Choosing a Domain Name Checklist
When choosing and registering a domain name there are some considerations that will help insure proper site structure and help eliminate maintenance problems in the future. Here are some key points to keep in mind when considering a domain name:
- Try to obtain domain names that are short and memorable.
- Include a search keyword related to your business as part of the domain name.
- Setup related email addresses on your business domain name and avoid free email services. Use your business email address for all communication between yourself, employees, customers and prospects.
- Spend the money to get a decent logo that relates to your business. Also create a favicon for your domain so that when a site visitor is on a page, the favicon is displayed in the address bar and in saved favorites.
- Use a .htaccess file to redirect all traffic to the www. version of the domain name or to a non www. version. Consistency is more important than what form of the domain name used.
- Use a 301 redirect on all additional domain names to the primary domain name to avoid any duplicate site or content issues that might arise.
- Use hyphens in filenames and folder names instead of underscores. Some search indexing systems have serious problems with file names that contain underscores or spaces.
- Use appropriate keywords in file names and directory names when possible.
- Try to keep your domain name renewed for at least 5 years. Domain names registered one year at a time typically have a bad reputation because it is the approach that most spammers use.
- Be sure to get your domain for additional TLDs such as .com, .net, .org, .biz, etc. It is also wise to acquire the common misspellings of the domain name as well.
The domain name is part of your business identity and, if setup correctly, can be used to help a site rank better over time.
Orangetree Internet Service LLC, located in Santa Cruz, CA., provides technical assistance to small and medium sized businesses with Domain Registration Services, including domain portfolio management. Contact us at 830-212-1884 for more information.