Domain Name Selection - 8 Tips

Choosing a domain name is often overlooked as an important part of setting up your online business. Here are some tips that show you how important it is, and will help with the selection process. Several of these tips are to be used in conjunction with others. Don’t go overboard with one of them, it will conflict with another.

1. Brainstorm your key words
When you first begin your domain name search it helps to have several key words or key phrases in mind. These key words should be descriptive of what your website content will be. This will do a couple of things for you. One it will work as a label for your content. The other thing is that it will help with your search engine optimization, or SEO efforts.



Try not to be too broad, or to confining. You don’t want to limit your potential future content. There are various online keyword research tools available that will indicate the number of searches for a key word or phrase. Google has one that is widely used. You can also use Google to determine the level of competition for a given word or phrase.

2. Use a unique name
Be sure to make your domain as unique as possible. Don’t chose a name that is a plural, or a hyphenated version, or a misspelled version of an already established domain. The more unique your name is that better for branding purposes.

3. Dot-Coms only
Whenever possible use only a dot-com extension. This will save your potential customers a lot of confusion. With only a few exceptions most people still make an automatic assumption that all domain names end in dot-com.

4. Make it Easy to Remember
Your domain name should be something that most people find easy to remember. Think of if you have to tell somebody what your name is. Will they be able to remember it without writing it down.

5. Keep it short
Keep your domain name short and to the point. Having a shorter name plays into how easy it is to remember, and how easy it is to type correctly.

6. Make it relevant
Try to keep your domain name descriptive and relevant to your content. When someone hears it, or sees it for the first time they should have some kind of general idea what your website is all about. In other words, your domain name should be a bit intuitive. This help people find you when searching for what you are selling.

7. Don’t use hyphens and numbers
Don’t use hyphens or numbers in your name. Domain names can only be letters, numbers, and dashes. If you use a number in your name like ‘4’, when speaking its difficult to tell someone that it’s the number ‘4’ and not ‘four’. Using numbers sows confusion.

8. Don't Follow the Latest Trends
Don’t try to be trendy, cute, or hip. Unless of course your website is targeting those people who think they are trendy and hip. What passes for hip one year can turn into unfashionable a year to two later. Remember that your domain name is quite possible the very first think your potential customers sees of you, oftentimes even before they get to your website.