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How to choose the best domain name for your website

Happy satisfied man choose the best domain name for his website on his laptop computer

Choosing a domain name can seem like a daunting task; it needs to be on-brand, reflect what your company does, and, well, sound good! Don’t worry though, if you follow some tips and tricks then choosing the right domain name can be easier than it seems!

Keep your domain name simple

First of all, think of some of the most famous domain names you know; Google, Facebook, YouTube. What have they got in common? They’re all short and simple. Even if you want to make sure your customers know you sell a wide variety of products, having a domain name of pineoakmahoganyandwalnutchairs.com is clunky and difficult to remember. The simpler the name, the easier it will be for people to remember. 

Be wary of awkward spellings and using punctuation as this could confuse users and lead to them misspelling your domain name. For example, h4ppych4irs.com, happychairz.com or happy-chairs.com are more likely to get misspelt than a simple happychairs.com.

Make sure your domain name represents your brand identity

Your domain name might be the first thing a potential customer sees of your company, so it’s important it reflects your brand identity. If you already have a company name – great, you can just use that, but if it has already been taken or you’re still deciding on the perfect name, here are some ideas to help you choose. 

A good brandable name has no specific meaning (Instagram/TikTok), it’s unique, easy to memorise and importantly, it can be easily pronounced and spelt correctly without having to see it written down. 

Brainstorm some ideas of what you want your brand identity to be, and then look up those words in a thesaurus to give you some more ideas. You can also use a domain name generator like Domain Wheel for inspiration.

Optimise your domain name for SEO

Having a simple, memorable domain name means you’re already optimising your domain name for SEO, as the easier your domain is to read, the better a search engine will rank you as your domain is accessible and usable. 

Using keywords in your domain name is great, as it makes it obvious to both search engines and users what your company is all about. However, you want to make sure that you don’t sacrifice the previous points in order to stuff keywords in; best-wooden-chairs-uk.com is obviously keyword targeted and Google now associates this type of domain name with spammy and low-quality websites.

Choose a domain extension that makes sense

In an ideal world, we’d all choose our domain name and then slap a .com on it. Having a .com domain extension (also called TLDs, or top-level domains) is the best option as it is good for SEO purposes, looks professional, and is more likely to get traffic. People are more familiar with .com, and assume that all websites will end with this extension. 

Although over half of all websites do use the .com extension, there are downsides to it. First, they’re the most popular, so it’s likely that your perfect domain name has already been taken. Secondly, .com is invariably the most expensive, so if you’re strapped for cash, a .com might not be available for you. 

Thankfully, more interesting domain extensions are being used more and more, with TLDs such as .store, .co and .ly becoming popular. We’ve written more about this in a previous blog on TLDs, but one thing to bear in mind is that if your company is location specific, using a regional domain extension could work for you. This is because Google will automatically geo-target your site and make it more visible for people in that country, bringing in relevant traffic. 

Buy domain names similar to the one you’ve chosen

If you’ve got the money to do so, it’s a good idea to buy common misspellings of your domain name. This prevents competitors registering versions similar to yours and can also be a useful tool to redirect visitors to your site if they didn’t get the domain name right the first time. This also holds true for different domain extensions – if you’ve got a .co.uk extension, consider buying common alternatives like .com, .net or .org.

Check the domain name’s history

First, make sure you google the domain name you’ve chosen to make sure it doesn’t already exist – otherwise it’s back to the drawing board! It’s also a good idea to make sure that the domain hasn’t previously been used for other things that would negatively impact your site. Tools like Wayback machine give you snapshots of what the site looked like in the past, and Who.is can show you who used to own the domain, and who the domain registrar (provider) was. 

If you’ve got a domain name ready to then why not choose Go Sitebuilder to help you build your website? You can get your domain name free through our package, and our ready to go themes and website builder will give you all the tools you need to get a website that represents your company and your brand. Try our free 14-day-trial today!

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What are the most common email domains?

Close up of a person's hand holding a mobile phone as they check their emails

Email is the most important form of communication for businesses. It is versatile and quick, allowing anything from a quick chat to finalise a plan to a long-form explanation of a service with multiple attachments. But are the most common email domains, and what are the pros and cons to each one? 

Gmail.com (18%)

With over a billion users across the globe, Gmail has taken over the free email space since its launch in 2004. It has a streamlined interface without too much clutter, and lets you organise your emails into different folders which helps you to focus on your priorities. It works with a Google account, which has a fleet of features such as Google Drive, Google Docs and Google Calendar, making file sharing and time-management simple. 

Yahoo.com (17%)

Although it isn’t as much as a household name as Gmail, Yahoo offers a professional email service with some useful features unavailable with its competitor. Yahoo allows you to organise your emails into custom folders, and the free version has a terabyte of storage.

Hotmail.com (16%)

It may be one of the top three most popular email domains, but you can’t get one anymore! In fact, Hotmail used to be a part of Microsoft, which has had a couple of rebrands and is now Outlook. This means that if you created your account before 2012, then you will still have the @hotmail.com address, but if you want to create a new one, then you will get an address ending in @outlook.com. Just like Gmail, Outlook offers extra features such as a calendar and access to online Microsoft Office products. 

These are the top three email providers, as after this the percentage of users drops off sharply to under four per cent. Bear in mind that using an @gmail.com or @outlook.com email address is fine for personal use, but doesn’t look very professional if you want to use that for a business account.

If you’re looking for business emails, then it’s much better to have an email address that matches the name of your website domain, as this adds extra credibility to your company. Go Sitebuilder gives you a personalised website domain name as well as five unique business emails for you to use. Sign up for our 14-day free trial and see just how easy it is to get your business online. 

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How to choose the perfect domain name for your online store

Female small business owner stood in the middle of her shop updating her online store via a tablet device. She is wearing dark green clothing and glasses

Your domain name is the first time your users will connect with your brand, and it’s important that you get it right. We’ve put together some tips to help you create a memorable and unique domain name for your online store. 

Does it reflect your brand and product?

If you’ve already developed and established a brand name, then use this for your domain. If that isn’t available, brainstorm words related to your core brand and values that are relevant to your business, and think about your potential customers; does this evoke the concepts and feelings your business represents? If you’re not sure, show some examples to friends and ask them what they think the website is selling and what kind of brand it is – if it’s way off, consider changing it to make it clearer. 

Can you optimise it for SEO?

Including keywords in your domain name will help your site rank higher on search engines and be more visible to potential clients, so pick a name that is specific to your product. However, be aware that this could make your site sound generic (cottontshirts.com) and could also limit what you can offer in the future. You can also use the domain extension .store as it both shows that you’re an ecommerce brand and helps you get that keyword into your domain name.

Is it simple and easy to understand?

You want your domain to be unique, but also memorable. Keep it short (17 characters max) and avoid unnecessary characters, abbreviations and numbers. Avoid unusual spellings and make it easy to say out loud, as then it’s easier to remember. 

When you’re starting out, brainstorm lots of ideas! Choose 10 words that represent your brand personality and your product, and play with different variations until you find one that sounds right. Check if it’s available and remember to buy it quickly; there are bots that buy up domains that have been recently searched to sell that at a profit later. 

A domain name should represent you and your brand, but you need a high-quality website as well! Go Sitebuilder has ecommerce capability, personalised domain names and offers five email addresses with that domain. Try out their 14-day free trial, and use their pre-built themes and designs to create a website that your customers will love. 

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What’s the difference between a domain name and an email address?

Female sat on a green sofa with a child and a laptop on her lap

If you’ve been looking at choosing a website builder, you’ll probably have noticed that many of them offer personalised domains and email addresses. But what is the difference between the two terms, and do you need them?

Domain name

A domain name forms part of the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and is the address for a webpage. They often end in .com, but can end in any one of the 1500 valid domain extensions, such as .net, .org or .co. 

www.exampledomainname.com 

If a user types your domain name into an internet browser’s search bar, it will take them to your website. It is unique and only refers to your specific site. 

Email address

An email address has a domain name within it, but it is formatted differently. Instead of the www it has a username, and an @ sign instead of the full stop. 

username@exampledomainname.com 

Instead of typing this into a search bar, to contact you, a user will have to use an email server (such as gmail or outlook) and use this address to identify the recipient, just as you would write an address on a letter. 

The confusion

It can be easy to get confused when email accounts and domain names start to look similar. Site’s owners can create subdomains, which use a word instead of the www and are designed to organise and navigate through your site: 

store.exampledomainname.com

You can also place dots in the username of an email, so it would be possible to have an email address that looked like this: 

firstname.lastname@exampledomainname.com

The way to tell the difference is to look for the @ sign, which is the flag for an email address. You will never find a domain name with the @, and you will never find an email address without it. 

So, what does it mean when a website builder offers you a personalised domain as well as personalised emails? Let’s say you own a coffee shop called Caffeine Dreams. If it is available, you could have the domain name:

www.caffeinedreams.com

You would also have email addresses that use the same name:

hello@caffeinedreams.com
support@caffeinedreams.com
careers@caffeinedreams.com

These email addresses will be handled by an email server, not your domain itself, but it looks much more professional for a company to have personalised emails. It raises your credibility as well as making the email address easily recognisable and memorable. 

Go Sitebuilder offers personalised domains with up to five personalised emails, as well as a wide selection of designs to make creating your website hassle-free. Why not try out our 14-day trial today?

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Which domain extension is right for you?

Male sat at a desk updating his Go Sitebuilder website via his mobile phone. His laptop is also in front on of him on the desk

Deciding on a domain name is an important step to building your website, but what about the domain extension? The extension can signify what sector a company operates in and it’s important to choose one that is relevant for your business. 

The four most common top-level domains (TLDs) are:
.com
.net
.org
.co

.com

This is by far the most popular domain extension. And is likely the best choice for your domain extension, as it’s familiar and adds to the credibility of your brand. SEO companies also suggest that a .com is better for search rankings on Google. Backlinks with .com have more authority than other domain extensions. However, many of the .com domains are either taken or are very expensive to buy, so you might have to look at other options.

Quick tip: If you’ve decided on a domain name but there is already a .com version with the same name in use, consider changing your domain name. Many people automatically type .com and you don’t want them to end up on a different site!

.net

This extension used to refer exclusively to internet or network providers but now it’s used for a variety of different companies. It does mean that it’s a great option for tech-based companies, as users still expect this kind of business. It’s also much more likely to be available than a .com domain. 

.org

You’ll recognise .org from sites like Wikipedia, and the extension is often expected to be a trustworthy source of information, rather than a commercial brand. The domain extension used to refer to not-for-profit organisations, and is one of the original TLDs so has good user recognition and search power. 

.co

This is an interesting one. The domain used to function exclusively as the country code of Colombia but has recently become a popular choice to refer to companies and corporations. This would be a great choice if you are a young business and the .com extension isn’t an option, as .co has high availability. The issue with this extension, however, is that people might accidentally end up on .com instead, just out of typing habit. 

These are the top four domain extensions, but there are 1500 TLDs available. The most important factors to consider is whether your domain and extension are memorable, easy to type and match your brand identity. 

Decided on the right domain extension for you? At Go SiteBuilder, you can create a stylish website with a unique domain and five email addresses with no previous knowledge in web design. Try out our 14-day free trial today!

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Launching a new website – should I use .com or .co.uk?

should I use .com or new .co.uk

Where are your clients from? This question will help you get to the answer quickly. All .co.uk websites show that the business deals with customers based in the United Kingdom. All .com websites show that a company deals with customers on a global scale; therefore, they may lack tailor-made services for local customers. Sites with country codes like .co.uk command the market in their respective countries but have little to no effect in others. This article is here to break down whether you should use a .com or .co.uk domain extension.

Pros of using a .com extension

A .com domain extension is the most widely used website extension. Its market is wide as it does not incline to users from a specific area. Therefore, a business that wants to reach the global market can use the .com extension. In the worldwide market, a .com website extension seems more authentic and legitimate. Potential customers from diverse areas feel that the information or services offered are tailored to a global audience. Therefore, your website can reach more people globally if you choose .com as your website’s extension.

Pros of using a .co.uk extension

Knowing your target market is the first step in realizing the best website extension for your website. All website extensions with country codes are best for businesses that operate within that specific country. Therefore, the most clicked websites in the UK have the .co.uk extension. 

Having a website with a country code like .co.uk proves to be more authentic in the United Kingdom when compared with other extensions. If your site has a country code in its address, its legitimacy may only be recognized in the specific country. Long story short, if you’re a local business with your clients close to you, such as a plumber, tutor, painter, etc., this is the way to go. 

Finding the right extension for you

Using the pros and cons we have listed above, you can now make an educated decision on which extension is the best for your business. If you are a small to medium-sized company located in the United Kingdom, then it would make sense for you to use .co.uk. If you’re wanting to draw in a larger audience, then choose .com, as it is recognized worldwide. Alternatively, you can purchase both domains, but you’ll need to make sure they direct to one single place for search engine optimisation.

Decided on the right domain extension for you? At Go Sitebuilder, you can create a stylish website with a unique domain and up to five email addresses with no previous knowledge in web design. Try out our 14-day free trial today and see just how easy it is to get your business online.