Domain Naming Tips

Deciding on a Domain Name is similar to picking a Company Name. You should put a lot of thought and research into choosing the Domain Name, as it is how you will be identified on the internet. Below are some things to consider when choosing a Domain Name.
1. Easy To Type

1. If a domain name is difficult to type correctly you will loose a good amount of branding and marketing value.
2. Avoid domain names that are too long.
3. Avoid domain names that use uncommon or difficult-to-spell words.
4. Avoid domain names that use slang such as ‘u’ instead of ‘you’. In many cases this can make it harder for customers to find your site.

2. Keep It Short

1. Short names are easy to type and easy to remember.
2. Short names look better and are easier to read when displayed on other sites, social networks, newspapers, etc.
3. Short names have a higher chance of being shared by word-of-mouth successfully.
4. The longer a domain name is the higher chance your customers will have of mistyping or misspelling it.

3. Use Keywords

1. Include keywords in your Domain Name that people will be using when searching for your products or services, for example if you are selling Snake Oil Refils you might want to register SnakeOilRefill.com, RefillingSnakeOil.com, or SnakeOilRefills.com.
2. Try and think of different terms or phrases that best describe your products/services/company and mix-match them until you find a good match.

4. Target Your Area

1. If your company is local, you might want to include your city or state in your domain name making it easier for local customers to find and remember.

5. Avoid Numbers and Hyphens

1. Numbers are often misread or clients get confused about using the numerical version (ie 5) or the spelled out version (ie five).
2. Hyphens are often misunderstood or misread and interpreted either as and underscore or typed as ‘dash’
3. They do not help with page rankings.
4. If you need to use these in your Domain Name, register all the different variations of to ensure you wont loose clients due to these common problems.

6. Easy To Remember

1. Marketing, especially when by word-of-mouth; relies on how easy it is to recall the domain name.
2. You should be able to guess at the type of website by the Domain Name. (ie AutoTrader, CareerBuilder, WebMD, HotMail)

7. Avoid Copyright Infringement

1. Go to copyright.gov and do some brief research before deciding on a name to try and avoid copyright infringement.
2. If you register a domain name that winds up being copyrighted by another company , you could wind up loosing the domain name as well as having a potential legal mess to deal with.

8. Choose the proper TLD (Domain Name Extension)

Many Domain Extensions / TLDs have special meanings or intended uses. You should try and use TLDs where the intended use matchs up with what you want to use the Domain Name for.

Common Domain TLD Uses are:

1. .com : any commercial entity/organiztion/business.
2. .net : technical, Internet infrastructure sites.
3. .org : non-commercial organizations and nonprofits.
4. .info : informational sites.
5. .biz : business or commercial use, like e-commerce sites.
6. .me : blogs, resumes or personal sites.
7. .pro : professional sites

9. Make the Domain Unique and set it apart with Branding

1. A unique moniker is a great way to build additional value with your domain name. A “brand” (ie FootLocker or LendingTree) can be more compelling than just a combination of words (ie DiscountShoeStore or LoansOnlineBank)
2. To protect your brand your should also purchase the same name with various domain extensions as well as common misspellings of your domain name. This will help keep competitors and other unwanted people from stealing any of your traffic or clients.