Making Sure your URL Supports your Business

Today, one of the main ways people will interact with and identify with your company is through your website, which they reach by entering your URL (or domain name) into their web browser. Domain names are what appear in search results, and can have a strong affect on your SEO (“search engine optimization,” a fancy way of saying “how easily people can google you”).

When you sign up for EarthLink Web Hosting or Ecommerce Hosting, the first step will be to either find an available domain name or transfer one you already own (fact: you get 1 year of free domain name registration when you choose an EarthLink website hosting service), and we want to make sure you have the RIGHT domain(s) with these handy tips:

1. .Com Domain Names Are Best: There are many new top-level domains (TLDs) available (these are the .com, .net, .biz, and .info endings to URLS). But it’s still best to use a .com if possible. Most internet users will assume your website is a “.com,” and if this assumption is incorrect, they may not want to look hard enough to actually find you.
2. Buy Domain Variations: If possible, buy the .net, .biz, .org and other top-level domain variations of your domain name so no one else can use them and potentially confuse people who are searching for your business. Also, try to buy common misspellings of your domain (e.g., HappinessStore.com and HapinessStore.com and Happinesstore.com) and redirect them to your actual URL (EarthLink Web Hosting customers can easily redirect domains in the Manage Domain section of their Control Center.)
3. Have Keywords in your URL: If you have an already-established business, and you can’t get a .com domain with your exact name, try adding SEO-related keywords (the ones people use to search for you) or locations (if you serve a local market), such as HappinessStoreGifts.com or HappinessStoreNYC.com.
4. Domain Name Before Company Name: If you are going to start a business that relies entirely or largely on the Internet, wait to name your company until after you own a URL. Ensuring your company name has a matching “.com” domain name is incredibly helpful in the long run.

Ready to start? Register a domain name now through EarthLink (even if you’re not ready to go, you can register the website and we’ll hold onto it for you until you are so no one else snatches it!)