When creating a small business website, the domain name is one of the key things to consider. Along with the design and content of your website, the right domain name helps to solidify the branding of your small business online.

Most importantly, you need to make it memorable. Once you’ve successfully built up your brand, your customers will expect to visit a website with a domain name which is unmistakably related to your company, so make sure your business name takes centre stage in your web address.

If you’re starting a new business and haven’t settled on a name yet, take the domain name into consideration. Take the time to research what is already out there and make sure you choose a memorable business name which will make a great domain name.

Be realistic about the availability of your chosen domain name. There are over 200 million domains registered on the internet, and many common or desirable names were snapped up years ago. If your company name is ABC, you’re unlikely to find that ABC.com or .co.uk is available. Don’t panic if your desired domain name is taken, there are a few options.

As well as your business name, you can include descriptive words such as your location or industry. This method will not only reflect to your prospects what your business does but can also provide a boost to your search engine optimisation (SEO) efforts. Any keywords you are able to include in your domain name are easily picked up by search engines such as Google -  so the company ABC becomes ABCbuilderscrawley.co.uk.

The best web providers also allow you to choose a professional email address linked to your domain name, such as info@abcbuilderscrawley.co.uk. This is more professional than using a generic email such as Hotmail or Gmail and will certainly give you more credibility when contacting your prospects by email.