How to Choose the Perfect Domain Name for your Small Business Website

When you want to take your small business online, you start to think about things like creating a social media page, creating a profile on online stores and even owning your business website. That last line though can be quite scary; a lot of business owners start to think that they have to find a developer to build a website and set it up to start functioning, they have to buy a domain name for their website, etc. The scariest part is not even knowing where to start.

The great thing is that with Bumpa, it is easy to set up your business website; you can do it in literal seconds. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take time out to choose the perfect domain name for your small business. Let’s delve into why you should, and how to go about it!

What is a domain name?

A domain name is a website's address that people type in the browser to access the website on the internet. It is like a street address for websites. It makes it easy to find and remember websites.

A popular example is www.google.com, which is a domain name for Google's website. Another example is www.amazon.com, which is the domain name for Amazon's website. These domain names are unique to these websites, and no one else can use them.

Domain names can have different endings like .com, .net, .org, and more. These endings are called Top-Level Domains (TLD). For example, .com is the most common TLD and is usually used for commercial websites.

Why do you need a domain name for your business website?

Having a domain name is an essential aspect of building an online presence for your business. Because of how important and integral it is to your business online, you should take your time in selecting the right and perfect one, that suits your brand and that you don’t have to change if you can avoid it.

But, why do you need to have a domain name for your business website?

1. Credibility: A domain name gives your business legitimacy and credibility on the internet. It shows that you are a professional and committed to building a strong online presence for your business.

2. Brand Identity & Recognition: A domain name gives your business a unique identity that customers can recognise and remember. It reinforces your brand name and helps build brand awareness. Most brands also use their brand name as their domain name, which improves brand recognition.

3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): A custom domain name can help improve your website's search engine ranking, making it easier for the right customers to find you.

4. Professional Email Address: A domain name allows you to create a professional email address that reflects your brand, such as [YourName]@[YourBusinessName].com. This makes you look more professional and trustworthy to your customers.

How to Choose a Domain Name

Now that we understand how important choosing a domain name for your business is, here are a few tips on how to choose one; remember to keep all these in mind when selecting a domain for your business.

1. Keep it short & simple:

You know how it’s never hard to forget Google’s website? Or Amazon’s? That’s the goal you should have in mind when creating your domain for your business. It should be simple, easy to remember and pronounce, and of course, easy to spell. For example, if your business name is Tinukefashionwears, then your website should be www.tinukefashionwears.com, and not www.teenukefashionwears.com, or any other variants of the spelling.

2. Avoid hyphens, numbers or symbols:

Your URL must be clean, in order for people to remember it easily. The first step to this is to keep your domain name clean with only alphabets and avoid using numbers, hyphens or symbols in general. For example, tinukefashionwears.com is easier to read and remember than www.tinuke-fashion-wears-4-you.com.

3. Make sure that it is a unique domain:

This is important so that you do not have to share the spotlight with your competitors when you’re being searched for. For example, Miwabeauty store is an online beauty store that sells skincare and body care products and appears in Google search for beauty stores in Ibadan. They have incorporated their brand name while also maintaining uniqueness, and optimising for keywords, which takes us to point 4.

4. Optimize for Keywords where you can:

If your brand name is already set up, then this might not be advisable when you’re choosing a domain name as you want to stick to your brand name to maintain uniformity and increase brand identity, but if you’re yet to pick a brand name, this is the perfect time to incorporate keyword research into your domain name generation. For example, the Miwa beauty store has 2 related keywords; beauty and store, that makes it easier to rank in search results if someone is searching for an online beauty store.

5. Avoid spammy and weird extensions:

Did you know that the extension you use for your website could give it an illegitimate vibe? Most people are used to seeing websites end with .com, .com.ng, .org, etc so they will naturally trust your website if it ends in any of these. If on the other hand, they’re seeing things like .tk, .br, .chs, or some other random extensions, they’ll think your website is illegitimate and will not want to click on your link.

Where to Get a Domain Name for your business

When you’ve figured out the domain name that will be a perfect fit for your business and brand, it’s now time to set up your website. And here’s how you can do it in seconds, without having to know a single line of code or speak to a developer!

1. Sign up on Bumpa. It takes seconds, and you get an instant, fully functional website for your business. On the free plan, your domain is set to [businessname].bumpa.shop.

2. Upgrade to the Pro plan for just 5,000 and we’ll set up your domain with the extension .com, .com.ng or anything else, alongside the domain name you’ve selected for your business.

And that’s it! In just those 2 steps listed above, you can have your website set up, upload your products anytime you want, and even run sales on your website by easily setting up a discount or coupon on your Bumpa app. Take a look at how a Bumpa website looks!

Conclusion.

Taking your business online starts with selecting the perfect domain name for the business. Your domain directly affects how easy it will be for people to search and find you online, or remember your website. It also gives credibility to your business. Remember to follow the best practices listed above to help you select the perfect domain name for your small business!

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