In our previous article Decoding the Website for Small Business, we discuss how small businesses can understand the technical terms in website development. And this includes the necessary things to prepare in order to create a website.
 The domain name is one of the things that is discussed in the article. In this article, we will discuss more in-depth how to choose or select your domain name for your own business. Â
What is a domain name?
What are parts of a domain name?
A domain name is composed of three parts. the domain name which you will choose based on your business name. the top-level domain(tld) or most known as domain name extension (.com, .ph, .biz). And the optional subdomain is like another room that contains a different function of websites like a landing page or special registration page.
Here at Shoppiverse PH, we collated some of the important things to consider when buying and choosing a website domain name.
1. Website domain name should represent your business.
As a general rule, your business name should be the same as possible as your domain name. This will give the idea to your client that the website is owned by your business.
2. Website domain name must have an easy recall
Having an easy to recall website is important especially if you have a long business name you can use the abbreviation of your business name as the domain name.Â
3. It should be 6 to 14 characters long
Website domain name length is not unlimited although it has a maximum length of 253 characters but who will remember that long domain name? So our advice is better to keep it simple and short as much as possible.
4. Select domain name extension based on your business type
The dot com (.com)Â and dot biz (.biz) are examples of domain name extensions. Each top-level domain cost varies. If you are buying a dot ph (.ph) domain extension it is more expensive than the .com domain since in search engines it favors local search in the Philippines.Â
5. Add domain privacy to your domain
Domain privacy helps you stay anonymous, the name you use to register and the information you provided on the internet will not be exposed in public so if you don't want to be bombarded with calls or spam emails it is necessary to include domain privacy when you purchase your domain name.Â
Where to buy a domain name?
Webhosting companies or Webhosting providers offer domain names in my experience the Cheapest Domain you can buy is in Namecheap.Â
If you want to start buying your first domain name you can directly go to this link.
Another alternative site to buy a Domain name is GoDaddy. You can go directly to this link to purchase a domain name.
You just need to follow the step-by-step instructions on how to get one.
What if my domain name is already taken?
There are instances that your domain name is already not available or has been already purchased by another individual or organization. There are two remedies on how you can resolve a domain name already registered:
- You can buy it if it is for sale (But this is more costly)
- You can opt to modify the name by adding a dash( - ) in your domain name or you're using another domain extension.Â
 In summary:
A domain name is one of the first steps in having a company website so it is important to carefully choose the right domain name for your business. Retention and familiarity are essential because they must be associated with your physical business.
