Before you can do anything else, you need to know how to choose a domain name. This post will talk about how to choose a domain name which meets 3 important qualifications.
How to Choose a Domain Name
First and foremost, it should be catchy, memorable, and easy to type in. In other words it should be people friendly. The shorter your URL, the better, as well, assuming it’s not just a random string of characters.
Secondly, your domain name should be related to your niche. This isn’t a hard rule, however. There are some domain names which ignore this in favor of focusing on the first rule. Speaking of domains, take GoDaddy for example. They’re a domain registrar and hosting provider, but you’d never know it from the name. Still, they have a short, catchy, and quirky name which is easy to remember, and they’ve focused on delivering a quality experience to their customers, so people know them.
Thirdly, it should be search engine friendly if possible. The importance of your keyword in the domain name should not be overlooked, but it should not be overestimated, either, or supersede the other rules. If you have to cram some abstract keyword in your URL which doesn’t look attractive, isn’t easy to remember, or isn’t even related to your site at first glance, then it’s not worth it. Use subdomains and keywords effectively elsewhere on your site to compensate if this is the case.
Check out this post on what is a good keyword to find some great keywords related to your niche, then if you can find one which you can organically slide into your domain name or make it your domain name itself in full, then go for it.
I know webmasters who stress over choosing a domain name which they believe is ideal from a search engine perspective, but generally this won’t benefit you as much as a simple URL.
One last note: choose the best domain extension for your site. Most extensions are meant for specific purposes. For example, the .EDU is for educational websites and the .GOV extension is for government sites. In general, you’ll want to go with a .COM if it’s available for your domain. This is the best domain extension in terms of all purpose to use unless you have a special need.
Speaking of .COM’s, use this link get a HUGE discount on your GoDaddy .COM registration costs, getting them for roughly 1/3 off.
While there are cheaper options like a .INFO which can be had for just a couple of bucks, people are generally more wary of these extensions and with all things equal, a .INFO won’t have the same SEO impact which a .COM has. People are familiar with .COMs and trust them; most anything else looks foreign.