Ok, so if you are unsure what it is then URL is the short form for Uniform Resource Locator, a website address on the internet!
Every small business website needs a URL - just to actually be live on the internet. The URL or domain name that you choose will have a small effect on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) but also on the branding of your business, so it's important to get it right.
A URL is literally the open door to your site from the main high street that is the Search Engine. What comes after the .co.uk or .com is the destination page that you will land on that website.
For example, if you enter https://www.businesstechservice.com/ into your web browser, you will arrive on the homepage of our site. But if you enter https://www.businesstechservice.com/blogs, you get taken to our blog library.
If you are planning to build a website or currently run a small business it’s a good idea to understand what separates a really strong URL from a weak one.
A site's URL structure should be as simple as possible. Consider organising your content so that URLs are logical and make sense.
Start by choosing your root domain.
This is the website address that will relate to your website. For example, Business Tech Service root domain is https://www.businesstechservice.com/.
We are no domain name experts, but make life easier by choosing a name that explains your business. This helps not only your potential customers but also Google when they crawl your website.
Keep it short and simple
Make it memorable
Easy to spell
Consistency with your branding
Relevant keywords
Research - keep it unique
Avoid - hyphens and doubled letters
Well this is the easy bit of the process. Anyone can buy a domain name, it's as simple as googling ‘Buy a URL’. Choosing from any number of domain name registered companies out there; such as 123.reg or GoDaddy. The only snag?
You may have just (spent hours) thinking of the perfect domain name for your website, but it may already be taken, you can't just buy any domain name, it has to be available.
It's worth checking availability as you brainstorm to see what actually is out there already.
And on that point…
So you now have your short, clever, easily spelled and suggests the nature of your business URL, and its available! But heres a thought. What if, although it's a great SEO and marketing hit, your URL is actually a trademark infringement?
A trademark what? Infringement. It occurs when a domain name is too similar to an existing registered mark or a name that a company is already using. There are simply so many websites online, you really have to do your research before committing to a domain name.
Once you have your domain name decided and purchased its time to plan out the rest of your URL structure. This structure relates to the rest of your website architecture.
The URL structure of a website depends on the unique needs of the website. Not all websites use the same URL structure. For example if you need a website to show your beauty services you may want a structure similar to the below using only 4 pages:
Homepage - www.bestnailslondon.com
Services - www.bestnailslondon.com/nail-beauty-services
About Us - www.bestnailslondon.com/about-us
Contact - www.bestnailslondon.com/contact-us
Each URL should refer directly to what is on the page, this helps Google to understand your content and relevance to a users search query.
URL structures for a blog or services website might differ from an eCommerce or a membership site.
eCommerce sites tend to have much deeper site structure including product category structures and product pages. URL structures will vary depending on what the site is being used for.
If you are in the process of setting up a small business online and you need anymore advice then we would love to help. Simply drop us a message.
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