Nowadays, many individuals and companies alike have their portfolio websites. The main reason is that the online market is a very competitive environment and you basically need proof that you’re capable of doing what you claim you can do.
That’s where portfolio websites come into play. But what are those websites, anyway? Simply put, a portfolio website is designed to provide professional information about a company or an individual and showcase their work.
Its purpose is to provide consumers with additional information and present them with examples of your work. That way, you can basically convince people that you’re good at what you do with the goal of generating more clients or customers in mind. However, every portfolio website needs a catchy domain name.
The main reason is that you need to make a good first impression even before people start browsing your work, and the domain name is the first thing consumers will come across. With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to choose the best domain name for your portfolio website.
Keep it short
Here’s a fun fact: domain names can go up to 255 characters in length. Did you ever see a domain name that long? Probably not. So, the best way to start is to opt for a short and simple domain name. You should aim for a domain name that’s somewhere between 6 and 15 characters long.
Anything above that and you’ll cause major confusion among your audience. But why are short and simple domain names so popular like HostGator coupon? Well, the main reason is that they are easy to read, easy to pronounce, they are memorable and, oftentimes, creative and catchy.
People love that kind of stuff and it encourages them to explore further. As mentioned before, you must make a good first impression with your domain name and not scare people away with a long and complicated website address.
Avoid hyphens and numbers
This may seem silly but adding hyphens and numbers in a domain name is considered a really bad move. This is especially true for hyphenated domain names because they associate consumers with scam and spam websites. Although it may seem like a good idea to add a hyphen in your domain name to make a point, it’s not, so you should avoid it altogether.
Moreover, hyphens and numbers tend to confuse search engine algorithms. If you want good visibility and exposure for your portfolio website, you’ll undoubtedly want to engage in SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Having hyphens and numbers in your domain name will only make things worse for your SEO strategy.
Go for a branded domain name
Branded domain names are very popular and useful these days. The most important thing is that such domain names are most likely available. As you may know by now, a lot of domain names have already been taken.
Whatever catchy or unique name you’ve come up with, chances are that it’s already been taken. Therefore, your best bet is to go with a personal domain name, which can also be unique and catchy at the same time. For example, the simplest thing you can do is use your first and last name or the name of your company as your domain.
Another benefit of personal or branded domain names is that they provide more awareness. Your business can grow alongside your brand, creating more authority and credibility for your portfolio website along the way. This approach is ideal for long-term business planning.
Choose an SEO-friendly domain name
As mentioned before, there are good chances that you’ll engage in SEO so that you can boost your portfolio website’s visibility, exposure, awareness and so on. If that’s the case, you should strongly consider opting for an SEO-friendly domain name.
So, what does that really mean? SEO-friendly domain names aren’t specific in any way, they only contain certain elements that make them SEO-friendly, to begin with. Therefore, you can keep your personal domain and still ensure that it’s SEO-friendly. Here are some of the elements of an SEO-friendly domain name.
- Include relevant keywords in the domain name.
- Choose whether to include the WWW (World Wide Web) prefix or not.
- Make sure you have HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) in your URL.
- Ensure your domain name is short, simple and well-written.
Choose the right TLD (Top-Level Domain)
The most important part of your domain name is actually the end of it (or the beginning technically speaking). Extensions, such as .com, .me, .org, .edu and so on are called top-level domains or TLDs. Of course, the most popular and the most recognizable one is the .com extension.
The important thing is to choose the right TLD that will complement the rest of your domain name. Be mindful that there are cheap TLDs that may catch your attention but those are also considered as the mark of the scam website.
Choosing the best domain name for your portfolio website isn’t as easy as you’d imagine. However, if you take the time to do a bit of research, you’ll certainly find an ideal domain name for your website.
