A friend emailed me, "I've found many tips regarding domain registration from the internet. But too many of them and I simply cannot remember them all. I don't have that much time to spend on those. I wonder if you can provide me a quick summary of the major things I should look out for when registering a domain name, so that it makes life easier for me?"
If you're like that friend of mine looking for short cuts, then here's my advice...
Honestly, some domain tips are useful and some are not. And in regards to those that are useful, I've further narrowed them down into the 4 major rules that you should stick closely to safeguard the quality of your domain name and prevent your gold-digging domain name from getting "hi-jacked" by others.
Here they are...
Rule #1: Short
Why short?
Firstly, most people cannot remember long domain name. Secondly, long domain name is prone to typo when people type into their browser.
You may have heard some so-called gurus saying that your domain name should be long so that it looks more descriptive and at a glance, people will be able to tell what you're selling. Well, this is true. But it may not be preferable because as mentioned earlier, long domain name is hard to remember and prone to typo. Agree?
Hence, as a rule of thumb, you should go for short domain name (like "Yahoo" and "Google") so that people are more likely to remember your domain name and get on your website again and again and again...
"It's hard to get a short domain name". That's what many people are complaining nowadays. Not true. If you think hard enough and stretch your creativity, you'll find one. Really. To get your creative juices flowing, you can try this: search for "expired domain name" in search engines.
By doing so, you may find the right domain name for your website from the list of expired domain names, if not, you can get some inspiration out of them and come up on your own with a very unique name for your website.
Rule #2: Logical
There are two ways here: either you register a domain name that logically matches what you're selling or you simply use your company name as your domain name.
For example, if you sell ebooks online, you should register ebooks dot whatever extension you like (best is dot com since it's always the first extension that most people try when searching for a website).
Or if your company name is called Example Pte Ltd, you should register "example.com". Period.
Rule #3: Spell Check
You MUST always check the domain name for any spelling error before you proceed to the order form and buy (register).
For your info, even if you registered a misspelled domain name (for instance, you intend to register "example.com" but ended up you registered "exmple.com" -- you missed out an 'a'), you're still able to get a refund as long as you do not exceed the 5-day refund period for domain registration.
(Note: Generally, accredited domain registrars offer you a 5-day refund, but some may have a different refund policy. So, it's always safer for you to check with your domain registrar before you register. Clear?)
What if you only realize the typo after 5 days? Then too bad, you'll have to stick with that misspelled domain name for at least a year (the minimum registered period is one year), whether you like it or not.
You can't edit the name even in your domain control panel, it's fixed once registered.
See, you waste money on a domain name you can't use due to its wrong spelling. So, don't take chances. Spending just another 20 seconds to ensure your domain name is error-free is really a good bargain.
Rule #4: Register NOW!
According to statistics, more than 65 domain names are being registered worldwide in every second.
With that being said, if you've come up with a good domain name for your website, don't wait. Quickly register it to secure your position in case someone else snap it up before you do.
So, these are the 4 main basic rules you should always stick to whenever you register domain name. They'll help you save time and money, and make life easier for you.
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