Choosing a Domain Name
Just like a sign for a brick and mortar based business, your domain name is an essential part of your online presence.
Your domain name is the part after the www. and the includes the .com, .net, .org or the .biz at the end.
A good domain name:
- Describes your business
- Is easy to remember
- Is easy to spell
It’s actually better to have a longer domain name that is memorable than a short, cryptic one that’s easily forgotten.
Remember that real words are easier to remember than cryptic combinations of letters. aNameThatIsKindOfLong.com is better than abw3g2.com. Of course, one that begins with the first five letters of the alphabet or a numeral is more likely to appear top billing of alphabetical directories.
Try to avoid hyphens if at all possible when choosing your main domain name. Of course, if you find your ideal domain name without a hyphen, it’ s a good investment to pick up the hyphenated version as well.
If you’re having trouble finding a great name, try adding a simple letter "a" to the beginning such as "Agreatdomainname.com".
Another option is to add your location to your domain name choice. Here’s the link to a word wizard tool that does just that for you.
Still having trouble coming up with a great domain name? Try doing the twist. The Domain Twist takes two essential word elements of your ideal domain name and combines them into dozens of combinations.
Finally, it’s essential that once you have your domain name, that you use it for e-mail as well as for finding your web presence. Nothing looks less professional than yourname@yourisp.com. Even if you don’t have your web site up yet, you can use an e-mail forward so mail sent to your spiffy new domain name can be delivered directly to your isp email box.
One final note: If you find the domain name of your dreams, be sure to snatch up all the extensions you can afford. There’s nothing worse than having a competitor snatch up the .biz or .net version of your domain name. It’s a small investment for the security it offers your business.
Use the tool below to register your ideal domain name!
