Just imagine how much business you’re losing every time a user mistyped your domain name or worse – forget it. Sometimes the word is hard to spell, maybe it doesn’t make sense, or perhaps it’s unremarkable.

Online consumers are prickly people. They won’t spend precious time looking for your location and most of them would just consider other similar product or service on offer.

Understanding how to name your website can help you distinguish your brand from competitors, attract new customers to your website, and even prevent spammers from stealing traffic. Confusing or generic domains cause customers to end up at a competitor’s site. Internet users may have a hard time finding your business – so make it easy.

Here’s how:

Find The Balance Between Branding and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

The name of your existing business is a good way to start, but acquiring an exact match is easier said than done. Domain registrations continue to grow at the rate of 6.8 percent, or 21 million, annually, based on domain and server management firm Verisign. The causes of which are:

Credibility: Domain names for years have been stuffed with keywords ranked higher in searches. Examples of this would be TopBestShoeshop.com or SingaporeTshirtDesign.com. Many website types like these are full of junk content, and users have learned not to trust them.

Longevity: Google’s algorithms have now become secondary to branding. SEO trends change all the time, so a keyword-focused name that’s effective today could be useless the next year. Acquiring steady inbound website traffic from good sources is the best way to rank higher. In the long-term, trusted brands can offer you the most authority online.

Keep Your Name Simple and Concise

If you managed to do a good job marketing your business, customers will generally hear more of you in different places. Word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful promotion tools, so you should get a domain that people will share. Consider the e-commerce giant name Amazon.com. This well-known website has a URL that’s easy to spell intuitively. Most business owners should take this approach, as it’s easier for people to find you online.

Stick to real words when you can. If you still want coined names with made-up or misspelled words, try making it as phonetic as possible. Think Facebook, Microsoft, or FedEx. Don’t use numbers, as people won’t know whether they are spelled or not.

Beware of Trademark Conflicts

Available names aren’t always safe. You need to ensure that you don’t infringe on a trademark. Some trademark rights also depend on the industry. For instance, Apple trademarked its name for the computing industry. However, you can still use this super common word in another business sector. You can use the Trademark Electronic Search System to get started on your research.

Utilise a Domain Name Search Tool

You can narrow your search instantly by using a domain name search tool. Write the keywords or values that describe your business to come up with domain suggestions. Take note that you shouldn’t limit your business name choices based on availability URLs. You can personalise it as needed to get your branding just right.

For instance, a company that sells both tea and, to a lesser extent, coffee can use TeaCoffeeHaven.com as a possible name for its online store. This domain describes the product and values — making coffees and tea plus keeping customers satisfied.

As you start brainstorming and narrowing down your option, don’t forget to put your businesses’ value to the naming selection so that it will embody your goals and further strengthen your branding.