How To Buy A Domain Name

The next step in setting up your online business is to choose a domain name to market that business on the internet. A domain name is the address of your business online (your website).

All domains come with a domain extension – (that’s simply the .com part) or .ie or .co.uk etc.

There are a number of things to consider with regard to domain names.

Where do you want to market your website?

If you are hoping to promote your website worldwide then the best domain name to buy is a .com domain extension. A .com domain is the most widely used domain extension for websites.

If however you wish to target a specific country, then it’s best to buy a domain with the extension for that country. As an example, if you are buying a domain name to promote in Ireland only, then you would consider a .ie extension. If you are promoting in the United Kingdom, then a .co.uk extension would be best.

What Name Will I use?

The next consideration is what name to actually choose. Domain names need to be short and easily remembered. They should also tell the visitor what to expect when they reach your site. So for example if you are selling cakes, then a domain name GreatCakes.com would be ideal. It’s short, easily remembered and also has a keyword relevant to your online business included in it.

Are Other Websites Using A Similar Name?

With so many names available, it’s possible that someone else is using a domain name that is similar to yours. For example, using our cake product, you might find that GreatCakes.NET is already in use. Although they are two uniquely different extensions and the websites will be different, it’s not always a good idea to use a similar name as if people forget the extension, you could send traffic to the other website. Always check all extensions in use when purchasing your domain name.