Picking the best domain name from the start is important to the success of your business, perhaps not straight away, but later down the line when you’re looking to get online or expand the business.
Ok sure, your business won’t crumble because you didn’t pick the best domain name, but there are some do’s and don’ts when picking a domain name for your trades web designer to work with.
Here’s our tips for how to pick the best domain name for your trade business.
1. Keep It Simple
The best domain names are simple, you don’t need to include everything from your lengthy business name in your domain. For example, Johnspainting.com is much better than Johnspaintinganddecoratingservices.com
What’s the chances someone is going to remember that from your van? Keep it brief, easy to spell and easy to remember.
2. Relate To Your Business
Businesses often make the mistake of making their domain name too personal or specific to the wrong thing. The best domain names describe your business in 1, perhaps 2 words – not only is this helpful for your customers but also for search engine rankings.
It’s also worth noting, not to be too specific if you have a very niche trade, how many of your clients know to search for a radiator specialist – none, they’ll search for plumber.
3. No Symbols
Great for strong passwords, not the best domain name etiquette. It’s quite common to see a “-” inbetween words to separate them – not the end of the world, but avoid it if you can.
If your preferred domain name is already taken, I would reconsider the name rather than chucking in a dash. It’s often hard to remember where that “-” went in your url, and suggests it’s probably too long.
4. Use ".com"
Most users will automatically assume a website ends “.com”.
Avoid being sucked into the trendy .services, .biz website endings, they’re not memorable, and you’ll often find users searching for johnspaint.biz.com instead – which won’t lead them to your business.
Smartphones also have a “.com” button when searching too, as seeing as more than 50% of web users are using a smartphone, it’s better to cater to these needs than yours.
Photo credit: www.statista.com
5. Avoid Adding Your Location
Having a location in your domain url is great for local seo and local business, but if you decide to move, or expand your services, you’ve already made it hard for yourself. While it’s not impossible to show up nationally, your business looks localised and will potentially put off customers who find you on search results. For the best domain name, leave out your location.
6. Use Keywords
The best domain names are also high ranking search results on google, and they’re internet gold dust – but worth it if you can find one. For example, “gas engineer” has an estimated 10,000 organic searches per month, I would imagine that url has already been taken, but using keyword surfer or semrush, you can check search terms closely related to your business – this means you’ll get an easier trip to page 1, which usually means more traffic = more customers.
7. Check Your Domain Name
Infact, this is related to your business name too. Having a vague business name is actually ok, especially if you are not relying on it to generate your leads. But having a business name which is considered to be “out there” comes with its own risks – do my customers know what I do, what it means, is it rude?
I recently had an interaction with a business who’s name showed up on google in the urban dictionary as “player or pimp” – not ideal if you want the best domain name for your business.
8. Be Quick!
As soon as you have your business name – register a domain swiftly to get the best domain name available. Or even better, find a good domain and then name your business. There’s nothing more disappointing than going through all of the gov paperwork to then find out there’s zero relatable domain urls to be had. The best domain names usually relate to your business and services in some way – so ensure they can both be had.
Stick to these guidelines when picking your domain name, you’ll be helping future you, and your trades website designer / seo for trade agencies when they’re working hard to gain you more traffic.
Already have the best domain name for your business but missing the website? We offer trades website designs and hosting for your website. Contact us to find our more.
