Whether you’re planning on starting a business, writing a blog or if you’re looking to secure a corner of the internet for future work, you’ll want to register your domain in the UK. This is the process of acquiring a domain name, which is a vital step in the creation of your online presence. Your domain name is the URL that allows your target audience to find your website. This means that it’s like the address to your virtual house, allowing your visitors to easily find you and interact with you.
At catalyst2, we’re very much of the opinion that this is one of the most important steps to creating your online presence and it’s certainly not something that you should overlook. This is why we’re committed to helping you to choose the right domain registration for you. With prices starting at just £15 per year for your domain; our service is everything that you could want it to be, especially as there are no transfer-out fees and no lock-in contracts, so wherever your online presence takes you, our team at catalyst2 can take you there.
If this is the first time that you’re registering for a domain, then we understand how much of a challenging task this can seem. If you speak to many people they will tell you how important it is to have the right domain name, especially changing your domain name after you’ve built up a following. But it doesn’t have to be a challenge and with our suggestions, it will be a really straightforward decision for you to make.
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Stick with Well-Known Extensions
When you’re trying to pick out a domain name, you’re going to want to choose something that is easy for your visitors to find. This means that you’ll want to pick a domain name that will be memorable. So making sure that you choose a common domain extension, like .com, .co.uk, .net, or .org can make all the difference.
While niche extensions like .pizza, .blog or other such things might be entertaining, they don’t look particularly professional and might make your potential customers reconsider working with you. Additionally, they won’t be easy for your customers to remember. So, if they’re struggling to remember the domain of your website, your niche extension is simply putting more barriers between them and your website.
If you can get .com, then that’s the most memorable extension and will be the best choice for you, but .co.uk, .net, and .org are just as good if you can’t get it.
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Use Memorable Words Relevant to your Brand
In a similar vein, you’ll want to be careful with the words that you use in the domain name itself. Choosing a domain name that has nothing to do with your company or what it does can really inhibit people from finding your website. If you find that your business name is not available as a domain name, we would suggest that you choose keywords that are relevant to your business, which will make it easy for your customers to make the connection. Additionally, keywords can help you to rank higher on search engines like Google, particularly if you combine them with both quality content and a good user experience.
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Keep it Simple; Don’t Overcomplicate it
While it might be tempting to try to squeeze in as many keywords as possible into your domain name, it’s much better to keep it short. Not only will this help with its memorability, but it will also be much easier to use. The more words that you have, the higher risks of a mistake being made when your potential visitor is typing it in. These typos will cause a loss of traffic to your website, which is not what you want. It’s better for you to keep your domain name under 15 characters or fewer to avoid any issues in the future.
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Make it Easy for your Visitors to Spell
Who is your target audience? What language are they going to understand? What type of keyboard would they use? And what sort of vocabulary would they usually have? These are questions that you should bear in mind when choosing your domain name. If you’re aiming to reach an audience that doesn’t use English as their first language, then you’ll want to make sure that their domain name uses the right words and alphabet for them.
The internet doesn’t run in English alone. And even if you are appealing to an English-speaking audience, you’ll want to ensure that your domain name is made up of the right words, words that they will find easy to spell correctly. If you’ve got a particularly unusual business name, you should carefully consider whether or not it would be a good idea for you to put it in your domain name. But this is a decision that only you can make.
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Avoid Hyphens
If you have a hyphen in your business name, then it might be tempting to just use that in your domain name, but this could be really problematic. Most people don’t realise this but hyphens in domain names can be an indication that a site is a spam domain and that is the last thing that you want to be associated with. Removing them will make sure that your domain name looks professional and trustworthy, the right choice for your business. It’s also best to lean on the side of caution, making it easier for you and your visitors.
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Do your Research in Advance
Before you register your domain name, you have to make sure that there isn’t a company that already has that name or a similar one. If your names are too similar you’ll end up losing traffic and frustrating potential visitors. Additionally, it would be terrible to set your heart on a particular domain name only to find out that it’s already been taken. Fortunately, we have a domain name checker that you can use to double-check if your domain name is actually free. This will save you a lot of time and effort, which is really important when setting up an online space.
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Now you’re Good to Go
If you’ve found your ideal domain name, with the right extension, the right number of letters and no hyphens, then now is the time to buy. You never know when someone might buy the domain name you have been after so it’s important that you buy it as soon as you find it. Domains are like real estate and there are lots of people looking for quality, brandable domain names. So act fast and make your purchase through our team at catalyst2 today. With our help, you find the ideal name for the right price. And if you change your mind about the domain, you can always let it expire.
Need a Helping Hand?
Our inbuilt checker and domain name service is something that you can rely on, so if you’re ready to start building your online presence then get in touch with us today. Simply give us a call today on 0800 107 7979 for more help with domain names, their registration and how they can help you.
