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Choosing A Domain Name For Scotland-Based Businesses

One of the most important pieces of the online jigsaw puzzle is your domain name. When you look at some names, I am sure they have been spur of the moment selections and not selections made through careful consideration. Your domain name becomes your business online. Sure, you can brand a different name, but why? If you intend branding a different name then why not start with that name?

For existing businesses, you already have a head start – your business name. Normally, that name is going to be available, at least in the .co.uk format, and that should be your aim. If it isn’t, consider adding a regional component, and for Scotland-based businesses, this could be a real plus. For example, if your business is ‘The Home Wares Store’, and the name HomeWaresStore.co.uk was taken, then you may consider adding AyrshireHomeWaresStore.co.uk as an example. That, of course, can become a little unwieldy and that is generally why businesses look for shorter domain names.

There is argument that suggests that domain name length is not important to users. A lot will depend on where you expect your traffic to come from. Search engines are popular sources, and from a search engine optimisation perspective, that longer name has pluses and minuses. It is long, however, the inclusion of a regional term will certainly give it a boost in local search.

If most of your traffic is going to come through links – that is, search engines, social media, advertising and perhaps e-mail marketing – then domain name length is not such a problem. If you are expecting locals to type your domain name in then the longer the domain name is the more you risk typing errors, or poor memory.

Your existing business name is always a good start and you should be grabbing it before someone else decides too, especially if the name is fairly generic, as in Home Wares Store. If you are just starting a business then consider how you want to be represented online.

I often see online businesses trying to secure a keyword-rich domain name first then naming their business after the domain name. That’s not a problem, however, you do need to think long term to ensure that the selected domain, and business name, are brandable and appropriate. What sounds good today may not sound too good in six or twelve months and by then it may be too late to change.