How to Choose a Domain? Know the Best Practices

A domain name is what visitors type into their browser’s search bar to access a website.

That’s why it’s essential to make sure your domain name is easy to write and remember. Ideally, it should include your business name, after all you don’t want potential customers to struggle to find your business on the internet because you have a bad domain.

So how to choose a suitable domain name for your business? How do you ensure it will help build credibility and trust with customers while representing your brand identity?

To answer these questions, let’s first understand what a domain and of what it is composed. Let’s use the following example: www.loja.nomedamarca.com.br.

• www and store – both elements are subdomains. Nowadays, the www is considered more as an optional prefix than a requirement. THE www is mostly used alongside second-level domains (second-level domains). store is also optional, indicates a subdomain connected to the main domain, such as another page on the site.
• brandname – this represents the second-level domain, it is the name itself.
• com – is the top-level domain (TLD), that is, the domain extension.

Ideally, a second-level domain should include either your personal name or your company name. That’s because it’s the part that visitors need to memorize to access your site, so the name needs to reflect your business.

The best way to choose a great domain name is to make a list of possible choices. After that, narrow down your options by checking the availability of the listed domains through a domain name checker.

Once you’ve narrowed down the number of possible domain names, see which ones TLDs can be used, and choose the one that works best for your site. Here at Hostinger, we offer a huge variety of top-level domains, so feel free to check out the options and choose the best one. domain extension for your website.

How to Choose a TLD

A TLD is the last part of your URL address, and it indicates the purpose of your site, in accordance with guidelines determined by the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers).

Briefly, there are three main types of top-level domains (or top-level domains):

• gTLD – generic top level domain
• sTLD – sponsored top level domain
• ccTLD – country code top level domain

One gTLD It is the most common type of top-level domain, and it has no restrictions on purchasing and registering it. Most sites prefer register .com domainprecisely because it is the most popular type, but other examples of good gTLDs are:

However, our list of options isn’t limited to just popular domain extensions. There are several other TLD options that are considered great alternatives. They include top-level domains like .online, .site, .store and other relatively new extensions on the market.

Ideally, each gTLD type should represent the purpose of your website. For example, in theory, the extension .with should be used for commercial websites, while .org domains should be reserved for organizations only.

Furthermore, names of .net domain were originally used by companies involved with internet technologies, such as internet service providers. already the .online domain registration It is ideal for taking a physical business online.

However, today, anyone can register their website’s domain name using any of the available gTLDs, regardless of whether or not their initial purpose reflects the purpose of the brand. For this reason, there are extensions on the market today such as .X Y Z and .icu — which are generic top-level domains, free of usage restrictions, and not associated with any specific niche.

Even so, it’s always a good idea to use a domain extension that reflects what your site is all about. For example, if your online store address ends with .store or .shoppotential customers are more likely to click on your URL since they know it’s an online store address.

already the sTLDs are managed by private organizations. That is, you can only register an sTLD if you follow specific rules and criteria, and only if you have permission to do so.

Good examples of sTLDs include:

• .gov – only for government institutions
• .edu – exclusive to educational institutions
• .thousand – assigned to military organizations

The last type of top-level domain is the extension ccTLD. It represents the location or country in which the website, business or organization is located.

Good examples of ccTLDs are:

• .br – Brazil
• .us – U.S
• .co.uk – UK
• .fr – France

By viewing this type of TLD, visitors can identify which region the site is based in. In most cases, there are no additional permissions or mandatory requirements to be able to register a country code top-level domain.

Please note that some ccTLDs are no longer associated with specific territories or countries. For example, .there is the official domain extension of Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. However, many technology companies use this domain extension today as a generic top-level domain, due to its association with artificial intelligence (artificial intelligence, “AI” in English). Another example of this happens with the ccTLD originally assigned to Cocos Islands: .cc domainswhich have become a good alternative to domains .with. They are used by different personal and professional websites these days, without having any connection with the territory in question.

Conclusion

Knowing how to choose a domain name for your business is essential. A bad domain name can directly affect traffic, conversion rates, and overall website credibility.

To prevent this from happening, take the time to think about your domain name. Make one brainstormgather ideas and different options, then see what best represents your brand and narrow down the alternatives according to the availability of the desired domains until you reach the ideal one.

To summarize, here are some tips on how to choose a good domain name:

• Make a list of domain names that are a good fit for your website and your brand identity.
• Check with a registrar for availability of listed domains and narrow down your options.
• get and register the desired domain name for your website.

Here at Hostinger, prices for buying great domain names start at just BRL 4.99/year.

You can also win a domain name completely free if you purchase one of our plans premium web hosting.

In general, consider which option is best for you, and make your decision based on what works best for your business.