Hyphens in Domain Names
There has been a lot of debate as to whether domain names should contain a hyphen or not. There are a few things to consider when making your decision:
Benefits:
- Hyphenated domain names work with targeted key word campaigns
- If your domain name is long with several words that could be read incorrectly, then hyphens are good for breaking up the words to make it easier to read eg www.hardtoreaddomainname.com is much easier to understand as www.hard-to-read-domain-name.com
- If the domain name you really want is taken, then a hyphenated domain name is a good second choice
Difficulties:
- Website addresses without hyphens look more professional
- It is more difficult to describe a domain aloud when it includes a hyphen
- If your marketing intention is to create a brand, a remembered domain name, top of mind awareness with the domain then hyphenless domains work best
- Your potential visitors could forget that you have a hyphen in your domain name
- Hyphens make your domain name longer. The longer your domain name, the more chance that your website visitor will make an error when typing your name. Generally speaking, shorter is better when it comes to domain names
When registering a domain name, always try to keep your business name and your domain name the same. If you are an established business and your company name is not very domain friendly, try picking a domain name that would make a good subheading or slogan for your site.
Research says that hyphenated domain names are best registered alongside their unhyphenated counterparts. If you have an unhyphenated domain name that could be hyphenated, there’s no reason not to register the hyphenated version to protect your domain, catch some more traffic and boost your search engine rankings.
