The importance of web presence in today’s business climate cannot be overemphasized. Most startups understand this and try to register domain names for their businesses as soon as they can. Looking to launch a startup? Here are tips that will help you avoid making mistakes as you register a domain name.

Consider available domain names when registering trademarks

Many startups make the mistake of going out to look for domain names after they have chosen a brand name and registered trademarks for their businesses. This is the wrong approach. The right approach is to ensure you have a viable .com domain available for your business before proceeding to spend money on trademarks and branding. Don’t base your brand name on domain name availability alone either as you could incur the risk of a trademark lawsuit in future if the domain is too close to an existing trademark. Here are some tips on choosing good domain names.

Don’t go overboard with domain name registration

In the past, startups quickly snapped up all domain name extensions connected to their business. These days, it is difficult to do this as there are now numerous domain extensions outside of the usual .com, .net and .org.   Extensions like .tv, .biz, .io, .co and so on are common today and more come out each month. Here are the extensions released for November 2015. Instead of snapping up domains with these extensions, startups are best served securing only the standard ones like .net and .org. It is also a good idea to grab country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) if you intend to move your business to other countries in future. You can do a search for domains at Umbrellar.nz

Deal with parked domain owners reasonably

Some startups erroneously believe that they can threaten parked domain name owners with a trademark infringement lawsuit to force them to release domain names. This is rarely the case. The lawsuit will only work if you can prove unequivocally that the registrant is truly cybersquatting. It is therefore best to take a stealthy approach. A good way is to negotiate with a domain name owner to sell it through a 3^rd party without divulging details behind the need for it. A domain name owner is likely to be adamant about price if they can deduce that a company is looking to buy the name.

When an agreement is finally reached, ensure your payment is covered by an escrow service whether the price is substantial or not, and consider signing an agreement.

Remain professional

Some startups make the mistake of acquiring domains with the intention of taking advantage of the competition. Some do it to gain unfair advantage in SEO and others do it to redirect visitors to their own domains. Either way, the approach could lead to penalties in the long run. Playing fair is important.

By following these best practices when registering your domain name you can focus on growing your startup with a great online name and get on the way to a stellar online reputation.

Article written and edited by Tobi Bamidele