Choosing a Domain Name for your Website | Business Basics Series
The first step in getting a website setup for your business is choosing a domain name, the www.businessname.com. There are a number of decisions to make before you choose a domain name. In this post we’ll look at some things you should consider.
Domain Name Extension – “dot what”
The domain name extension is what comes after the “dot” i.e. .com, .net, .info. There are many extensions to choose from, with more being made available every year. Some extensions like .com, .net, .info are lightly regulated, you can register almost anything (however don’t try and register someone’s brand name). Extensions related to specific countries may be more tightly regulated.
To “au” or not to “au”
If you are specifically appealing to the Australian market, it may be advisable to register a .com.au domain name to let Australian users know you are local. If you are going for a global audience, try and register a .com domain. This is preferably to the lesser known extensions like .info, .biz and others.
Any .com.au extensions require an ABN, to be for commercial purposes and for you to have a connection to the domain. If you don’t have an ABN, you will need to register a .com or other domain that does not end in .au. You can find the rules for .com.au domain name ownership here http://www.auda.org.au/policies/2012-04/ – In summary, .com.au cannot be someone else’s brand name or personal name, and you need to be able to demonstrate a commercial connection to the domain name. For example, if you don’t use your business name, you could register a name that is a product or service your provide.
SEO is another consideration when choosing a domain name. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation, which is the process of improving the ranking of your website it search engine results. There are many different factors that go into the ranking of a website, which are covered later in the course, the domain is one element. It will be easier to rank for a keyword if that is your domain name.
Your domain name should be as short, easy to spell, and simple to remember as possible. Avoid choosing a domain name that could easily be misspelled, or consider purchasing the common variations of the word.
Choosing a domain name registrar
A domain name registrar is a company that allows you to register a domain name. Surprisingly there can be a huge variation in prices between different companies. Additionally some charge a lot of extra fees if you want to actually do anything with the domain name, or host the website with another company. This is why we recommend Godaddy.com, because they don’t have any major add-on fees, and their basic domain name registration fee is very competitive. They will try and sell you several add on services, but you can simply ignore these if you are not interested in them.
To get started on your business website, get in touch with us here.
*Information provided is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publishing. Advice is general in nature, and may not be applicable to your particular situation.