How to choose a domain for a new site: useful tips
Tags: webdev, programming, discuss, domain
Published: 2021-04-05 21:00:27

The site domain is like a name for a person. The first thing that the user sees when getting acquainted with the resource. A well-chosen domain name is a great opportunity to increase brand awareness and a good help to increase the site's position in search results.

# The right domain is a plus for search engine promotion

The presence of key queries in the domain name increases the chances that the site will get to the TOP of the search results.

# Selecting a domain zone

In addition to the site name, it is important to choose the right domain zone. Conventionally, they are divided into two types:

- by geographical location (New York— .nyc, United States— .us, Moscow — .msk.ru, .moscow, .moscow, Kiev — .kiev.ua, etc.);
- by purpose and subject (commercial websites —.com, educational resources - .edu, non-profit organizations— .org, etc.).

The choice of a domain zone depends on the topic and the target audience of the resource. It is reasonable for the official website of the institute to register the address on .edu. And if the company offers services exclusively to residents of New York, it is worth choosing a sub-regional domain zone .nycity.us.

The more logical the domain zone is chosen, the more understandable the site positioning will be for users and search robots.

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/7s4eluftow9e5t8wfqfr.png)

# 4 tips for choosing a domain zone

- Companies operating in the same country should choose national domain zones (firm.us, firm.nyc, firm.com.us etc.);
- Organizations planning to enter the international level, it is better to stop at the domain firma.com. The second option is to register several national names in the countries where they plan to work — firm.ru, firm.by, etc.
- Firms that operate within a specific region are encouraged to choose sub-regional zones — firm.newyork.us, firm.msk.ru.
- The .com, .info, and .org zones are suitable for information resources, and for educational institutions — edu.ru, edu.ua and so on by topic.

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/14wgzskr1081ogm0q1fq.png)

# Writing a domain name

**Short or long?** At the moment, many sites have long names. Having 2, 3, or 4 words in a name is the norm. They can be separated by hyphens (you need to be more careful with the latter, but more on that later) your-name.us.

The optimal length of a domain name is 10-12 characters. If the name of the organization needs to be shortened, make sure that the abbreviation looks correct.

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/durzgh3og0eni8lebttr.png)
 

**Full name or abbreviation?** It is better to use abbreviations if they are known to all people. For example, nytimes.com - the abbreviated name of the New York Times. This abbreviation is known to all residents of United States. And if your company is called "Alex Petrov and his friends lawyers", then the name — vpaeda.ru will look like a random set of characters.

**Numbers and hyphens.** Promotion specialists do not recommend using numbers and hyphens, because people are less likely to remember such names. In addition, they are simply inconvenient to type on the keyboard. Therefore, it is best to avoid hyphens as much as possible. The numbers are better used appropriately. For example, if you sell coffee in Rostov-on-Don, you can add a region code to the domain name: coffee61.ru. And the number 24 often indicates round-the-clock work — webdeveloper24.us.

   
**Please note!** When a domain that is great for a company is already occupied, it is tempting to replace the letter with a number. For example, instead of" O", insert a zero (c0ffee61.nyc). You shouldn't do that. This will 100% degrade the ranking of the site by search engines.

**Additional words to help.** Now it is difficult to find a short, sonorous and appropriate domain name that would not be already occupied. In this case, you can use additional words. They can even emphasize the merits of a product or service. For example, a company sells meat, but the address is meat.us is already taken. In this case, you can buy a freshmeat.us or bestmeat.us.

**Be original.** After selecting the name of the site address, run it through the search engines. If it differs from a competitor's domain by a single letter, number, or hyphen, you should choose something else.

![image](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/tropccl3rtz80lzlvted.png)

# Company activity, brand name, or keyword?

When choosing a site address, you can start from the organization's activities, its name, or the key phrases that users use. Each of the options has its pros and cons.

- The company's activities. The best option for most areas of activity. For example, if a company is engaged in the production of plastic windows, the domain can become windowplast.us. Short, sonorous and clear for users. **Minus:** most of the short domains are occupied.

- Company name. Increases brand awareness and works to increase customer loyalty. Many companies do this: iPapus Agency (ipapus.com), Toshiba Corporation (toshiba.com), etc. **Minus:** difficulties with the promotion in the initial stages since no one will look for the name of an unknown company.

- The keyword. A great way to promote. The domain name is inserted into the keyword that is most often used by users. For example, the most popular query for the computer service "computer repair". This phrase can be used as a website name. **Minus:** a long and poorly remembered name.

Hope you enjoyed my article!