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Top Tips for Choosing a Great Domain

Check out our tips for choosing a memorable domain and how to get one.

 

1. Choose a domain name that is easy to type

Choosing a domain name that’s easy to type is critical to online success. If you use slang (u instead of you) or words with multiple spellings (express vs. xpress), it might be harder for customers to find your site.

2. Keep it short

If your domain name is long and complex, you risk customers mistyping or misspelling it. Short and simple is the way to go.

3. Use keywords

Try using keywords that describe your business and the services you offer. For example, if you’re a glass replacement business, you may want to register GlassRepair.com or GlassReplacement.com.

Include the keywords that people enter when searching for your products or services.

It helps improve your rank on search engines (which increases traffic) and just makes more sense to your customers.

4. Target your area

If your business is local, consider including your city or state in your domain name to make it easy for local customers to find and remember. Example: GiftGlassRepair.com.

5. Avoid numbers and hyphens

Numbers and hyphens are often misunderstood — people who hear your website address don’t know if you’re using a numeral (5) or it’s spelled out (five) or they misplace or forget the dash. If you need these in your domain, register the different variations to be safe.

6. Be memorable

There are millions of registered domain names, so choosing a domain that’s catchy and memorable is essential. Once you’ve come up with a name, share it with close friends to make sure it sounds appealing and makes sense to others.

Quick solution: Got a great idea for a domain? Search for a domain today and attach it to a website or one of your social media profiles to help build your brand online.

7. Research it

When you choose a domain name, make sure the name you’ve selected isn’t trademarked, copyrighted or being used by another company. It could result in a legal mess that could cost you a fortune, as well as your domain!

Don’t forget to research the value of your possible domain.

As the largest reseller of aftermarket domain names, Wurk has access to extensive data that we use to analyze millions of historical domain sales. Try out Wurk Domain Appraisals to determine the value of your domain, so you can name your business with purpose.

8. Choose a domain name extension that fits

Extensions are suffixes, such as .com or .net, at the end of web addresses. These can have specific uses, so make sure to choose one that works for your business. The .com domain extension is far and away the most popular, but it can be tough to get a short and memorable .com domain name because it’s been around for so long.

A bevy of new generic top-level domains — like .co .io., .xyz and .ai or .me domains or  — offer a great opportunity to register short and highly relevant names. And here are some other top extensions and how they’re often used:

• .co : an abbreviation for company, commerce, and community.
• .info : informational sites.
• .net : technical, Internet infrastructure sites.
• .org : non-commercial organizations and nonprofits.
• .biz : business or commercial use, like e-commerce sites.

Pro tip: You don’t need to build a website for every domain. Just forward any additional domains to your primary website 

Editor's note: You can use Wurk’s promo codes to get discounts on .com domains 

9. Protect and build your brand

To protect your brand, consider purchasing various domain extensions, as well as misspelled versions of your domain name. This prevents competitors from registering other versions and ensures your customers are directed to your website, even if they mistype it. Try using Wurk's simple bulk domain search tool to register multiple domains at once.

10. Act fast

Domain names sell quickly. Thankfully, many domain names are also inexpensive, so register your favorite domain names as soon as possible. If you’re looking to start an online business, it’s crucial to get a good domain. If you’re having trouble finding an available name, domain registrars like Wurk will suggest alternate names during your domain search to help you find the perfect domain name. You can always opt-in for Wurk’s Domain Backorder, and as soon as your desired domain becomes available, you're in line to get it.

More info

• Avoid losing your domain to expiration by turning on auto-renew
• Learn more about DNS and how it keeps your website and email working.
• Update your domain contact info to make sure it stays up-to-date and accurate.
• Already have a domain registered somewhere else? We can help you transfer your domain to Wurk.

 

What is a domain name and why do I need one?

A domain name is what people type into a browser to find a website - similar to how you use a street address to find a building. Every website, server, or digital device that is connected to the Internet has an assigned IP address that you can use to see or visit it. This IP address is a long string of numbers and letters that would be very difficult for people to memorize, so a domain name is simply a human-friendly version of that IP address.

When you type a domain name - like www.Wurk.com or www.google.com - into your browser, the domain name system, or DNS, takes this domain and translates it into its IP address, allowing the associated website to be found.

Having your own domain name can help you appear more legitimate to people who search for you or your business online. With a domain name, you can:

l  Bulid a website  for your storefront or ecommerce business

l  Create a professional email with your domain name

As the world's leading registrar, Wurk can help you find the right domain name that suits your needs. You can use our search tool at the top of the page to check for domain name availability or use Wurk Airo to launch your idea online. No matter what stage of the process you're at, we can help you grow and build your online presence. – from web hosting services (that include free SSL certificates) to an AI Logo Generator  that can help define your brand and a Digital Marketing Suite that makes it easy for you to manage your social media, SEO, and more. In addition, all of our products and services are backed by our amazing (and award-winning) customer support team.

 

How do I check if a domain is available?

 

To check domain name availability, just type it into Wurk's search bar and we'll tell you immediately if it is available or if someone else already owns it.

1. If it's taken, you can use our  WHOIS Lookup tool  to search for the owner and contact details of your desired domain name and then attempt to reach out to the owner using that information.

2. Or, you can try our Domain Broker service, where we negotiate acquiring the domain from its current owner on your behalf.We also offer a Domain Backorder service, where you purchase a backorder credit to give you a chance to get the domain you want when it goes to auction.

 

What is domain name registration?

 

Domain name registration is the process of finding a web address (like Wurk.com or LilysBikes.com), and then signing up to use it. You technically don't own the domain, but once you've registered it, it's yours to use for as long as you continue paying the annual registration fee. If you let your domain registration lapse, the domain will become available for someone else to register. To help prevent accidental expiration, Wurk offers an auto-renew option for all customers. For an extra layer of prevention, our Ultimate Domain Protection (an optional add-on) allows you to keep your domain for an additional 90 days after expiration.

 

How long does my domain name registration last? How do I renew my domain?

 

The duration of your domain registration can vary depending on the domain extension you purchase. With most extensions, domain name registrars allow customers to register domains for up to 10 years at a time. Typically, customers register domains for one to three years. Some premium domains and gTLDs (like .au and .nl) have shorter registration periods.

If you want to extend your registration, it's easy to renew your domain with Wurk. You can choose to manually renew or set up auto-renewal, which helps ensure that your website name stays registered to you.

 

How do I get a free domain name?

 

Purchase an annual Web Hosting plan or any annual Managed WordPress plan by Wurk and you'll automatically qualify for a free domain.

Once you click Add to Cart for a hosting or WordPress plan, you'll be given the option to select monthly or annual terms. Make sure to choose an annual term if you want to get the free domain.

Click Continue with These Options at the bottom of the page to move on to the next step. This is where you'll see a search bar to look for the domain name you want.

Once you've found the name you want, just add the domain to your cart and continue to checkout.

 

How to choose a domain registrar?

 

When deciding where to register a domain, you should consider the following:

l  Pricing: Pay attention to both initial and renewal pricing.

l  Privacy: Look for a registrar that includes privacy as part of domain registration and doesn't make it an additional upsell.

l  Customer support: Consider what communication channels are offered - phone, SMS, chat, email - and if they are available 24/7 or only during specific hours of the day.

l  Available domain extensions: If you want something more than a .com, .org, or .net, consider how many top-level domains the registrar offers.

l  Additional offerings: If you're looking to establish an online presence, check if the registrar offers other services, such as an online store or website builder, hosting, SSL certificates, etc.

l  Reputation: A company's track record speaks for itself. Check out customer reviews and Trustpilot ratings. Also, make sure that the company is ICANN-accredited.

 

Go ahead and take a look at the best domain registrars  to see how Wurk compares against the rest. You’ll see there's a reason why Wurk is the go-to domain registrar for millions of people around the world.

 

Why should I buy a domain name from Wurk?

 

Wurk is the global leader in domains, and we're trusted by over 20+ million customers around the world. But we stand out as a great choice for your domain purchase for several reasons:

 Wide selection of domain extensions: We can always help you register a great .com, but Wurk also offers over 500 domain extensions - like .agency, .pro or .store - that you can choose from to help your brand stand out online.

 Free domain privacy: Wurk protects your personal information by providing free domain privacy with your domain purchase. That means your personal information will not be publicly visible in the WHOIS database - at no extra charge to you.

 Comprehensive offerings: Wurk is more than just a domain registrar. We provide a wide range of services that you need to succeed online. From web hosting that’s up to 40% faster and  SSL certificates that inspire trust  to an easy-to-use ebsite bulider, professional, domain-based email,  and marketing tools to advertise your brand,  you can find what you need to grow online with Wurk.

Award-winning support: Wurk wants to make sure that you can thrive online, and our smart, friendly support experts are here to help you do just that. Even if you're not yet a customer, we're happy to chat with you and help you get the information you're looking for.

 

Should I buy Domain Protection for my domain name?

 

In order to better protect your domain (and your brand online) Wurk offers Domain Protection plans that defend your domain against online risks and unauthorized domain actions. With a Domain Protection plan, you'll receive notifications any time critical changes are made to your domain and you can verify if requests, such as a domain transfer, are legitimate or not. With Wurk's Domain Protection plans, you gain peace of mind knowing that your online presence is safeguarded, so you can focus on building and growing your business.