What makes a domain name so important?
First things first, what is a domain name? What should you keep in mind when choosing one? Is it really that important? These and many other questions are often asked to our Support team. In this blog you'll find out everything you need to know about domain names!
What is a domain name?
A domain name – or simply ‘domain’ – is the address (URL) where you can find a website or online store. Our domain name, for example, is Mijnwebwinkel.nl. A domain name always consists of a name – in our case ‘MyOnlineStore’ – and an extension – ours is ‘.com’.
Is a domain name important?
Yes, it is! And let us tell you why…
Value for your customers
Users consider domain names very important and often link them directly to the content of a website or online store. A domain name is often the first thing they see, so it plays a key role in setting their expectations.
Recognizability
A domain name that is easy to remember, is also easier to recognize, which boosts traffic to your website.
A professional look
Having your own domain name comes across as professional, even more so when you can send emails via your domain name.
Search engine
A domain name is not only important for visitors, Google too takes it into account when ranking search results.
What should you keep into account when choosing your domain name?
The following (combinations) are very popular:
- The main product category is often integrated in the domain name, such as www.thedressoutlet.com
- The main USP is integrated in the domain name, such as www.bagdiscount.com
- A simple, but catchy domain name is also an option, such as www.splash.org
- Your company name, such as www.bobshop.com
Whatever you choose, make sure your domain name is not too long, and easy to spell and to remember. Whether you include a hyphen or not is irrelevant for search engines, but for users, it can be confusing. If possible, always choose the option without a hyphen.
Extension
When choosing your extension, the main question you need to ask yourself is, “Where is my target group?”. If you’re going to focus on the Dutch or Belgian market only, then ‘.nl’ or ‘.be’ are preferred. If, on the other hand, you’re keen to focus on the international market, the extension ‘.com’ is recommended. MyOnlineStore allows you to choose from ‘.com’, ‘.eu’, ‘.de’, ‘.nl’, ‘.be’, ‘.net’ and ‘.info’.
Keen to find out more about registering, amending or moving a domain name?
Have a look at our Support page!