Carter Design

DOMAIN NAME BASICS – THE WHAT, THE WHY AND THE HOW

William Shakespeare may have asked the question ‘What’s in a name’ in his 16^th century play, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ but 500 years later, it remains probably the most important question that people should ask themselves when designing a new website.

Basically, the domain name is the website address of the business or organisation and a key distinguishing feature of a website.  It’s important to thoroughly research your intended domain name as it will be one of the most important factors in the success of your website.  Always make sure that the domain name can’t be mistaken for something that isn’t appropriate or acceptable and it should be easy to spell and easy to remember. 

It’s estimated that every second, over 60 domain names are registered worldwide – so do the research thoroughly but don’t waste time!.

Choosing an appropriate domain name is also important in protecting your brand and taking ‘ownership’ of it – and in that way, taking it away from your competitors.

Some organisations register several domain names in order to broaden their ‘ownership’ but it is important to link them all back to the main one.   It is possible to research domain names independently online, but to get the best results, it’s advisable to consult the experts, says Dale Carter, a Perth web design professional. Only letters, numbers and hyphens can be used in a domain name.

Remember the following when considering domain names :

·       Keep it short

·       It should be easy to remember

·       As far as possible, avoid abbreviations.  Abbreviations are often confused with other things, and people get confused.

·       It’s best to have the domain name reflect the actual business name, describe the nature of the business or the contents of the site

·       Thorough research.

The domain name is probably the most important element of web site design.  But always make sure it’s a carefull and well-researched choice as it can’t be reversed once registration has been completed.

Bamboo Furniture Design Philippines Sam Carter Canada