Selecting a domain name for your handyman website can seem daunting.
It’s a pick your horse type of situation, and you want to pick the best horse.
Why? Because switching domain names is difficult, inconvenient, confusing to customers, and you lose some SEO value of your old domain (even after redirecting your old website domain to the new one).
Is there a time and place where switching domain names is the right move? Most definitely.
Regardless, the negatives of switching underlines the importance of picking a suitable, effective domain name from the start.
This article will provide some tips for choosing the right domain name for your handyman website – the first time.
… Or second time… Heck, even the third time. If you’re switching for the fourth time, you likely need help that is beyond the scope of this article.
Let’s get to it.
Note: Handyman Web Design clients can ALWAYS get our opinion and recommendation for choosing the right domain name.
The Shorter, The Better
First and foremost, the shorter your domain name, the better. Think about all the popular businesses, brands, and websites on the internet… They have short website URLs!
Why?
- They’re easier to remember;
- easier to type;
- easier to link;
- and they don’t look scary!
Here’s a handyman business I came across not too long ago with a wicked-long domain name – sunandsandhandymanservicesllc.com
Try saying that 3 times fast. I think it’s hard to even say once! Not ideal…
This isn’t to say that “longer” domain names are bad, so long as they communicate who you are and customers can remember it.
Use Your Business Name
Using your business name for your domain is the most common practice, and is a great option.
The biggest snag you’ll find here is that there’s another handyman business, in another part of the US, that already owns the domain.
Also consider the example I used above as a bad example of using your business name.
Here are some ideas and things to consider when using your business name:
- Is the domain available?
- Is the name of my business hard to remember, or excessively lengthy?
- If it’s a long name, is there opportunity to shorten it? (Example: HandymanExampleServices.com could be HandymanExample.com)
- If your business name is taken, can you add your state or primary service area at the end? (Example: HandymanExampleTX or HandymanExampleDallas.com)
Incorporate Your Primary Service Area
As the last bullet-point indicates; incorporating your primary service area into your domain name is a good option – especially if your business name is taken.
Here are the two most viable options, assuming you’re a handyman in Dallas, TX:
- dallashandyman.com
- dallastxhandyman.com
Use A Standard "Top-Level Domain" (or TLD)
What the heck is a Top-Level Domain? It’s the last characters after the “dot” in a domain name. For example: .com is the most popular TLD.
Using the above example for a handyman in Dallas: you could see if a different TLD is available for DallasHandyman.
Currently, venturing too far away from the standard TLDs is frowned upon. However, if DallasHandyman.com is taken, securing the .net, .biz, or .us is acceptable.
I wouldn’t advise going beyond that short-list…
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