Choose a domain name, or change it!

In the past, when starting a business, we used to chose its domain name at last, but nowadays, many organizations start by choosing their website domain, then proceed to complete the company’s registration processes.

In this note, ZARZA Engineers address certain details to help you choose a web domain or help you deciding to look for a better alternative to fit better into the current market.

Should my domain name be the same as my company’s name?

Not necessarily. Many of our clients worldwide, handle different specific domains for either brand developing, sales reinforcement or product positioning. All this is very variable but has to be taken in count when choosing a web domain.

Considering the above and the introduction of this article, doubts often start based on what to take in count when changing or choosing a domain name, we may consider the following premises:

  • The shorter, the better: If acquiring a domain between 6 and 10 characters is within your possibilities, according to what the experts think, you’ll have chosen a domain with great potential to be successful.
  • Creativity: Although a vast majority of domain names are already taken, creativity keeps being the mainstay that continues surprising the industry. Don’t give up, there’s a combination right for you.
  • Describe your business: Often, due to a good name, we sacrifice a name that really describes what we do. In this matter, you will always find disjunctive among professionals, some prefer to make brand, while others use a generic domain. The most important is what fit to your needs.
  • Look for a solid name: Many customers use domains that don’t have a solid impact and can be easily confused, either by the use of dashes, or the eternal conflict between singular and plural.
Once we’ve made a decision on Choosing a Domain Name, or which one could be the ideal for us, the recommendation will always be to consult the professionals accompanying you in this process.

Customers often register domains obviating other available options to improve their brand, doing so may be a huge mistake in long term.

Frequent Mistakes When Choosing a Domain Name

If you are determined to Choose a Domain Name by yourself, we still want to go with you and share some of the most common mistakes in the industry:

  • Avoiding the .com: .com will always be better, even there are tens of extensions, and many people keep saying since decades the .com will die and so additional extensions are better… Don’t believe them…Whoever hits first, hits twice and .com is and will keep being the best option.
  • Using numbers and/or hyphens: Save yourself positioning problems and possible penalties. Don’t use numbers or hyphens, unless it is really necessary… And even if it’s indispensable, try to omit it.
  • Choosing a name similar to another brand: Avoid completely the competition with a stronger brand, they’ll receive your traffic, and besides that, they could eventually sue you and take your domain.
  • Orthographic horrors: Don’t fall in the orthographic errors horror, on Internet people are literate, and although is not general, that will lead them to write wrong your domain name.
  • Hard to be remembered: If not even yourself, or your close ones, can easily remember the domain, less will do it someone else by listening to it or read it once.
  • Way too Long: The most common mistake is choosing a long domain, please, please don’t.

www Domain NameValid characters

Valid characters when Changing or Choosing a Domain Name are letters, numbers and hyphens (-). Other special characters such as the underscore (_) or exclamation mark (!) are not allowed.
A domain name can be up to 64 characters long, including the 4 characters used to identify the top level domain (.net, .com, .org or .edu).

When Choosing a Domain Name, also remember not to write www. before your domain name when registering it, since www. is a subdomain of your domain.

Should I change my domain name?

There isn’t a definitive answer to give you without analyzing your particular case. However, with the recommendations and frequent errors given, we’re sure many of you will identify the need for a change, or to make a better selection when Choosing a Domain Name.

Although for this, we also have to take into account your current domain’s positioning state, its amount of links and its recognized authority, as the antiquity and a series of features that could ponder the decision … Finally, most of the times these could yield to creating a landing page that directs visitors to the new address, or a friendly redirection to browsers if it’s the case.

My domain name, my brand

Nowadays, Choosing a Domain Name is as important as having a good brand. An attractive domain name reinforces the image of an organization and, conversely, an unwise domain offers an unprofessional vision to their visitors, partners and potential customers.

From Zarza Corp, we invite you to get advisory with a Zarza Engineer, expert on Information Technology, who will give you a list of accurate recommendations and options to perhaps your most important investment in brand positioning.