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DOMAIN NAMES
A domain name is the bit after the "www" of a web site address and before the first "/" if there is one.
Thus, "www.cyberpoint.ltd.uk/domain-names.php" is the full address of this particular page or URL as it is properly called, but "cyberpoint.ltd.uk" is the domain name.
We also have "cyberpoint.co.uk" but we don't have "cyberpoint.com".
We should have, we were around at the time but took the view that we were never going to be a global player and thus a .com extension was unnecessary.
Don't make the same mistake yourself.
A complete website design service should include working with you to choose the right domain name or names.
When choosing a domain name, you ideally want a full set.
That is to say, you want .com as well as .co.uk, and if the name has two or more words you also want versions with and without hyphens.
If you have a multi-part name it can be very effective to print it with capital initials.
Variations would look like this:
www.MultiPartName.com
www.MultiPartName.co.uk
www.multipartname.com
www.multipartname.co.uk
www.Multi-Part-Name.com
www.Multi-Part-Name.co.uk
www.multi-part-name.com
www.multi-part-name.co.uk
Which looks clearer to you?
The easier it is to read a name, the easier it is to remember it.
Being in capital letters makes no difference to what you register, all domain names are registered in lower case letters.
The reason to have these variations is not that you necessrily need to use them, but you absolutely need to stop anyone else using them.
People are very forgetful.
They might think they remember your web site address but type in the wrong version and they end up on a rival's site, or a site for an entirely unrelated business.
If your budget stretches to it, and it's not terribly expensive, you can set up all the variants to point to your web site.
That way, no matter what version somebody remembers, they will end up on your site.
Trade Mark names have little bearing on domain name registrations.
Remember, there are dozens of classes for Trade Marks, but only one domain name.
You might think you are covered for your class of activity, but if someone else has the same name in a different class there's nothing you can do about it, it's first-come first-served.
Add to this free-for-all the fact that there are squatters who register every dictionary word and many combinations of popular words and you will soon appreciate that ingenuity is called for in choosing a domain name for your web site.
The one area you will not have a problem with is registering the .ltd.uk version.
The regulations stipulate that you can only register it in the exact form with which your company is registered at Companies House.
Nobody else can use the same version.
Cyberpoint's website design services include domain name advice.
DOMAIN NAME TIP 1
A good domain name wants to be easy to read, easy to remember, and you want all the variations.
It's not an easy task.
Talk to us and we'll help you.
DOMAIN NAME TIP 2
If you are a start-up, the best time to think about your domain name is now, before you finalise your business name.
DOMAIN NAME TIP 3
If you are struggling to find a good domain name, invent your own word.
Think how easy it must be for "Kodak", think how hard is must be for "Smith".
DOMAIN NAME TIP 4
Save money: Register all the variations you want, but only actually use one of them.
Most ISPs do not charge you for "parking" a domain name, so if there are say eight variations on the name you like, register all eight and "park" seven of them.
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