Domain Name Information

8 Tips for Choosing a Domain Name


If you're just starting out on the Internet, choosing a domain name is one of the first major decisions you will have to make. I won't say that choosing a name for your site will determine the overall success or failure of your online business. It will, however, affect almost every aspect of your business. Finding a good domain name requires extensive planning.

I would like to offer some tips for successfully choosing a domain name:

1) Use the .COM extension. This is still the number one choice for the majority of online businesses. While, .NET,.ORG,.INFO,.BIZ, and .US are viable alternatives they are not as widely recognized as .COM. The .COM extension will immediately give you and your business more credibility. Also, because we are creatures of habit many people automatically include .COM when typing in almost any web address, so why not capitalize on human nature?

2) Keep it Short. Whenever possible your domain name should not be longer than 13-15 characters, numbers, or hyphens. It is much more difficult for the average person to remember longer variations of a web address.

3) Make it Sticky. You want your domain name to be easy to remember. Make it stick out in people's minds. Be creative. Be Unique.

4) Minimize Confusion. You should never lose a prospective customer because they misspelled your domain name, or they used the wrong extension. If you can afford it, register other variations of your domain name and have them redirect to your main site.

5) Include Keywords in Your Domain Name. Try to include at least 1 and if possible 2 keywords in your domain name. Many of the experts believe this can help with the way some of the search engines index and rank your site.

6) Be Descriptive. Your domain name should have something to do with your business. Make it descriptive of your site, your product offerings, or your service.

7) Search for Deleted Domain Names. Domain names that were once registered but have expired turn up every day. With some research you might be able to find one of these names that would be a good fit for your business. You can search for deleted domains at http://www.deleteddomains.com

8) Check for Trademarks. You should do this before registering your domain name. Search as many existing trademarks as possible and look for possible conflicts. Obviously you want to choose a name that is unlikely to cause you any legal problems. Trademark research can be done at the following sites:

U.S Patent and Trademark Office - http://www.uspto.gov

Thomas Register - http://www.thomasregister.com

The Trademark Association - http://www.inta.org

Nameprotect - http://www.nameprotect.com

If you need help with researching your domain names try the following websites:

1)Nameboy - http://www.nameboy.com

2) GoDaddy - http://www.godaddy.com

Both Nameboy and GoDaddy are well-known registrars and will allow you to search for and register domain names.

You can register a domain name today for less than it costs for a nice lunch. There is really no reason not to put forth the effort and money to register a domain name that you can begin building your online presence with.

Your domain name is your first chance to build credibility with your visitors. Keep in mind that you never get a second chance to make a great first impression.

Remember, choosing your domain name is one of the most important first steps you will take in building your online presence. Make it a step forward. Happy Hunting!

About The Author

David Cooper is the editor of the 1Source-WebMarketing Newsletter. David specializes in helping people with their internet marketing efforts by offering real world tips and strategies. Subscribe to his FREE newsletter at: http://www.1source-webmarketing.com

dave@1source-webmarketing.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Opposing Views

Did You Sell Any Go Daddy Premium Domain Names During the Super Bowl?
Elliot's Blog (blog)
Since domain names listed on both Afternic DLS and Sedo MLS are shown on Godaddy searches, I was wondering if anyone saw an uptick in premium domain purchases on Sunday night and/or yesterday. I don't have a large enough list of domain names that ...
2012 Super Bowl Commercials: GoDaddy, Danica Patrick Sell Domain NamesOpposing Views
GoDaddy and .Co take center stage with Super Bowl CommercialsDomain Name Wire
Godaddy Set Sales Record For Super Bowl SundayTheDomains.com
Business Insider
all 54 news articles »


U. buys .xxx domain names in preventative move
The Brown Daily Herald
By Meia Geddes The University bought two domain names to avoid association with adult content, but brownuniversity.xxx had already been purchased. Students surfing the Internet for adult content will not find it on brownu.xxx or brownuniv.xxx — the ...

and more »


USA TODAY

Letters: Internet domain names can confuse consumers
USA TODAY
I agree with USA TODAY's editorial on the problems with the expansion of the Internet domain name suffixes by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("Editorial: ICANN expanding websites to 1000 dot-anythings").



Christian Science Monitor

Domain Names Flood the Market
PC Magazine
This should flood the market with potential domain names and have a number of interesting effects on the grey market for domain names. Applicants must pay $185000 to be evaluated for a specific gTLD. An obvious one would be, for example, ...
Domain names: Internet takes big step toward end of .com eraChristian Science Monitor
Domain Names: The End Of The Dot-Com Era?Huffington Post
ICANN to start accepting applications for new web domain namesInternetRetailer.com
Generation NT (US) -WBUR -Global Gold Internet Services
all 739 news articles »


6 questions about DOMAINfest answered
Domain Name Wire
Register your domain names with Searchen Networks Inc., Check domain name availability. Search for domain names. Domain Name Wire is the Domain Name Industry's News Source. A look back at last week's DOMAINfest conference. Before heading to DOMAINfest ...

and more »


Go Daddy "Secures" Top Spot in Recent SSL Survey
MarketWatch (press release)
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb 07, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Go Daddy, the world's largest provider of Web hosting, domain names and new SSL Certificates, helped more customers secure online data transactions than any other certificate authority last month, ...

and more »


American University Intellectual Property Brief

Operation Fake Sweep: Protecting the NFL Brand
American University Intellectual Property Brief
Beginning on October 1, 2011, several government agencies commenced “Operation Fake Sweep,” a coordinated effort to seize counterfeit NFL merchandise and the domain names of websites accused of selling counterfeit merchandise or streaming live sports ...
Seized: $5 Million In Fake Super Bowl SouvenirsABC News (blog)

all 43 news articles »


Counterfeit merchandise domain names seized ahead of NFL Super Bowl
SmartCompany.com.au
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency have seized 307 domain names for allegedly selling counterfeit merchandise, ahead of the NFL Super Bowl. According to Ars Technica, ICE Agents are using civil forfeiture laws (usually invoked ...



Key-Systems CEO discusses Moniker and SnapNames acquisition
Domain Name Wire
Register your domain names with Searchen Networks Inc., Check domain name availability. Search for domain names. Domain Name Wire is the Domain Name Industry's News Source. No dramatic changes on tap but more ccTLDs and other improvements on the way.



Kinderis Says New Web Domain Names Create Opportunities
Washington Post
12 (Bloomberg) -- Adrian Kinderis, a member of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' advisory council and chief executive officer of ARI Registry Services, talks about domain names. Icann, manager of the Web's address system under a ...

and more »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006