One of the most critical assets for a medical practice’s marketing efforts is its website’s domain name.
Domain names help people remember websites and serve as representations of your medical practice. A web address can be as important as the website it is associated with – it’s a highly valuable asset.
Picking the right domain name is a vital part of your marketing strategy. You should choose a domain that fits with your healthcare branding and is not too complicated.
Domain names are just like a contact in your phone. Rather than typing a complicated set of numbers (the IP address) into your browser, you type in a domain name. That domain name is human-friendly and much easier to remember than an IP address. All domain names are connected to a unique IP address.
Generally, you can separate the sections of a domain based on the dots between different words, numbers, or letters in the domain. For instance, consider the domain name “my.domainname.com.” Each dot separating the words and letters in this particular domain comprises a different level, with the second-level domain being “domain name” and the top-level domain being “.com.” In this case, the third-level domain would be “my”, which also functions as a subdomain here.
Here we have mentioned tips to help you choose the right domain name for your medical practice, consider the following tips:
1. Shorter Over Longer
Your website’s domain should be short and easy to remember. Keep in mind that Google only displays the first 35 characters of your “display URL.” A shorter domain is also better for memorability and ease of typing into the address bar.
2. Future-Proof Your Domain
You may eventually want to sell your practice at some point in the future. However, it can be harder to sell if your website’s URL is also your name. Instead, future-proof your domain name by making it specific to your brand and specialty.
3. Simple Spelling
Remember, staff and patients will likely need to type your domain into their browser multiple times. To make it easy for them, make sure your domain is both short and easy to spell. Avoid domain names that are too complicated. For instance, if your practice specializes in a particular area, avoid including complex industry terms in your domain.
4. Avoid Hyphens
Another way to simplify your URL structure even further is to avoid using hyphens. You may be tempted to use them between words to make it more readable to users and search engines, but this will likely hinder rather than help your site. Instead, keep the domain simple and eliminate hyphens, further increasing memorability.
5. Exact-Match Domains
Exact-match domains (EMDs) are domains that completely match search terms that are more likely to get more website visitors and rank well. Many businesses and webmasters used to purchase EMDs in an attempt to profit from them by selling sites with popular and SEO-optimized terms.
6. Consider Your Brand Name
If your practice has a memorable and instantly recognizable brand, you should consider using that in your domain. At the same time, you should implement the best practices of keeping your domain short and the spelling simple. If your brand name is too long or potentially tricky to type due to unusual spelling or another reason, consider going with a simpler domain.
7. Be Unique
In addition to being memorable, concise, and well-optimized, your domain should stand apart from competitors. Make sure it’s unique enough to keep people from confusing it with another practice’s domain. You can see what kinds of domains your competitors use and get a better idea of what to avoid. This can also help you avoid inadvertently creating a domain that leads to potential legal disputes or general conflicts with competing practices.
How to choose an expired domain
In some cases, you may want to choose an expired domain. These domains are those that individuals, businesses, or organizations have registered but either neglect to renew once their contract ends or intentionally terminate. This opens the domains up to re-registration and gives you the chance to purchase it.
While expired domains can be beneficial, they are potentially double-edged swords, seeing as choosing the wrong domain means you inherit all of its historical baggage. For instance, if you purchase a domain built with previous penalties, you will be in a worse position than you would be with a fresh domain.
To help you select the right expired domain, there are two main factors to consider:
Link Profile
The first item to look for is the domain’s link profile. This is the makeup of links directing to the domain. The domain’s link profile should consist of many links that all connect to high-authority websites that Google trusts. A strong link profile will go a long way in helping your website stay ahead in rankings and avoid penalties.
Domain Age
Websites also benefit from being around for longer periods. If your domain has existed for a long time, it’s likely to be more well-established, which will further help with rankings.
Following best practices is essential whether you’re considering purchasing a new or retired domain name. Some older techniques like Exact Match Domains (EMD) no longer offer the same kind of SEO benefit they once had, but they can still drive traffic when used correctly.
Remember, your website must have a mix of functionality and stunning design. If it’s not well-designed, this will turn away prospects. On the other hand, if it’s not functional, then prospects won’t be turned into leads.
