Why have a Custom URL?

A custom URL or domain name is easier to remember than a Wetpaint URL. So, if someone finds your site on the web, they are much more likely to remember a URL that doesn't have Wetpaint in it. (Sad, we know, but true.) The easier your URL is to remember, the more likely people will come back and visit your site. And that's what having a great site is all about!

Examples:

An easy URL to remember:
http://doghealth.com

A hard URL to remember:
http://doghealth.wetpaint.com

Tips for Picking a Good URL

Why build a site if no one comes to visit? We have suggestions to help people find your site when they search for it on Google or Yahoo. You'll have a lot more luck with getting noticed if you follow these guidelines when picking a URL.

1. Describe Your Site
An obvious URL is a good URL. These URLs are easy to remember, so they get pasted on web pages, shared, written down, and most importantly, they are recognized by search engines.

2. Keep Your URL Short
The shorter the URL, the easier to copy & paste, read over the phone, write down or email.

3. Keep it Simple-- No Symbols or Capital Letters.
Though it might look cool, no one likes to type http://~mylove4mileycyrus~.com

Avoid symbols and numbers, capital letters. Use lowercase letters and avoid anything else.

Exception to the rule:
In this day and age, it's hard to find a URL that hasn't been taken. If you really must have http://doghealth.com and it is take, you can use one hyphen an take http://dog-health.com. It's not the best solution, but people will still be able to find your site.

4. Use Your Keywords
Using keywords in page titles is a great way for people to find your site. If a keyword that describes your site is in your URL, you have a very good chance of moving to the front of the line and onto the first couple of pages of Google, Yahoo, or any other search engine. For example, if your site is about dog health, a good URL would be http://doghealth.com, as opposed to http://ilovemydog.com

6. Sub-domains Are Harder for Search Engines to Find
If you have a site on Wetpaint, it is automatically on a sub-domain. It's easier for a search engine to find a site that only has .com after the name. For example, it's easier to find http://doghealth.com than http://doghealth.wetpaint.com.