| Choosing a domain name is as important as selecting
your business name. It is best to find a good
domain name from the beginning and stick with
it. Spend some time researching and brainstorming
your name, then register it as quickly as you
can!
Choose your extension
The extension of a domain name
is the '.com' part. There are more extensions
becoming available all the time, with '.asia and
'.mobi being two recent additions. If you want
to make your online presence felt you can register
as many extensions of your chosen domain name
as you like.
In Australia the '.com.au' extension
is popular, although '.com' (a
top level domain or TLD, along with .net and .org)
is reasonably common as well. The '.com.au' extension
is regulated by auDA
and companies need to demonstrate a legitimate
claim to a domain name to be able to register
it (there are several auDA
policies that cover this).
The Riches Hosting site has a bulk
domain name search that allows you to quickly
check a potential domain name across a range of
extensions.
Choose your domain
Once you have decided on what extensions you would like to
register, the next step is to choose the actual domain, such
as mycompany.com or myproduct.com.
From a marketing and branding point of view, your domain name
should be:
- as short as possible
- recognizable
- easy to pronounce
- easy to spell
Remember that your domain name will have someone's
name on the front of it for use as an email address,
so consider that when deciding on the domain.
For example, it can be frustrating for customers
and clients if they are trying to write down a
long and confusing email address that is being
recited over the phone. Domains are not case sensitive
so you can write your domain how you want it pronounced
e.g RichesHosting.com.au.
Generic names
In some cases it makes sense to register a generic
domain name, either using it as the main domain
or 'parking' it over the top of your main domain.
A generic name is one like 'webhosting.com' or
'domains.com'. Unfortunately, you will probably
find that a lot of the generic domain names are
taken, particularly ones with '.com' extensions.
More information:
The information above is a brief overview of domain
name selection. We can assist you with:
- domain registration
- domain renewal
- domain delegation (nameserver configuration)
- general domain name advice
Please contact
us if you would like to discuss getting your
business online or managing your domain names.
We are based in Adelaide and
specialise in working with local and South Australian
businesses.
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