How to select a domain name
Hello Class..Today I’m going to write about selecting a domain name..since I work for a domain name registrar I think I can write on this subject with some authority.
I’ll start with some simple rules..
- No Hyphens it is very easy to forget a hyphen and you run the risk of sending your site’s visitors to your competitor.
- Keep it short and simple..Please!! 4 words maximum, even that’s pushing it a bit.
- Something easy to remember and spell..
- You need a name that reflects what you will be promoting
- You need a name that you can brand. Examples: Yahoo.com or Google.com
- .com is the way to go. This is my opinion but .us, .net, .biz, etc., may seem unique, but it kills your traffic.
- When choosing a domain name, you can use up to 67 characters. Please don’t. A ridiculously long name will make it difficult for people to share by word of mouth.
- Make sure the domain name isn’t already out there as a .net or a .org
- Make it ORIGINAL!! but not IMPOSSIBLE to know how to spell.
- Spell it how it’s supposed to be spelled.
- Make sure it’s not already tradmarked
- Using relevant keywords in your domain name is something to consider but not nessesary.
- Use Geo-Targeted Keywords, if your targeting the london shoe market then it might be smart to add “London” to your domain name.
Double letter problems is an issue that is entirely unique to the Internet. What if Sams Salon wants to use its business name as a domain? The “s” at the end of first word and beginning of the second can cause confusion. Is the domain name Samssalon.com or Samsalon.com?
People have been mentally conditioned to type in .com, so don’t select any other ending. If you do, a smart competitor will register the .com version of your name to get some free traffic. If you are really lucky, a porn site will do it! Confusing your users is a bad way to run a site.
Use the bulk domain name search box at MyDomain.comyou can paste up to 300 possible domain names and it will tell you if they are avaiable or not. Very useful and nifty. Plus their cheap! $8.95 a year.
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