matching suggestions if your choice isn’t available.
Some domains might be taken, but available for purchase or on an auction. Often times, people will purchase "good" domain names with the intentions of reselling them to someone else who might need them. Other times, a domain is no longer being used but still under the ownership of someone else. If you're dead set on a particular domain, you can consider this as another option. Just be sure to evaluate the cost/benefit associated with this decision.
8. Get it before it’s gone
There's no better time than right now to purchase a domain name for your Ideal Directories website. Even if you haven't signed up yet, you can still purchase a domain name for your future business. By waiting, you risk somebody else buying the domain name you want before you do. If you're having trouble deciding, go back through this article and apply the tips - eventually you’ll find the right domain for your business.
By now you should have a list of 5-10 good domain name ideas to work with. Share your ideas with family and friends to narrow your list down even further. Don’t overthink it, and when you’re ready...click here to check availability and to purchase the domain name for your own business directory and coupon website.
Choosing a good domain name for your business directory and coupon website is an important decision to make. Often times, the domain name is the same or similar to your actual business/website name that you will be operating under. A good domain name can help you build credibility, increase brand recognition and even impact search results. A domain name should be unique yet relatable, easy to remember and help explain what your website is all about.
Whether you're thinking about starting a business directory and coupon website with Ideal Directories, or considering rebranding your existing site, we can help. Grab a pen and some paper so you’ll be ready to make a list of 5-10 ideas after reading these tips for choosing a good domain name for your business directory website.
1. The shorter the better
Aim for a maximum of 15-20 characters in order to reduce the risk of your domain name being misspelled and mistyped. Keeping it short will also ensure it looks good on printed materials and when viewed in web browsers on smartphones. A long domain name could have an odd appearance since words without spaces don't always break properly when displayed on the internet.
If the area you serve has a longer name such as Wauwatosa, keep the extra characters you add to a minimum. For example: wauwatosadeals.com is shorter, and thus easier to remember than wauwatosadiscountsandcoupons.com.
2. Make it easy to remember
A good domain name is instantly catchy and easy to remember. As you start to write down domain name ideas, notice how the lack of spaces affects the memorability of the words. Avoid grouping words that don’t naturally fit next to each other such as wauwatosaallstarsavings.com and wauwatosaexpresssavings.com. Share your ideas with friends and family as a test to determine what they remember when you ask again before making your final decision.
3. Avoid numbers and hyphens
Hyphens are great for separating multiple word phrases, but they don’t work well in domain names because they’re difficult to remember and discuss. When somebody tells a friend about your website, you don’t want them to have to stop and waste time explaining that the domain name is hyphenated. Also, if a hyphen is forgotten or misplaced, the friend will likely end up visiting a competitor’s site instead of yours.
Numbers present problems because when someone hears your website mentioned, they won’t know whether to spell the number or use the numeral. If you really feel that using a number in your domain name is important, ask yourself why doing so will benefit the consumers and advertisers you’re serving.
4. Use keywords that describe what your website offers
People use words such as “coupons,” “deals,” "directory," and “best” when searching for local businesses online. In fact, digital coupon usage surpassed that of print coupons for the first time in 2020, which means it’s likely that people will continue to type terms associated with “coupons” when searching for local deals.
Since you want to choose a short and memorable domain name, consider using just one key word along with your area’s name.
5. Include the city name or the area you serve
You're likely starting your first directory website in the area you live in, so it makes sense to include the appropriate local term in your domain name. Incorporating the city or town name can help you establish yourself as a local authority, improve your search ranking, and differentiate your site from larger national sites.
For example, thebestofwauwatosa.com, wauwatosacoupons.com or wauwatosadeals.com would be good choices since people in the area will include the town’s name when searching for local businesses and discounts.
6. Choose “.com” or ".net" over other extensions
There are literally thousands of other extensions such as .info, .org, and .biz. If the .com or .net version of the domain name you want isn’t available, you might be tempted to use a different extension. Try to avoid doing so because consumers simply don’t remember the other extensions as well as they remember .com and .net.
If your ideal domain is not available with a .com extension, consider choosing a new domain altogether.
7. Make sure it’s available
Typing your domain name ideas into an internet browser’s address bar will show if a website is currently associated with it, but there is more to it than that. The best way to check if a domain name is available is to go to a domain registrar's website and use the search tool they feature on their homepage. Many domain registrar websites will even show you closely matching suggestions if your choice isn’t available.
Some domains might be taken, but available for purchase or on an auction. Often times, people will purchase "good" domain names with the intentions of reselling them to someone else who might need them. Other times, a domain is no longer being used but still under the ownership of someone else. If you're dead set on a particular domain, you can consider this as another option. Just be sure to evaluate the cost/benefit associated with this decision.
8. Get it before it’s gone
There's no better time than right now to purchase a domain name for your Ideal Directories website. Even if you haven't signed up yet, you can still purchase a domain name for your future business. By waiting, you risk somebody else buying the domain name you want before you do. If you're having trouble deciding, go back through this article and apply the tips - eventually you’ll find the right domain for your business.
By now you should have a list of 5-10 good domain name ideas to work with. Share your ideas with family and friends to narrow your list down even further. Don’t overthink it, and when you’re ready...click here to check availability and to purchase the domain name for your own business directory and coupon website.
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