Picking a Good Domain Name for Your Website.

Choosing a good domain name is not as easy today as it was years ago and it is getting harder every day.

Short and to the point names are scarce.

There are more websites and registered domain names than the entire population of the planet.

There are many factors that have to be considered before deciding on a domain name.

What is the purpose of your domain?

Are you selling something?

Is it going to be an extension of your current business?

Or is it primarily personal or informational?

If you want your domain name to be typed into a search engine browser easily then keep it short and do not use numbers or hyphens.

If you want your domain to have three or more words then hyphens are an option to consider and search engines like dashes that separate keywords, but people don’t.

The length of your domain name comes down to what your website is about and what products or services you are selling.

There are a great number of experts that will tell you to put keywords related to your content into the title of your domain.

This is not necessary.

It is necessary to try and have it somehow related to your content but most importantly it should be easy to find and to remember, the shorter the better.

You can add all the keywords that you want into the page titles and folders.

Using the .com extension is preferred, but if it is not available you can try .net, but this is not recommended.

Try to always use .com, even if you have to change the domain name somewhat.

You can save time searching the availability of names that you want by using these two sites: bustaname.com, and domainsbot.com.

Use them both and compare the results.

The Most Common Extensions

• .COM: Short for .commercial
• .NET: Short for .network
• .ORG: Short for .organization

The Basic Don’ts for Domains

• it should not be difficult to spell
• only use .com when available
• don’t use hyphens or dashes unless you are using keywords
• try to avoid using numbers
• keep it as short as possible
• try to avoid using personalized words like: my, the, your

When you register your domain name definitely go with an established registrar.

Shop around and see who is offering the best deal at the moment.

You can often find good coupon discounts for registering and hosting at sites like: web-host-coupons.com.

If you are in a serious business then you may want to register names similar to your own and the other available extensions for your domain name.

You can always forward the other names that you register to your main domain by changing the DNS settings.

Always use the same registrar because it is easier to keep them all in one place.

You can use Yahoo domains, Godaddy, Names, or any well established registrar.

Read reviews about the registrar before you make a final decision.

Remember when you are investing in a domain name it is a reflection of you and your business.

Picking a good domain name is the second most important decision you’ll make when establishing an Internet presence.

Your content is the most important.

Choosing Your Domain Name.

You need to sure when choosing a domain name because your domain name, or URL, can have an impact in both the online and offline marketing of your web-site.

Very long or difficult to spell domain names can make people ignore your web site and it has to be pretty good for them to stick with it (for an example, go to www.thehardtoremeberdomainname.com website.

Simple and short domain names register better with people’s memory and are easier to remember.

Buy a domain name that will help you in your marketing niche and strategy.

Like I stated before, you can use your business name as your URL.

If your business name is already taken by someone else then get a URL name close to what you are doing.

Purchasing a business name domain name isn’t the only way to go, and when a keyword domain name could do just fine.

If you plan on using the .net extension, you may want to wait on deciding your name until after you have found an available domain name that is suitable to your type of business.

Follow the steps below in identifying your name brand to the Internet community.

Structure Your Brand Name – Put your domain name on your letterhead, business card, printed materials; put it on your phone recording, the side of your car; don’t forget to include it with your email.

Keep it Short & Memorable – Don’t get a URL that uses all 26 letters of the alphabet.

Buy a .com URL – I strongly recommend purchasing a .com domain name as opposed to a .net, .info, .biz or anything else.

If your chosen domain name is not available in a .com, keep looking until you find one that isn’t taken.

There is nothing wrong with the other extensions but when you have a .com extension, it sounds like you’ve been on the net a long time.

Remember, your domain name is an extension of your business and your brand of product or service so choose your domain name carefully.