Entering a domain is always the beginning of a website visit. This article deals with this topic.
Anyone wanting an online presence needs to choose a domain name. The criteria for this choice vary depending on the website's purpose. For a family website, the family name should be included. The family name serves as the foundation and unifying element for the presentation. Business websites are often tagged with a keyword or abbreviated, depending on whether they are informational or offer services. Key selection criteria include ease of spelling, pronounceability, avoiding similarity to competitors, and memorability.
How is a domain structured?
Besides the name itself, a domain ultimately only points to a location where web content is stored. The domain itself, e.g., www.homepage.com, is structured into three basic parts: the third level (sublevel "www." or "forum."homepage.com), the second level (homepage), and the top level (.com). The top-level domain (TLD) is the actual domain extension. This can be country-specific (*.ca -> Canada, *.de -> Germany, *.fr -> France.de, etc.) or purpose-related or generic (*.com -> commercial, *.info -> information | or more broadly, *.shop, *.club, etc.).
Hints for choosing the right domain name
Finding a good name is not easy, and one that is also sustainable. Once a name has been chosen and set up, and the website has been indexed in search engines, it is difficult to change it again. The decision should therefore be well thought out.
⇨ Short and concise title
The domain name should be short and concise, ideally consisting of two to three syllables. Long names are time-consuming to type, and typos often go unnoticed. Ease of pronunciation and memorability are therefore advantageous. Companies often systematically shorten their long names. Whether this is done by individual letters or syllables is a matter of personal choice or depends on the availability of the domain.
For example, the fictional "Erste Allgemeine Bohrmaschinen-Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung" (First General Drilling Machine Company with Limited Liability) would likely prefer the second-level domain name "eab," "eabltd," or "eab-ltd."
⇨ Unmistakable with other popular sites
It's not a good idea to give your "marketplace for yellow socks" the web address ebai.de. The association with the leading online marketplace comes across as cheap and misleading. Often, misspelled web addresses of successful internet platforms are deliberately registered and used to exploit this typo, lure potential customers to the "wrong" offer, and generate traffic for the website. This practice, however, carries no positive connotation and should be avoided at all costs. Websites that appear reputable offer a higher success rate; this starts with choosing the right domain name.
⇨ Keyword domain name
The purpose of your platform, whether for trading or providing services, determines the keyword. If you are IT consultant Peter Mertens, "IT-Mertens.de" or -.com could be a good option for your online presence. In this example, a keyword with additional identifier and memorability is also available in conjunction with your name.
⇨ *.com, *.net, *.org, *.info or even *.shop?
Exotic domain extensions like *.shop or *.biz make a good first impression and serve as additional brand identifiers. Ultimately, however, they are not more successful. They tend to appear neutral and are not associated with any specific geographic area. Ultimately, it comes down to the intended use of the website.
If you are planning an international information and interest group for artificial intelligence, "AITECH.INFO" is certainly a good option. This is also because it incorporates three key elements (AI, technology, information) in its name, is extremely short, and makes a geographical assignment seem unnecessary. For a sock repair service in Canada, "sockfix.ca" could be a suitable entry point to the business. "sockfix.com" would be a second alternative. *.org, *.biz, or *.net, on the other hand, tend to be off-putting.
⇨ Numbers and special characters
For commercial purposes, separators, numbers, and special characters should be avoided whenever possible, unless they are part of the name itself! These characters generally make typing more difficult, lengthen the text, and appear visually cluttered. Of course, there are exceptions where memorability is actually enhanced and these characters are integral to the corporate identity. For example, "1und1.de" (1and1) is the well-known main address of the telecommunications company 1&1 AG in Germany. Similarly, "rpr1.de" will always lead to the German broadcaster RPR EINS (RPR ONE). The aforementioned fictional IT specialist, Peter Mertens, benefits from the hyphen in his name, which is easily remembered when it comes to IT, whereas "Peter-Mertens-IT.de" is rather complicated, drawn-out, and impractical. Therefore, the use of these characters should be carefully considered.
⇨ Check property rights
You can find numerous online platforms for researching protected trademarks, patents, or utility models. A simple Google search can also provide an initial assessment. Offering your beverage business under the name "coca-cola.shop" will likely land you in hot water with the legal department of a well-known corporation.
---> tools for checking trademark rights
⇨ Purchase domain names
Your trusted web host makes it easy to acquire a domain name and add it to your web hosting package, which also includes email and storage space. If your desired name is already taken or you can't think of a suitable domain name, don't despair! Some providers automatically suggest similar domain names that are still available. You can also consult numerous sources to find out which domains or names are popular and commonly used.
There are numerous and productive marketplaces for domain names. Here you can view existing (already registered) addresses that are still available on the market (including to you). These domain names have already been assigned and therefore cannot be reassigned by your web provider. These marketplaces not only offer good and creative names, but also search functions by category and industry. Researching here can certainly spark your creativity. If you like one of these domain suggestions, you can purchase it directly from the current owner, often at a fair price. Don't be deterred by the occasionally high asking prices; contact the seller free of charge and make them an offer.
Such marketplaces include, among others: SEDO - Market place for Domain names | Afternic - a GoDaddy domain trading platform | GoDaddy domain-auctions. The latter is the world's largest domain provider and administrator. Naturally, eBay, as the world's largest online marketplace, also has a domain division. You'll have plenty of options there as well, should your "perfect" domain name not be unregistered or still available. If you purchase a domain through one of these marketplaces, the provider will send you the authentication code (AuthCode) after the purchase is complete. You can then enter this code via the corresponding transfer option of your web host ("Move domain" or "KK application") and you will be the new owner. With today's technology, this only takes a few hours.
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Sources.:
Krause, Jörg: E-Commerce und Online Marketing - Chancen, Risiken und Strategien, 2. Auflage. Hanser, 2000.
Deges, Frank: Quick Guide Domainmanagement - Wie Sie optimale Domainnamen finden und effektiv nutzen, Springer, 2020.