What’s in a name?
Quite a lot, actually. Especially when we are talking about a domain name.
A domain name is the basically the website name and link that you type in the address bar. Just as a house has a physical address, a website has a virtual address and that is phrased in words by a “domain”.
Regarding multiple domain names
You can technically have multiple domain names associated with a single website, but only one domain name will be the primary domain.
For example, wikipedia.org takes you to Google’s main page. But if you accidentally type in wikipedia.com (with the *.com domain ending), the browser will reroute you automatically to wikipedia.org.
A Tip on Domain Name Availability
Choosing an appropriate domain name is important and sometimes frustrating because not all domain names will be available. As there can only be one owner of a unique domain name, it is a bit of a race against others to grab the domain name that you want.
If your initial desired domain name is not available, try being creative with your domain name. Make it relevant to your business or brand name, service, or niche.
Should You Choose Word Length or Uniqueness?
What is more important in a domain name: the length or the uniqueness?
It’s actually the length! Although a long domain name will ensure that your domain is unique and not taken by others, and you may even try to put in a witty pun or something like that in there, a short length allows the domain to be memorable. A long length makes it difficult to remember the exact name.
Once you have some ideas of a domain, check if the domain is available by using services such as Google’s Domain Search.
Buy Now or Buy with My Platform?
After you check the domain here, don’t purchase the domain yet! Depending on the format on where you are going to build your website, you might want to hold off on purchasing the domain.
Some website hosts, such as Siteground or Wix, will have package deals where they offer you a free domain registration if you sign up for a premium or annual package with them. Then, you won’t have to worry about finding your domain through someone else and you will be able to manage your domain and your website through one provider.
Until you have made this decision, hold off on purchasing your domain from a single service.
Once you are done making a domain and choosing your website host and platform, you are ready for the next step!