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There are many domain categories to choose from – find the one that best addresses your needs
Choosing the right domain name is essential for a successful online presence. Without a good domain name, you run the risk of being forgotten or lost amongst the masses of websites.
It's good to decide early on if you want to have a brand domain or a keyword domain. The benefit of a brand domain is that your domain will most likely be considered as trustworthy, and immediately shows visitors that it's linked to your business or personal blog. A keyword domain, on the other hand, has the advantage that it will be better optimized for search engines, and therefore will get higher search results. In recent years, however, the drastic improvement in search results thanks to a keyword domain has begun to decrease.
Many online shops have the number 24 in them, to signify 24 hours a day – you may also be able to integrate numbers into your domain in a meaningful way to make them unique. Be careful though, because many cultures attach a lot of significance to certain numbers. Make sure that your number doesn't represent bad luck or other negative things in the country you're operating in.
Keep it short and simple! This avoids misspellings, and makes your domain name easier to remember. Over 50% of searches are made through a smartphone, so a clumsy domain will make your website harder to find. Use a maximum of 10 characters, and avoid hyphens wherever possible.
Don't use the name of public figures in your domain name. To make sure you're not breaching copyright or copying someone else's brand, you can check out the patent and trademark office's website.
Check if your domain name is already being used for social media accounts – for consistency's sake, it's good to have the same name across the board.
Finally, a simple tip that is nevertheless useful: Can you read your domain out loud? If other people can't understand what is being said to them, sharing your domain with others will be difficult, minimizing your potential visitors.
gTLD is short for generic top level domain. Like all domains, they are part of the Domain Name System which helps organize the entire Web. Generic Top Level Domains do not represent a specific geographical region, but rather embody a theme, such as .org for organizations or .info which indicates websites having an informational character.
ccTLDs are top level domains that represent a nation. The "cc" stands for country code, therefore these are used to represent a website's geographical location. Some of these domain extensions are restricted, requiring a presence in that nation to use the ccTLD.
nTLDs are the most recent addition to the collection of domain extensions – hence the name: new top level domains. Each year, up to 1,000 new TLDs are released, and they are also gTLDs, as they count as generic TLDs.
At IONOS, you have a dedicated contact person for personalized advice, tips to boost your online success, and technical support. Reach them via phone, chat and email, all at no cost to you as an IONOS customer.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions
Yes. We recommend buying not only your domain name with your favorite extension (eg. .com), but also additional, alternative domain extensions (eg. .net, .info, etc). The reason is simple. Having more than one domain extension strengthens your online identity, secures your brand name and improves your online presence. Buying more than one domain extension also protects you from your competitors registering your additional extensions and enticing away your customers.