If your website is a house, your domain is the street address — your domain name is the online address of your website, like mopro.com. Choosing one may seem like a quick tick off your to-do list, but this is something users will see every time they visit your site. Translation: Your domain name is a big deal. Here are some tips to help you avoid common mistakes.

1. It should be easy to type.

If people want to visit your site, they’ll need to type your domain in their browser’s address bar. So tip #1: Make it easy on them! Avoid words that may be easy to misspell, make it short, and don’t include numbers and hyphens since these are easily misunderstood. You want to make it easy for people to visit you online, so don’t create any unnecessary barriers.

2. Make it memorable.

Your domain name should be something that’s easy for your customers to remember. Most importantly, it should just make sense. Make sure yours is cohesive with your branding. And simple is good because it’s easy on the memory. When in doubt, keep it simple.

3. Use keywords.

Consider using keywords in your domain name. It’s great for SEO and couldn’t make what you do more obvious. Try keywords related to your products or services. You might also want to consider including your city or area in your domain name to help attract local customers.

4. Do your research.

Make sure your domain isn’t too similar to another brand’s or violating any trademarks. It’s better to check now than to regret your purchase later. Use uspto.gov/trademarks to do a quick search of trademarks in the U.S. before you hit the buy button.

5. Choose a good extension.

Extensions are the suffixes at the end of your domain name, like .com, .net, or .org. We recommend the .com since it’s the most popular, but that also means it can be the hardest to find. If you go beyond .com, do your research to make sure the extension makes sense for your business. For example, .net makes sense for more technical sites, .me should be used for personal sites, .org for nonprofits, etc.

6. Don’t wait.

People snatch up good domains fast, so don’t wait around. Claim yours as soon as possible. You may also want to consider buying several different variations. This makes sure people are directed to your website even if they type in a domain that’s a little different or misspell something — for example, mopro.com, mopro.net, morpo.com, etc.

Are you a Mopro client who needs help choosing the perfect domain? Email proteam@mopro.com for more info.