Seven Tips on How to Select a Domain Name

Instinct or random selection is not how one selects a domain name. It is to be done with great thought and purpose. There exists a philosophy to it. Consider the following:

• A common and sensible method would be to use the name of your site as the domain name. Like www.writerfind.com is a sensible domain for a site where one can locate writers or www.dictionary.com for an online dictionary. When the purpose of the site is a part of the URL it makes it easy for customers to remember the site and for new browsers to click on it.

• If the domain name is for an industry then you could think of using a generic name. Select a name that represents one hundred percent the market segment, www.autoinsurance.com would represent to a “T” the auto insurance business.

• Choose a domain with a.com extension. If that is not available then the alternate should also be a top level domain type.

• A short domain name is recommended over a long one just for the sake of easy recollection. However a long domain name can contain more key words and this could be a benefit where search engines are concerned. Research your options carefully. A long name works if it is dead on and meaningful.

• The golden rules are a domain name should be easy to remember, easy to spell, and easy to pronounce. In other words tongue twisters are out. It must be simple on all counts. • Consider all marketing aspects like brand recall. Many profitable enterprises have a domain name that is the brand identity of their business. Examples of successful brands are Hot Mail, Google, Ebay, and Amazon.

• Pause to think and:
A. Write down clearly the focus of your site and its business goals. Namely “what is my site about?”
B. List the key words.
C. Use the description and key words to coin a domain name that represents clearly the two important factors. Make a list of as many as you can.
D. Next test availability at a domain name search engine.
E. If .com is not available check for .net and so on.
F. Be sure to zero in on a name that will serve its purpose. Never choose a domain because its there.
G. Still in a quandary then use domain name research tools.
H. If you find the perfect name is bought by someone then consider buying the domain name from them. This would depend on your budget.
I. Alternately use suffixes for the domain name like universe, world, links, resource, business, inc, store, directory, guide and so on.
The key is to think globally. The World Wide Web has no boundaries. Musts are recall, presence, and functionality.

By Paul W Wilson

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What makes a good domain name?

1. Good extension - If a person is surfing around looking for a site, and they know its name, most people will try .com. So, for the web site owner who wants their site to be found, the rule is: if at all possible, get a .com name.

2. Short - Less than 7 characters, ideally. A simple name will roll off the tongue more easily in conversation, look more professional, and have less chance of being mis-typed.

3. Easy to spell - Make sure it passes the phone test: if you were to say the domain name of your website to a friend over the phone, would your friend be able to spell it correctly the first time without your having to spell it for them? If not, you’ve failed the phone test and should likely try a different domain name. Also, be careful about double letters. Take CyberRodeo, for example.
Their domain uses a double R, as you might expect, but there is an uncertainty there. The two R’s together look a bit strange if written without capitalization, and a good name will not force the user to assume anything about the name. If you must have a double letter, the best solution is to buy both versions of the domain. Avoid using dashes in your domain name.

4. Descriptive - A good site or business name will describe exactly what the site is about. In most cases it's important for a person to be able to get some sort of sense what the website is about just by reading the domain name. Of course that logic doesn’t work for sites like ebay, amazon, ivillage, etc, but then again you likely don’t have a multi-million dollar budget to help you brand your name and teach people what it means.

5. Keywords – Include descriptive keywords that describe your business, product or mission in your domain name. This will play a very small part, in some cases, in increasing your search engine ranking for search phrases that include the keywords used in your domain name.

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