Should I buy a domain name?

What am I going to do with a domain name, and why do I need one anyway?

You would be forgiven for not understanding why or how or what a domain name is. Especially if your line of business isn’t online based.

You’ve managed your business so far without one just fine, right? Well… why are you reading this? Probably because you asked Google if you need a domain name. Proving that searching for things online gets you the answers you’re after. Your business is no different, your customers will search for you online in exactly the same manner.

What is a domain name, then?

A domain name, simply put, is an address online that is unique to you or your business. A domain is often created consisting of a name/brand/business followed by an extension (such as .co.uk or .com). Have a look at the address of this website, for example. Bitjoy is the name and .co.uk is the extension.

Think of a domain name as you would a physical address, except this isn’t physical, this is your address online.

Pretty straightforward, right? Well, sort of…

How do I choose a good domain name? The domain name search begins

Sure, it would make sense to just choose my domain name based around my business name? Well, yes, it would make perfect sense. However, domain names are in short supply, especially the good ones.

If you have a unique or personal business name, the chances are you’ll find your first choice of domain name is available. Good for you! Go and grab it now at any reputable Domain Name Registrar, such as Namecheap.

If you don’t have a particularly unique business name, you might find your chosen domain name has already been taken by someone else.

Hence, why I say, good domain names can be hard to come by.

The strength is in the domain name

So you want a good domain name? What is good?

If you don’t have a very specific name you’re after, but you want a good name nonetheless, then you have to think a little creatively.

Maybe you’re a plumber and your name is Paul. You might find that PlumberPaul.com isn’t available, so now what?

Think outside the box is my advice here. Maybe not only are you a plumber that’s called Paul, but you also live and work in Derby, so what about DerbyPlumber.com? And also, DerbyPlumber.co.uk?

You are not restricted to one particular extension, although .com often carries the most weight and is considered the gold standard in domain name extensions.

Think outside the box and get creative with names until you find something that is suitable and works for you.

What can I do with my new domain name?

Chances are, if you’ve just bought a shiny new domain name for the very first time, you won’t have a clue what to do with it. We’ve all been there.

The options are endless, in reality. A common use for a domain name is a website. If you’ve never built a website yourself, ask someone who has how it all works.

Pointing a domain name to your website is a great way to drive traffic directly to your business to increase leads or sales.

If you want to do it alone, I highly recommend Hostinger. As well as being able to build and host a website at your own pace, they have tools for building a fully fledged WordPress sites – exactly how this site is built.

Whether you’re a beginner or an expert in the website building game, the above holds true as a great place to build your website.

A domain is not just for websites

You can use a domain name to point to pretty much anything on the internet. Maybe you run a business through Facebook via a group or a page.

You could point your domain name to your Facebook page and drive more traffic there. As well as increasing your professional status by giving your customers a proper domain to go to rather than just a clunky Facebook page link.

Maybe you run a forum? Again, you could point your new domain name there and simply look much cooler than you did before.

Maybe you already have an online presence in the form of a blog or community page? Get that domain pointing there and tell everyone you meet that this is your domain name!

Don’t forget email addresses

As soon as you own a domain, you can create email accounts associated with that domain name.

So if you had example.com, you can now start creating emails addresses such as info, admin, hello, contact us @example.com

No one can argue that this looks much more professional than a generic Google or Hotmail email address.