Making a Wise Domain Purchase: How it Affects Your Online Busines

Getting Specific Can Help

In many instances the more specific you get with your domain name in terms of keywords relating to your business the better. For example, an online business that sells only wine gift baskets should choose a domain name which reflects this. ‘Winegiftbaskets.com’ or winebaskets.com’ is likely to bring in more targeted visitors that simply ‘carolsgiftbaskets.com’.

Long Tail Keywords vs. Catchy Domain Names

There are two general categories that domain names tend to fit into. One is the short and catchy domain name that may or may not describe your business. The other is a domain name that is comprised of a long tail keyword.

A long tail keyword, simply put, is a string of words used together to form a specific search phrase. The term “small business loans” is a good example of a long tail phrase. By using a long tail keyword that describes your business when making a domain purchase you greatly increase the chances of your website ranking well in the search engines for that exact phrase.

Ranking well in certain niches can be difficult, especially in competitive niches. By finding a two or three word phrase related to your product or service which has slightly less competition but still gets many searches you stand a good chance of receiving targeted traffic to your website simply by choosing a specific domain name phrase.

On the flip side many businesses forgo the longer, more descriptive domain names in lieu of a short, catchy domain name. Geico and eBay are perfect examples of companies that have gone this route and succeeded. Their names have become synonymous with their respective products and services but this wasn’t achieved without some clever marketing.

This domination of their respective niches isn’t achieved by a smart domain purchase alone. A lot of effort must go into marketing for it to become a household name. While choosing a long tail keyword gives you an edge in the search engines initially many argue that a shorter and easier to remember name may pay off in the long run if you have the marketing talents to back it up.

Avoid the Use of Hyphens in Your Domain Purchase

In the hunt for the perfect and available domain name it has become common practice to use hyphens in between words in a domain name when all the non-hyphenated .com and .net options aren’t available. While it may be tempting to insert a hyphen in order to grab that perfect domain name it is strongly advised that you do so only as a last resort. For the most part domains with hyphens look tacky, are harder to remember and a nightmare to verbally convey to others.

Whenever possible you should strive to find a .com domain name for your business. This domain extension is most associated with successful online businesses. If the .com version of your desired domain name isn’t available it is strongly recommended to search out the availability of the .net or even .org versions before resorting to hyphen use.

Enjoying an Aged Domain Name

Just as with a fine wine, aged is often better when it comes to a buying a domain name. Buying a new domain name means you are essentially starting from square one in the eyes of the search engines and search engine placement. On the other hand older domain names often come with pre-existing backlinks from other websites and possibly PageRank, a rating system that Google uses to place importance on websites baring that domain name.

By spending a little more money for a seasoned domain purchase your business can reap the rewards of these built-in benefits with no extra work on your part. Sure, you will still have to market your business as the new tenant on that particular domain but you can avoid some of the growing pains of a new domain by purchasing an expired domain instead.

In the end the type of domain name you buy, be it a longer one or short and sweet, is a personal choice. Both have benefits to them and you’ll need to decide which would best suit your budding online business. Yet whichever you choose be aware that your domain purchase is an important part of your all over business strategy and should be treated as such.