What Is A Domain Name | Easy 5-Step Guide

Picking the right domain name is not only one of the first steps you’ll need to take when creating a blog, but it is also one of the most important.

What is a domain name you ask? Well, here is a summary.

A domain name is the public name of your website that will be searchable by visitors across the internet.

The name you choose will generally be followed by the domain property type such as .com, .net, .org, etc.

Choosing a domain name is not only important for searchability, but it is also crucial for business branding as well.

Once you have chosen your domain name it’s important to never change it.

This is because once it’s changed, getting back any domain authority or trust from the search engines will be difficult.

Just make sure you can live with the name you choose for a long time.

Changing the name can also confuse potential website visitors and customers.

The last thing you want to happen is for your website traffic to suddenly drop off because visitors can no longer find you.

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Characteristics Of A High-Quality Domain Name

Having a high-quality domain name for your website can mean the difference between receiving loads of web traffic and sales, to having to close down shop.

So here are some key qualities every domain name should have to increase the odds of starting a successful website.

Short And Sweet

The shorter your domain name is, the more potential your website has to rank in the search engines. It will also be easier for potential visitors to type into search boxes.

This will not only increase your organic traffic stats but will also allow you to more easily link out to your website without people getting confused with a long name.

A good rule of thumb is to keep your domain name no more than 3-words long. Preferably, only one or two.

However one-word domain names are rarely ever available and if they are you’ll probably pay a hefty price for it.

That’s because all of the short and to the point domain names were snatched up at the dawn of the World Wide Web.

And popular 2-word domains are also becoming more and more scarce as well.

This is why creating your name by combining words that otherwise would not exist is a smart option.

Easy To Remember

This kind of belongs in the short and sweet category, however, it does deserve a mention.

Having an easy-to-remember domain name will allow fans of your site to tell friends and family by word of mouth.

If no one can remember your website name, then you have less of a chance of people sharing your site on social media as well.

Brandable

Along the same lines of being short and sweet and easy to remember, is brand-ability. You want your domain name to be catchy and fun if at all possible.

Try and use a word or combination of words that don’t exist together in the real world.

Create your own. For example, the word “Prizmmatic” is not a real word, however, it is rather unique and easily brandable.

Visit the website, Namelix, to brainstorm ideas for your next website. This way you can easily find a brandable, unique, and available domain name to call your own.

Create Matching Social media Account Names

What is the point in taking the time to create your unique domain name if someone else is using it for their social media accounts?

You will want to pick a name that you’ll be able to use across multiple sites and services.

For instance, you might want to create a Facebook fan page or Twitter account with the same matching name for easy brand recognition and future promotion.

To easily find out if your domain name is available to use across multiple accounts, head on over to Namecheckr.

You’ll be able to perform a bulk search of names that are also available for social media sites.

Available For Trademark

Last but not least is the ability to create a domain name that is not yet trademarked.

The last thing you want to happen is to receive a cease and desist letter from someone who already has a trademark on the name but has yet to register it for a website.

This is especially problematic if you’ve already purchased the domain and are finished with building out your site.

Domain name registrars check to see if your domain name is available to purchase for a website.

However, they do not check to see if anyone else has the legal right to use that name in any other manner.

For this reason, you will need to perform a separate trademark search. This can be done by visiting LegalZoom and entering in your name of choice.

It is always better to be safe than sorry. You do not want to mess around with potential legal issues in the future. It’s definitely worth the trouble in the long run.

How To Purchase A Domain Name

Once you have chosen your domain name and have verified it’s available to be used with future social media accounts.

As well as the ability to trademark, then you’ll need to purchase your domain name.

Where do you purchase a domain name you ask? Well, I use NameHero for all of my domain names as well as self-hosting for all of my websites.

If you would like to purchase your domain name from NameHero, you can click here. This is my affiliate link and if you purchase I will receive a small commission on the sale.

Once you are on the NameHero homepage, you simply click the orange “Get Started” button.

You will then be prompted to choose a hosting plan.

The plans available are the Starter Cloud, Plus Cloud, Turbo Cloud, and Business Cloud.

Choose the Starter Cloud option unless you plan on creating several websites.

This plan is the cheapest to get started with.

Website hosting is required to start a website because you will need a place to store your website data online so others can visit, regardless of location or time of day.

Next, you will be asked to choose your domain. You should have already completed the necessary research steps for your domain name.

Then, choose a hosting billing cycle. These billing plans range from month to month to 3 years in advance.

While the longer plans will save you money in the long run, simply choose the option that best fits your current budget.

After you have made your billing cycle choice, you’ll need to create an account with a username and password.

You’ll also need to create a 4-8 digit PIN.

Make sure you remember this number, it’s extremely important and will be needed to confirm your account in the future.

The next step is to enter your billing information to purchase.

Next, review your order to make sure everything looks correct.

Read and agree to the terms of service and then click the Checkout Now button.

And there you go. You have successfully chosen and purchased a domain name for your website.

You can now move on to installing WordPress. If you would like more information on this step you can read my full tutorial on how to create a blog, by clicking here.

This article was written to get anyone who is new started on creating their blog.

It covers everything from signing up with hosting to installing WordPress, themes, and plugins. You don’t want to miss it.

Final Thoughts

Starting a website for personal or business use can be both exciting and rage-inducing. There are so many technical steps to follow it really can be overwhelming.

However, by just getting started and choosing your domain name, you’ll be ahead of 90% of the people out there trying to do the same thing.

Furthermore, if you complete this step correctly, you’ll be building the groundwork for all future successes to come.

Just be patient, get started, and do not quit. You can only truly fail by quitting.

Well, that’s all for now. Thank you for visiting my site and I hope you are successful in all of your personal and business ventures.

Take care and have an amazing day.