Having your very own website for your brand or company is an essential step towards business growth. To be able to get started on the right foot, there are some critical factors you need to take under consideration. Making these mistakes unknowingly can hurt your online presence in the long run.

Check Domain’s History

If you find the desired name for your domain, it may be an expired domain that is not is use anymore. Here, the question of note is why. Domain names are left to expire for many reasons, and you don’t want your website to suffer its consequences. The domain may either be blacklisted from Google or banned, or the owner simply didn’t need it or forgot to renew in which case you’re good to go.

There are a lot of uncertainties surrounding the selection of an expired domain name. To avoid related problems in the future, check the domain’s history before buying it. You can use tools like the WaybackMachine to unearth the history of your desired domain name.

Avoid Trademark Names

Another important thing to consider when selecting a domain name is to make sure you don’t choose one that is a registered trademark or very similar to one. For instance, choosing something like “Nikey.com” is a bad idea, more so if you’re selling sports items too. Visitors might mistype Nike and end up buying from your website, and you would most assuredly be infringing upon the trademark. Remember, if you choose a domain name that conflicts with a trademark, you’re at high risk of losing it altogether. So when choosing a domain name, check it using online tools like Markify, TMarque, or Name Check to confirm that you are not using a trademarked name.

For more information on how the law works in this regard, check here.

Avoid Confusing names

A lot of people use abbreviations, hyphens, or numbers in their domains – this is bad practice. Users often get confused by such domain names and it hurts the return traffic to your website. Choose simple, easily remembered names for your domain name. It allows your visitors to recognize and remember your website easily the next time they come across your brand.

Consider the aforementioned guidelines when creating a domain name for your website to ensure the name you select is not only suitable for you but for the future of your website as well.