1. AVAILABILITY
If its not available you cant have it simple!
2. COPYRIGHT
Ensure that you do not breach copyright or infringe trademarks with your choice of domain.
3. EXTENSIONS
Its widely acknowledged that the best TLD (top level domain) is .com. However, in the UK, web users are more than used to .co.uk so this is equally acceptable for UK websites. If .com isnt available and you use .net instead (for example), check that .com isnt either a competitor or that the .com site content is acceptable! Always try to get the .com, your country TLD or .net in that order. Web users are still not used to .biz or .info.
4. BE GREEDY!
If more than one TLD variant is available, buy as many as you can afford and set them all to point to your website. This is a form of brand protection and prevents unscrupulous competitors trying to cash in on your hard-earned web traffic.
5. BE MEMORABLE
Make sure that potential web users will remember your domain name and that they can spell it properly.
6. BE PRONOUNCABLE
Try telling people your web address over the phone can they understand what you tell them? Or do they give up and try someone elses website.
Picking A Domain Name Picking a domain name should be easy, right? Why, Ill just use my business name. Not so fast, Sparky. A good bit of thought should be given to selecting a domain name.
A Cautionary Note
Picking a domain name is like getting married. You are going to have to stick with it till the bitter end. People the use your site will come to know it by the domain name. Repeat visitors will often simply type in the domain name to get to the site, better known as type in traffic. As an example, do you search for Amazon when you want to buy a book or do simply type in amazon.com? If Amazon were to ch ..
7. BE DESCRIPTIVE
If you are a new business, very few people will remember or search for your domain name if it is your company name. Try choosing a domain name that is descriptive of your products instead e.g. cheap>.com. Try testing it with a hyphen as well as using just one word.
8. OFFLINE MARKETING
Use your domain name in your offline marketing literature and ensure that it is as visible as possible. However, if your domain name consists of more than one word, that isnt hyphenated, try using capital letters e.g. which is easier to read littlefishwebdesign.com or LittleFishWebDesign.com? Domain names are not case sensitive so your clients will find your site whichever version they use.
9. BUY YOUR DOMAIN FOR LONGER
Search engines are now looking at less obvious information such as how long you have bought your domain name for. Domain names owned for less than two years are though to be penalised, so buy your domain for as long as possible.
10. OWN YOUR DOMAIN NAME
If you use a web designer or third party for your domain names, ensure they are registered in your name and that you have a signed agreement with the company that they will release all the details (including password) to you, quibble free, if you choose to move to another design or hosting company.
The Benefits Of Having a Country Top Level Domain (TLD) Name
Most new websites tend to look for a domain name with a .com or .net tld (Top Level Domain). They feel this gives the site a more professional appearance and will appeal to a more international audience and in many cases this is true. However, it can also be beneficial to look at purchasing a domain name with a country specific tld.
There are a number of benefits that can be gained from choosing a domain name with a country specific tld, especially if you conduct your business primarily in one particular country.
Search Engine Benefits
Most of the large search engines will give you a hig ..
About The Author
Emma Kalson is the owner of http://www.littlefishwebdesign.com and has been designing websites for about 10 years. She doesnt believe in unnecessary bells and whistles on websites and wants to help remove some of the myths surrounding website design and search engine activity.
contact@littlefishwebdesign.com
Emma Kalson10 Sensible Steps To Take Before Choosing Your Domain Name
