Some sites on the web are visited more than others which offer the same service. What could be one of the main reasons? When a client takes the help of a search engine to search for the best place for what he is looking for, he uses the appropriate search word.
For example when someone is looking for a place to buy a computer he uses the word computer, laptop, PC and the like, for his search. And he is presented with a million results. So it makes sense to match the domain name to your business to make you more visible on the web. It can be a generic (e.g. computers.com) or brand name (e.g. apple .com) Brand names may rank a little lower than generic names because the search words are mostly general like ‘computer’ than specific, like ‘dell’ , unless the search itself is specific.
You are allowed to use as many as 67 characters to coin a name for your domain. But, a short name is easy on the mind for remembering and on the fingers for typing. Possibilities of typing errors are minimal on short names. Talking of typing, it is best to keep away from complicated spellings.
In addition to these great ideas by Anu, the video below gives a great start on choosing and buying your domain name:
It is good to avoid using hyphens because it is confusing when pronounced orally and chances of missing the hyphen while typing is high.
Mixing numbers with letters is again not a great idea unless it is part of your service, like ’101computermodels’ which actually reflects the choice of products.
.com TLDs (top level domains) are in highest in demand for a domain name. .net or .org is next best choice when you are keen on a name whose .com version is not available.
Another alternative to a dot com name you badly want but which is not available is to try adding prefixes or suffixes to the word.
Be sure that the domain name you want to register does not violate any copyrights or trademarks to create any legal issues or disputes.
Consider registering multiple TLDs to avoid loosing traffic due to type squatters. The same name with ‘.com’, ‘.net’, ‘.org’ etc can point to the same website.
Have a word with your friends, colleagues and clients to know their feedback and impressions. For example ‘experts exchange’ may be read as ‘expert sexchange’!
It is a good idea to avoid domain names with a past history of abuse by spammers or type squatters. It is possible that popular search engines might have penalized them by lowering the page rank (a number which indicates how good a website is in the eyes of Google).
When selecting a domain name have a good plan of action in mind for expansion of your website as your business expands. Suppose you are selling Dell computers and call your domain ‘DellOnly.com.’ It may be a great name, but later when you want to expand selling other brands it is less applicable. In this example you might be better off with a domain name like ‘ComputersOnly.com’.
If your website users are from a specific region or country, then you should consider country TLDs which are location and user based, like ‘.ca’, ‘.au’ etc. Country specific TLDs can rank well when searches are performed within that country.
At all costs try to avoid confusing domain names. Do not pick the wrong spelling (unless you already have established brand name with that spelling).”CoolKits.com” is a better choice than KoolKits .com.
Numbers mixed with letters for fancy spellings like, 4 instead of “for” or 2 instead of “to”, can confuse people. Names that are spelt differently but pronounced the same can also cause some difficulty, like “spear” and “sphere”, “face” and “phase”.
In many instances the plural form of a domain name is more valuable and preferred over the singular form. For example “Coolcomputers.com” is a more desirable name than “Coolcomputer.com”. To ensure you do not loose any traffic to type squatters, register and secure both the singular and plural version of a domain name if they are available.
Your domain name is as unique and important an identity to your domain as your name is to you. Be creative in choosing a domain name. Choose a domain name that can stand out, conveys a positive message and reflects the nature of your website. Choose a name that motivates you. Be sure about what you want so that you do not have second thoughts and want to change it in the future.
What you would ideally want may already have been registered. It is OK to compromise a little. Settle for a domain name that fulfills as many of your criteria as possible. Good luck with your domain name search!
Anu Siva is the webmaster of http://domainconduit.com, a site offering you valuable, short,catchy and easy to remember ‘.com’ domain names. If you want to buy a domain name that suits your website, she’s the gal you want to talk to.
Author: Anu Siva
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Beading Necklace
