Before you start designing your website, your first have to choose a Domain or Domain name.
What is a Domain?
A domain is part of your website’s unique web address (or URL- Uniform Resource Locator) that visitors type into their browsers to access your nonprofit website. You can think of it like a digital street address of your organization in the vast online universe.
So, your website’s complete address may look like this: https://ournonprofit.org.
A complete domain name has mainly two parts: Top-level and second-level. But sometimes, when needed, there’s a subdomain as well.
Top-level domains (TLD) are the most common extensions .com, .net, and .org.
These are generic extensions that came from actual words:
.com from ‘commercial’
.net from ‘network’
.org from ‘organization’
Second-level domains (SLD) are usually the actual business name, organization name, or brand. Examples:
https://nike.com – Nike (SLD)
https://www.savethemanatee.org/ – Save the Manatee (SLD)
https://www.slideshare.net/ – Slideshare (SLD)
Subdomains are what go before an SLD. It’s usually a whole section of a website that’s separate from the main site. For instance, if a nonprofit website has a blog section, then its URL would be https://blog.nonprofit.org/ where “blog” is the subdomain. The same goes for a website that may have an eCommerce section: https://shop.mainsite.com/ where “shop” is the subdomain. You get it.
Why is a Domain Name Important?
- It gives you ownership of your website address. No one else can claim it once you’ve had it registered. And it’s where online visitors can find you.
- It’s essentially your organization’s digital identity, establishing solid branding when your site’s visitors move within the pages of your website. They will notice a consistency in the core domain name.
- It firmly establishes credibility that builds trust with your site visitors, making them comfortable to take up calls-to-action on your website such as submitting a form or signing up for an event.
- It’s also one of the top criteria for search engines (like Google) to index and reference your website when visitors search for topics related to your website.
How Do You Choose A Domain Name?
Keep it simple and concise so that it’s easy to remember, spell, and type.
Steer clear of complicated words, numbers, repeat letters, or special characters that may confuse site visitors.
It should reflect your organization or identity as much as possible to boost visibility, branding, and recognition; also for standing out among your competition.
We strongly recommend that you choose .org as your extension as this has proven to be the most effective for nonprofits.
TIP!
Create several domain names because you can’t really be sure if that one domain name you chose is available when you have it registered.
Even better, before finalizing your domain choice, use domain checker tools to check its availability and avoid potential trademark conflicts. Ensure that your chosen domain doesn’t infringe on any existing trademark to prevent legal issues later.
To learn more about Domains, check out our RESOURCES page.
Do It Yourself
Here are three more resources that can help you decide on what domain to choose for your nonprofit website:
- https://nonprofitsdecoded.com/top-three-domain-registration-nonprofits/
- https://thedigitalnonprofit.com/org-vs-com-domain-names/
- https://whois.domaintools.com/ – domain checker tool
- https://who.is/ – domain checker tool
Professional Reference
Working with a professional with years of experience is usually the best choice than learning and doing it yourself. Click Professional Referrals, complete the form, and we will have an experienced professional who charges well below market rates contact you.
