When you are setting up a website and you know you will want to be competitive in the search engine rankings, you need to stop and think before you register the first domain name that comes along.
It may sound like fun to have the name sirstinksalot.
biz but if your business is selling high quality vintage cheese then you will give a bad impression from the outset.
Keyword Relevant As important, is the fact that the address has no obvious relation to your product what-so-ever.
Having an address which is relevant to your keywords and phrases is crucial.
It is best to go for something like vintagecheesesupplies.
com as people searching for your product will find it easier to find you and will be more likely to trust you.
Domain Suffix There is no substitute for having a respected suffix at the end of your address.
There are many suffixes available depending on where you are, what organisation you are in or if you are at an educational institution.
Generally if you want to have a commercial site (as most are) you will want to have '.
com'.
Basically anything other than this will tend to be met with suspicion.
Suffixes like '.
net', '.
uk' and '.
org' are trustworthy but '.
net' is only for network operators, '.
uk' is only for those in the UK and '.
org' is only for clubs and organisations.
You may be tempted by a '.
biz' or a '.
tv' suffix but these are less respected by your average surfer.
So before you set about finding your ideal website design company, think about these suffix issues before making a decision.
Name Length Keeping your name short has two benefits.
The shorter and catchier it is, the easier it will be for people to remember.
Also, keeping your short and to the point helps focus people's attention on exactly what your website is about and makes sure as much of your traffic are likely to convert into sales as possible.
Domain Age All SEOs should know that domain age is a very important factor in where Google and other search engines decide to place you in their search engine results pages.
The older your domain is the more respect you gather and the more weight the search engines will put behind your site.
SEO companies know the catch is that you will need to have been putting content on your site regularly for this to be fully effective.
If you don't want to wait for your domain age to grow, it is possible to buy ready aged domains like fine vintage wines.
Take all these factors on board and you should be on your way to selecting a decent URL for your website.
This should get your site off and running in an good SEO shaped direction.