Finding the perfect domain name for your website is part science, part art. You want something memorable yet professional, optimized but flexible. This comprehensive guide explores every aspect of choosing the ideal domain name for your brand. Learn domain basics, reputation factors, architecture strategies, email domain advice, and more – distilled into actionable domain success tips. You’ll have the know-how to get a domain name that achieves all your online goals after reading this helpful handbook.
Key Factors When Choosing a Domain
Selecting the perfect domain name for your website requires careful thought and planning. There are several critical factors to evaluate as you brainstorm ideas and check availability. In this section, we’ll explore the top considerations when choosing your ideal domain.
Length and Simplicity
Shorter, simpler domain names are easier to remember and type out. Aim for domains with 1-3 words that are clean and straightforward.
Some tips:
- 15 characters or less is ideal
- Avoid hyphens, numbers, and special characters
- Omit articles like “the”
- Spell out words fully
- Use recognizable key terms for your business
For example, nikeshoes.com is better than thenikeshoecompanyonline.com. Readers will appreciate the simplicity.
Exceptions can be made if you secure a premium, brandable domain name that’s worth the extra length. But in most cases, conciseness and simplicity should be priorities.
Memorability
Along with length, you want a domain that’s catchy and memorable. Think about elements like:
- Pronounceability – is it easy to say out loud?
- Distinctiveness – does it stand out from competitors?
- Personal connection – will it resonate with your audience?
A domain name that sticks in people’s minds will pay dividends through word of mouth marketing. Test out ideas with target users to see what resonates.
Alliteration, rhymes, repetitive sounds, and emotive words can make domains more memorable. Just be sure it aligns with your brand identity.
Keyword Optimization
Domain names can provide Search Engine Optimization (SEO) value by containing relevant keywords. But avoid stuffing longtail keywords just for SEO purposes.
Tips for optimizing with keywords:
- Include 1-2 primary terms somewhere in the domain, not necessarily at the start.
- Avoid over-optimization with multiple keywords.
- Use keywords that clearly relate to your brand and offerings.
- Don’t sacrifice branding for SEO value alone.
Branding Potential
Your domain also represents your overall brand. It should:
- Match your company name or products if possible.
- Spark intrigue and interest from your ideal customers.
- Align with positioning and identity of brand.
- Be professional and convey industry/niche clearly.
A branded domain name will build credibility and consistency across touchpoints.
Availability and Cost
Before getting attached to a domain idea, you’ll need to check availability. Use a domain registration site to search if the exact name is taken.
Tips for availability:
- Try .com first, then alternate TLDs like .net, .biz, etc.
- Add keywords/terms to find available permutations.
- Avoid trademarked or copyrighted phrases.
- Consider typos and misspellings.
- Evaluate pricing – costs range from ~$10-$50 per year typically.
In short
Choosing the perfect domain name involves brainstorming ideas, checking availability, comparing options, and thinking about long-term goals. By balancing simplicity, memorability, keywords, branding potential, and cost, you can find the ideal domain to represent your online presence.
Prioritize simplicity, establish your brand identity, optimize with care, and don’t neglect availability and expense. With research and user testing, you’ll find a domain name that achieves all your goals.
How to Check Domain Reputation
Domain reputation refers to the trustworthiness and authority of a website based on various historical signals. When choosing or evaluating a domain, it’s important to check its reputation first. Here’s an overview of why domain reputation matters, tools to analyze it, and how to improve a low-quality score.
What is Domain Reputation?
A domain’s reputation reflects its overall quality and integrity as judged by search engines and security vendors. It’s based on historical factors like:
- Age of the domain
- Link profile quality
- Past security issues or spammy behavior
- Website content and performance
Domains with high reputation scores are deemed trustworthy and secure, while low reputation suggests questionable or malicious history.
Why Domain Reputation Matters for SEO
Google and other search engines want to provide users with the most authoritative and trustworthy results. As such, domain reputation can positively or negatively impact search rankings.
High-reputation domains are more likely to:
- Rank higher in search results
- Earn quick trust signals from search algorithms
- Get more engagement on content and backlinks
Meanwhile, low-quality or spammy domains may:
- Struggle to rank well or get penalized
- Appear less credible to visitors
- Have their backlinks devalued or discounted
Checking reputation helps avoid issues that could limit SEO and conversion potential down the road.
Tools for Analyzing Domain Reputation
Several free tools can be used to look up the reputation score of a domain:
Talos
Cisco Talos provides a free IP and domain reputation checker. You enter the domain and it shows the threat level and contextual details.
Levels include:
- Trusted
- Favorable
- Neutral
- Questionable
- Untrusted
Talos draws on extensive threat telemetry data to determine reputation.
IPQualityScore
Another option is IPQualityScore’s domain reputation lookup tool. It generates a score between 0-100 based on factors like:
- Age
- Popularity
- Spam links
- Malware associations
It also highlights any blacklist issues and provides global site metrics.
Moz
Moz offers a free domain analysis tool that includes reputation data. Their domain authority metric from 0-100 evaluates overall domain quality.
Higher DA indicates greater reputation. You can compare multiple domains side-by-side with Moz too.
How to Improve a Low Quality Domain Reputation
If your domain has a poor or questionable reputation, here are some ways to improve it:
- Launch a completely new website – Creating fresh content, user value, and ethical links can override past issues.
- Fix technical problems – Correct site errors, speed issues, and malware to improve visitor experience.
- Build high quality backlinks – Earn links from reputable sources to offset risky links. Guest posting and outreach to trusted sites can help.
- Disavow spammy links – Use Google’s disavow tool to remove toxic links.
- Fix unethical/paid links – Remove or nofollow any paid links, article marketing posts, etc. that violate guidelines.
- Make a site move request – Ask Google to see your rebranded domain as a new site unrelated to past issues.
- Wait – With time and consistent good behavior, penalties expire and search perception improves.
With a combination of proactive optimization and patience, you can recover from reputation problems over time. Check your domain’s reputation before purchasing it to avoid these issues altogether.
Using Subdomains vs Subfolders
When designing your website architecture, you’ll need to decide whether to organize content using subdomains or subfolders. While subdomains create separate sites and subfolders keep everything under the main domain, there are pros and cons to each approach. This section will overview best practices for choosing between subdomains vs subfolders.
Pros of Using Subdomains
Subdomains can provide the following advantages:
- Separation – Subdomains let you divide sections of your site into their own entities with independent domains. For example, having separate sites for your blog, help center, etc.
- Branding – You can create branded subdomains like support.brand.com or blog.brand.com to extend your identity.
- Segmentation – Subdomains allow you to compartmentalize sites by country/language, type of content, user accounts, etc.
- SEO optimization – Keyword-optimized subdomains can enhance search visibility for specific topics.
- Security – Isolating applications and functions via subdomains limits risks if one gets compromised.
Subdomains essentially create distinct websites under your root domain, providing segmentation and branding potential.
Cons of Subdomains
Using too many subdomains has some downsides including:
- Technical overhead – Additional setup and hosting requirements to run totally separate sites.
- Link dilution – Spreading links/equity across subdomains limits SEO value to the main site.
- User confusion – Having totally distinct subdomains can make navigation confusing.
- Separate tracking – Sites on subdomains will need their own analytics tracking compared to subfolders.
So subdomains provide isolation but require more management and limit collective search value.
Pros of Using Subfolders
In contrast, using subfolders provides advantages like:
- Consolidated domains – Keeping all content under one domain helps aggregate link signals and authority for the main site.
- Easier navigation – Users just browse same site tree vs. visiting new domains.
- Simpler tracking – Single analytics property for entire site.
- Flexible URLs – Subfolders allow descriptive, semantic URLs.
- Mobile optimization – Avoiding too many subdomains improves mobile speed.
Subfolders make it easier for users to navigate and interact with related content.
Cons of Subfolders
The limitations of relying solely on subfolders include:
- No segmentation – All content exists under the same domain, not in isolated sites.
- Limited branding – Unlike subdomains, subfolders don’t extend brand identities.
- Security risks – If any part of the site is compromised, it affects the whole domain.
Best Practices for Site Architecture
The ideal approach is using a combination that maximizes the pros while minimizing cons:
- Use subfolders to organize related sections of your main site. This keeps things consolidated for users.
- Deploy targeted subdomains for high-value assets like blogs, branded microsites, or regional sites. This provides segmentation without diluting main domain authority.
- Limit subfolders and subdomains to 4 levels deep at most. Going deeper makes navigation complex.
- Use descriptive subfolder paths like /category/subcategory/page to support search optimization.
- Implement proper internal linking between subfolders and subdomains. Cross-reference related content.
With a thoughtful architecture approach, you can balance user experience, search visibility, security, and branding needs. Just don’t let your site structure get overly complex with too many subdomains or deep nesting. The goal is intuitive organization.
Registering Domains with Trusted Registrars
Domain registrars handle the registration and management of internet domain names. Choosing a reputable registrar is key to getting a domain setup properly. This section will cover ICANN-accredited registrars, factors to evaluate when selecting a registrar, and details on domain verification with Mailchimp.
ICANN-Accredited Registrars
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) oversees domain name registrations and controls the TLDs like .com, .net, .org, etc.
ICANN-accredited registrars have been approved to register and manage domains ending in these global TLDs. This accreditation ensures they meet technical capability, security, stability, and other standards required by ICANN.
There are over 1000+ ICANN-accredited registrars to choose from. GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Dynadot are some of the largest options.
Key Factors in Choosing a Registrar
When researching domain name registrars, keep these key evaluation criteria in mind:
- Pricing – Registration and renewal costs, available discounts/promos.
- Domain availability – Extensive selection across popular TLDs.
- Performance and uptime – Fast and reliable domain DNS and hosting.
- Support – Knowledgeable and responsive customer support.
- User experience – Easy to use control panel and domain management.
- Security features – WHOIS privacy, domain locking, etc.
- Value added services – Email forwarding, DNS management, SSL certificates.
To find the best fit, compare pricing and features across a few leading contenders like GoDaddy, Bluehost, Namecheap, etc.
Mailchimp Domain Verification
If you want to utilize Mailchimp for email marketing, one key setup step is domain verification. This confirms you actually own the associated domain using DNS records.
To verify a domain with Mailchimp:
- From your Mailchimp account, go to Settings > Account > Connected Sites and Servers.
- Click Verify a Domain or Subdomain.
- Enter your main website domain.
- Choose to verify via TXT or CNAME record (Mailchimp provides the values to use).
- Go to your domain registrar’s DNS settings and create either a TXT or CNAME entry with the provided verification value from Mailchimp.
- Save the DNS settings at your registrar and re-check Mailchimp in 5-10 minutes for a “Verified” status.
Following this process will link your domain with your Mailchimp account, enabling full email functionality and domain reputation monitoring.
Summary
Choosing an accredited and reputable domain registrar ensures a positive registration experience plus effective long-term management and security for your domain names. Do some comparison shopping to find the right balance of affordability, support, and features.
Email Domains – @email.com and Alternatives
In addition to your website domain, choosing the right email address domain is also an important branding decision. This section will look at the popular @email.com domain, pros and cons of using it, alternatives like @gmail.com and @outlook.com, and factors to consider when selecting an email domain.
What is Email.com?
Email.com is an email domain and webmail service operated by United Internet, a European internet company. Some key things to know about @email.com addresses:
- Email.com domains are free to use with registration.
- Accounts come with 65GB of storage space.
- Provides enterprise-grade security and spam filtering.
- Ad-supported webmail interface to access emails.
- Android and iOS mobile apps available.
- Offered as a freemium model with paid “Premium” upgrades.
The company markets email.com as a professional yet simple email domain. The .com TLD aims to be brandable and memorable.
Pros of @Email.com Addresses
Benefits of using an @email.com domain include:
- Simple and professional – The .com extension is widely recognized.
- Easy to remember – The “email” name is straightforward.
- Good security – email.com uses SSL encryption and antivirus filtering.
- Generous free storage – 65GB of free space beats many other free accounts.
- Custom email forwarding – Can forward emails from your @email.com address.
- Established history – Has been operating since 1995 with a reliable track record.
So in summary, @email.com is a reputable and polished-looking domain with robust storage and security included for free.
Cons of @Email.com Addresses
Potential downsides to weigh include:
- Generic branding – Very broad name doesn’t stand out.
- Limited premium features – Some power user features only in paid tiers.
- Third-party ads – Free tier includes non-intrusive sidebar ads.
- Limited name choices – More distinctive usernames may not be available.
- No email import – Unlike some providers, email.com doesn’t let you import existing emails into your new account.
For some use cases, the generic nature of the @email.com domain could be detrimental – a more customized brand name may be preferable.
Other Popular Email Domain Options
Some alternative free email domains to consider:
@Gmail.com
- Huge popularity makes it universally recognized.
- Tight integration with Google’s other services.
- Sophisticated organizational features and business tiers.
- Largest free storage limit (15GB) of top domains.
@Outlook.com/@Hotmail.com
- Default email for Windows users.
- Excellent spam and malware protection.
- Integrates well with Microsoft’s ecosystem.
- Professional Outlook web interface.
@Yahoo.com
- Long 20+ year history as early popular webmail.
- Customizable themes and colors.
- No ads or limited functionality like some domains.
- Easy Apple Mail and Outlook integration.
Each of these major providers has their own pros and cons to weigh for your use case.
Choosing the Right Email Domain
To select the ideal email domain, consider factors like:
- Branding – Does the domain project your desired image and identity? Is it memorable and professional?
- Use case – Are you looking for personal or business email? Will you rely on advanced features?
- Integration – Does the domain tie into other services you use like Google Drive or Microsoft Office?
- Availability – Can you get a good username match for your name or brand?
- Storage space – Do you need ample room for attachments and emails?
- Security – Does the provider offer strong encryption and spam blocking?
The right domain balances your brand persona, required features, and ease of use. Don’t just default to the most popular option if another address suits your needs better.
Managing Multiple Domains and Emails
As your online presence grows, you may find yourself registering multiple domains and email accounts. Effectively managing each of these requires the right tools and strategy. This section will explore solutions for consolidating access to multi-domain management and emails, along with tips for avoiding common domain mistakes.
Tools and Strategies for Managing Multiple Domains
Owning several domain names and accounts requires diligence to keep things organized and prevent mistakes. Consider these solutions:
- Domain portfolio platforms – Services like GoDaddy Domain Manager and Domain.com allow you to manage all domains in one dashboard.
- Spreadsheet tracking – Use a spreadsheet to list domains, renewal dates, associated accounts, and other details.
- Calendar reminders – Set calendar reminders for domain renewals and account logins to stay up-to-date.
- Password manager – Save all domain and account login credentials in a secure password manager.
- Centralized billing – When possible, use one payment account to auto-pay recurring domain and account fees.
- Standardized logins – Having one master username and password you use across providers makes login simple.
- Consolidated DNS – Manage all domains through a single registrar’s DNS tools for added convenience.
With the right organization system, managing 20+ domains across different registrars and accounts is very feasible.
Email Solutions for Accessing Multiple Accounts
Checking countless email accounts manually can be a headache. Solutions like Unroll.me, Mixmax, and Imail help access various inboxes:
Mutant Mail
Innovative solution taking internet by the storm, that’s capable of two way email routing, maintaining your brand identity as well as convenience of single email address.
Unroll.me
Unroll.me lets you consolidate subscriptions and newsletters from different accounts into one daily digest. It makes inbox clutter more manageable.
Mixmax
Mixmax pulls all your email accounts into one unified inbox. It works with Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo and more.
Imail
Imail is an email app that aggregates different accounts under one roof. It supports major providers and custom domains. You can view, search, and manage all emails easily.
These tools help centralize scattered emails into an organized system for productivity and convenience.
Unified Inboxes
A unified inbox goes a step beyond email consolidation tools by providing:
- A single interface to send and receive all emails.
- One place to archive, delete, sort, and search through messages.
- Automatic multi-account contact unification.
- The ability to seamlessly switch between accounts.
For example, Gmail allows you to add other accounts like Outlook so you have one master inbox. This unified view saves time compared to logging into individual accounts.
Redirecting Domains
If you have multiple domains, redirects allow directing them to a single target domain:
Setting Up Redirects to Consolidate Domains
Use your registrar’s domain management tools or DNS settings to set up 301/302 redirects. This forwards one domain to another.
Redirect Types
- 301 = Permanent redirect
- 302 = Temporary redirect
301s are preferred for SEO since it permanently tells search engines the domain has moved.
Using Redirects Effectively Without Hurting SEO
Don’t cascade redirect multiple domains. Instead, redirect each domain directly to the target for optimal SEO flow. Make sure redirects are at the root domain level, not subfolder pages.
Avoiding Common Domain Mistakes
Some pitfalls to avoid when managing multiple domains:
Buying Expired or Low Quality Domains
Don’t just buy old domains because they’re cheap – evaluate their history first. Google the domain, check archived versions, and examine the backlink profile. Make sure it wasn’t previously used for spam or bad SEO tactics.
Keyword Stuffing
Avoid trying to optimize multiple domains with overuse keywords just for search rankings. Google may flag this as over-optimization.
Not Checking Availability
Always double check that domains are truly available before buying them. Typosquatting scams often sell already registered domains.
Limiting Future Expansion
Buying narrow domains like best-pizza-recipes.com may seem smart initially but limit flexibility. Get versatile domains that support future growth.
With foresight and organization, managing a domain portfolio and associated email accounts is very doable. Choose the right tools and avoid common mistakes.
Key Takeaways – Choosing the Best Domain for Your Website
Selecting the ideal domain name for your website is an important decision that impacts SEO, branding, security, and more. Here are the key takeaways:
- Keep domains short, simple, and memorable. Avoid hyphens, numbers, and obscure phrases.
- Check domain availability across TLDs like .com first, then .net, .org, etc.
- Use keywords sparingly and appropriately. Don’t over-optimize just for SEO.
- Evaluate domain reputation via tools like IPQualityScore and Talos before purchasing.
- Balance subdomains and subfolders based on use case. Use subfolders for most site sections.
- Register domains with an accredited registrar like GoDaddy. Check pricing, uptime, support, etc.
- Manage multiple domains via spreadsheets, reminder systems, and domain management platforms.
- Consolidate access to scattered email accounts with unifiers like Gmail and Imail.
- Set up 301 permanent redirects to point multiple domains to a single target domain.
- Avoid buying expired, low-quality domains or stuffing domains with keywords.
Choosing the right domain takes research and planning. By following domain best practices, you can find the perfect website address to build your online presence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best TLD for SEO?
The .com TLD is ideal for SEO purposes in most cases. Other extensions like .org and .net work too but .com is universally recognized and trusted. Country code TLDs like .co.uk can optimize for local SEO.
How long should my domain be?
Ideally 15 characters or less. Shorter domains are easier to remember and type. If using multiple words, aim for 1-3 total. Avoid long strings of keywords just for SEO.
Can I change my domain name later?
Yes, you can migrate to a new domain in the future but it takes work to retain your SEO value. Use proper 301 redirects, change URLs consistently, and build fresh links.
Should I buy alternative TLDs of my domain?
It’s advisable to buy the .com and .net versions of your primary domain if available to protect your brand identity from copycats.
How do I get a personalized domain?
Look for domain registrars that offer free username domains tied to your account. For example, BobSmith.blog. Otherwise, get creative combining keywords related to you.
Can I use emojis in my domain?
Some registrars allow emojis but support is limited. Emojis present compatibility issues and don’t clearly represent brands. Standard domains with words work best.
What’s the difference between shared and dedicated hosting?
Shared hosting means your site shares server resources with other sites. Dedicated hosting isolates your site on its own server but costs more.
How do I transfer my domain to a new registrar?
Use the inbound transfer process at the new registrar. The new registrar handles contacting your old provider to facilitate the transfer.
How many emails can I add with Google Domains?
Google Domains allows you to create up to 100 email forwarders per domain, but also offers G Suite with more robust email features.
Can I reuse an old domain I no longer own?
If someone else owns the domain currently, you cannot re-register exactly the same domain again. You would need to buy it from the current owner.