How To Choose The Right Domain Name
Choosing the right domain name for your business or website is a step worth all the attention you can offer. After all, your domain name is not just a string of characters that connect people to your website—in reality, it also frequently serves as a branding tool, a calling card, a search optimization tool, and most importantly, your online identity. Here are a few solid steps to choosing the right name…
Brainstorm!
With pen and paper (and a cup of coffee or your favorite creative beverage), sit down for a few minutes and just start writing down any and all domain name ideas that come to mind. Sometimes your business or organization name will make this step really easy…other times, not so much!
If you could use a little bit of creative inspiration, know that all of the top domain name providers offer name generators on their sites. This is another easy to like domain name generating tool that will help you come up with potential ideas.
Decide if you’ll hyphenate or abbreviate.
The best domain names are short, sweet, and easy to remember. Using allowable punctuation in a domain name to separate words (like this: example-domain-name.com) is okay if your primary audience will only find you through the web. But if offline visitors are going to see and remember your domain name to type it in to their browsers later, this tactic will cause all kinds of problems. The same goes for using acronyms or other unusual abbreviations—it’s not necessarily a bad idea, but they often do make a domain more difficult to remember.
Dot com, dot net, dot org, or beyond?
These days there are literally hundreds of different top level domains (TLDs) to choose from. In other words, you don’t have to go with a .com suffix by any means. That said, the .com suffix remains the favorite contender in most cases because it’s easy to remember and carries a certain degree of respect with it that domains like .info or .tv have just had a really hard time establishing.
It’s also possible to choose a more creative domain name (along the lines of “del.icio.us”). Check out this tool to generate suggestions using this concept. It’s fun to look, but practically speaking, it’s almost always a better idea to select a .com for your domain. One more quick piece of advice when choosing your TLD—if at all possible, purchase your chosen domain in .com, .net, and .org forms to keep future competitors from grabbing them.
Ask for second opinions.
Before making the final choice, run the potential choice by a few friends or associates. After intensely reading and working with a select domain name, it’s easy to make our own permanent perceptions of it really quickly. The thing is, the vast majority of other folks might be reading it as something totally different (or even obscene). Play it safe and run your choice by a few others who you trust to get a second opinion.
Do a trademark check.
This is essential! Avoid potential legal hassles by making sure the domain names (and the word phrases used within) do not infringe on another party’s trademark. A good place to start is with the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s online search system. Trademarks can be tricky though—it might be a good idea to hire a trademark search professional or attorney to make certain your choice is safe.
Again, as important as your domain name is, be sure to give the selection process all of the attention it deserves. As your new web property grows, you’ll definitely be glad you’re working with a well planned domain name!
Tags: choosing a domain name, domain name generator, Domain Names, trademark
October 7th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
[...] 1. Domain Name – Just like opening any business, you’ll need a name—but you’ll also need an address too, right? Well, in many cases, your domain name is kind of your website address and name rolled into one. Getting your domain name just right is important—here’s how to choose the right domain name. [...]