What is a URL and why it matters?
A URL to give it is full name is a Uniform Resource Locator. In plain and simple terms it is the address of the webpage on World Wide Web. For someone looking to create a web page for free using any number of the vast resources on the internet, choosing a URL, also called a domain name for their online business, is a seemingly simple but actually quite complex and very important task.
The domain name of your website is the very first impression that a visitor will have of you. The saying first impressions last is said for a reason, and it is essential that the URL you choose when looking to create your own website gives that all important good first impression. Not only does the URL have to impress the visitor, it also has to impress the Search Engines. Search Engine Optimization plays a key role in determining the amount of traffic to your web page, and the amount of traffic you get will play a key role in the success of your website
The goal, regardless of whether or not it is a business website or a personal website, is to optimize the number of visitors. Once the decision has been made to create your own website, you can choose from any number of free domain names out there, and to take advantage of the many free tools readily accessible on the internet to assist in you in trying to create a web page for free. Here are the tips for success:
Simplicity
Choose a domain name that is simple and relevant. It will increase the effectiveness and most importantly, not confuse either the search engines or the visitors. Keep the name as straightforward as possible. The URL must be easy to spell and avoid using unnecessarily long and difficult to spell names.
Keywords
There are plenty of free domain names to choose from when looking to create your own website. Choose a URL that includes a keyword that is relevant to what you want to achieve. If you have decided to create a web page for free promoting the use of energy saving appliances in the home, avoid something like UseEnergySavingAppliancesInHome.com as despite having keywords aplenty it is too long winded. A better example to use would be HomeEnergySave.com, which gets the message across, makes clear the content, and is suitably succinct for the search engines. By including as many keywords as possible, all you are doing is creating the impression of spamming and devaluing your website in the eyes of the user and the search engines.
Brand
With so much competition out there it is essential that a good brand will help create a point of uniqueness and distinction for your website. Most small businesses or start ups do not have a huge marketing budget so it is important to establish a brand that is recognizable and picked up by the search engines, yet unique enough for you to stand out from all the others. Choosing something catchy and relevant will go a long way in establishing the brand amongst the users and amongst the search engines.
To hyphen or not to hyphen
On many occasions the name that you have decided that best optimizes the search engine results has been taking. A good way round this is to add hyphens. Search engines view the hyphens as spaces and although it might look as pretty without hyphens it still does the job you require. Dashes can also be used but avoid including underscore like the plague as this will not help in search engine optimization in your URL.
The Dot Com
Everybody knows that the best domain name will end with a .com. This is reflected in the price and users should always look at the alternatives like .org or .net for their URL. Domains with .com can sell for 5-20 times that of an .org and rather than compromise a winning, but taken domain name with .com at the end. It is better to stick with the winning name that optimizes search engine results and have .org at the end, than choose something that doesn’t get picked up so well by the search engines just for the sake or prestige of a .com
Choosing a URL, taking into consideration of all the above, will help massively when trying to create a website that successfully optimizes the search engine results and brings success to your web page.
