Choosing a domain name for your business.

When you’re starting a business or introducing a new service, one of the first things you need to consider is what kind of domain name to purchase. There are lots of things to bear in mind and so many suppliers to choose from. When we work with a new client we often get asked the same sort of questions, so we’ve spent the time to digest the most common questions below.

Common uses for each domain:

.com = International and often online retailers

.co.uk = UK based and often for more local businesses

.uk = The latest domain extensions, often misheard as .co.uk

.net/.org = Usually charities and local governments

Tips on choosing a domain name

1. Keep it short, keep it simple.

To find your site, people need to be able to remember your address and easily type it into their browser. Aim to register the shortest name that your visitors will associate with your website. .co.uk, .uk, .com, .eu, .net, .org…?

It is a good idea to register several similar domain names, particularly if you own a trademark for a certain name. If possible, register the .co.uk, .uk, .com, .eu, and .net. These are the most popular domain names and by registering all of them you can help to prevent cybersquatters and potential lost traffic.

2. Consider common typos

If you have a domain name that can easily be pluralised or misspelled, consider registering those as well to stop traffic going elsewhere. i.e Damteq could be misheard as Danteq.

3. Don’t shell out large amounts of money for your domain

Some companies still sell domain names for as much as ￡250 per year. Often these are cybersquatters who have purchased a domain name to ‘sit’ on it and never use it. They are there to earn huge amounts of profit. Speak to one of our experts for free advice on what you can do.

4. Register your domain names ASAP!

You must register as soon as possible, or risk getting stuck with “the-domain-name-that-no-one-wanted.net”. The cost is so small that often we find some clients will purchase 3 or 4 domains early on in a project, and then pick a favourite at the end. Don’t worry, if you register multiple domain names, we can always redirect them.

5. Remember – It’ll be the first thing people see.

Try and make it memorable, and remember, not too many hyphens otherwise it’s hard to type and also difficult to remember. Keep in the back of your mind that a domain name is the first thing people see that will represent your business, and will be the thing people type into their address bar to find you.

Buy your domain names with Damteq

Although there are lots of suppliers around, be sure to register your domain with a company that offers you great support. At Damteq we offer completely free domain name support and you can buy your domain name in confidence with our low prices and free features. Our domain registration system is highly automated so we can register your domain names quickly with no fuss. We manage everything for you.

We make domain name search and registration easy and all our domain names come with useful free features, such as web forwarding and unlimited email forwarding. Get these great features free with every domain name:

• Web forwarding (multiple types)
• Unlimited email forwarding
• Catch-all email forwarding
• Change name servers
• No fee for changing NOMINET Tag
• Easily change contact information
• Full DNS management
• Nominet WHOIS opt out
• Manage everything online easily
• No hidden fees
• Upgrade to web hosting instantly

If you’re looking at registering a new domain, pop us a message on our live chat, or contact us: www.damteq.co.uk/contact or 0330 010 0321