Domain Name Information

What's In A Domain Name?


Choosing a domain name is a very important first step for anyone starting a business on the Internet. This name is the first impression that strangers are going to have about you and your business. You are going to need to give this decision some real thought.

It is very likely that you have a name in mind already. Something catchy, perhaps? Something that has meaning to you. Maybe you always wanted to name your business after you grandchild, or your favorite pet. I strongly urge you to reconsider.

In the very informative book, The Invisible Touch, Harry Beckwith has some unique ideas about naming a business. He touches on saying your proposed name out loud, slowly. How does it really sound? He cites the name Facial Aesthetics. Sounded out slowly, it becomes 'fa shil ass thet icks'. Doesn't sound so good now, does it? Get opinions from others, and then really listen to what they have to say, objectively.

The next thing to consider is whether or not your name says anything about your business. Some years ago, I was friends with a lady who had a business named "Heather's Feathers". So, what do you think that this business sold? Feathers? Birds? Bird products? Nope, it sold emu oil. And Heather was her 4 year-old daughter's name. Consider what you would think of when you see a business name.

You may love your family name. If you are thinking of naming your business after yourself, however, you really need to give it some thought. I have never forgotten these two businesses, whose names I saw on billboards years ago: Crouch Equipment and Tick Insurance. Now you may say to yourself that I remember these names after years. True, but not for their products or their service!

You also run a risk if you choose a name that is too, let me say? mystical. You may know what you mean when you name your business Mystic Blue Nights, but how many other people will?

Don't choose a domain name that reads like a book. It is difficult for the average person to remember long domain names. It may be descriptive to get lowcostdiabeticrecipesforalloccasions.com, but it is not going to be memorable, and you run the risk of people misspelling it and not being able to find you. Watch out for the use of dashes, too. People don't expect them, so instead of visiting your site, Pickles-R-Us, they could wander to your competitor 'pickelsrus' instead. Trying to be clever and tweak a competitor's name could backfire on you.

If the name that you really want is not available as a .com, go and look at the .com site before you choose .net, or one of the other extensions that are becoming available, such as .info and .tv. People think .com first, and if they are looking for you and put .com in by mistake, you sure don't want them to end up at some porn or hate site.

You are going to have to live with your choice of domain names for a long time. Take your time and choose wisely.

About The Author

Sibyl McLendon is the owner of Spirit Web Design http://www.spirit-webdesign.net. She has been designing sites for 3 years. Visit Spirit Web Design for useful information on website marketing.

webmaster@spirit-webdesign.net


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
Innovative Super Bowl 1st Caps a Record Go Daddy PerformanceMarketWatch (press release)
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 46 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