If you are the owner or manager of a small business and are considering taking your brand online, there are a few things you should consider before actually buying a domain name and contracting with a hosting company. The right website with the right domain name can be highly lucrative, but a few simple mistakes or oversights could be a waste of time and money. Check out these things to consider before buying a website.
What’s in a Name?
Actually, when it comes to buying and building a website, everything is in a name! Did you know that the name you choose is important on a number of levels? The first thing to be aware of is that unless your brand is already well known, you might not want to name your website after your company! As odd as that might sound, it’s a fact of life on the Internet.
Why Is a Name So Important?
Based on Google’s (and other major search engines’) algorithms, your website name carries a lot of weight from an SEO perspective. While most people understand SEO and how Google ranks sites based on optimization for organic (not paid) search, they never thought of how much weight Google places on the SEO in the website’s name!
Is the Name You Want Already Taken?
If you have done your research and know the keywords that will help you rank highly, you might find that someone already has the domain name you want. While they may be unwilling to part with that name, you’d be surprised at just how many people buy a domain name and then never develop a website! You can easily find out who owns a domain and offer to buy it if you have your heart set on that name. If they are unwilling to negotiate, then perhaps it’s time to get close derivations of that name that will rank highly as well.
On the Importance of a Theme
Books have been written on the subject of just how important a well-developed website is, but suffice it to say, you should also be cognizant of the theme you choose. The layout, colors and even the graphics should be in keeping with your industry, so make sure you choose a theme that makes sense with what you have to say and sell.
Web Hosting Is a Critical Consideration
Sometimes you see those ads that offer a free domain name with a hosting package. Often this is a good deal, but other times, it’s a major mistake. It’s much better to pay $20 to $25 (most of the time) for a domain name than to get a free name and hosting that is lousy. If the hosting company you choose isn’t up and running at least 99.999% of the time, you will not get the traffic you require, you will be penalized by Google and disenchanted customers will take their business elsewhere.
You have just spent a lot of time, energy and perhaps money researching the best name and theme for your website, why throw it away with poor hosting? These are the things you should consider when buying a website and if you take them seriously, you could build a prosperous site in no time at all. Now you have the ammunition, it’s up to you to take the shot.
