Choosing a Domain Name: How to Get Started

Make the Domain Unique

Having your domain name confused with a popular site that’s owned by someone else is a recipe for disaster. This is why you should never opt for domain names which are similar to already established domains or are just a misspelled, hyphenated or plural version. Take Flickr.com for example – for years, visitors were going to Flicker.com thanks to confusion regarding the spelling.

Make it Memorable

Remember that the marketing success of your domain largely relies on how easy it is to remember. Word-of-mouth marketing should definitely not be forgotten about when it comes to choosing a domain name. You certainly don’t want to be the owner of an awesome website that struggles to bring in traffic because nobody can remember what the domain name is when they’re telling their friends and associates.

Short and Sweet

Short names are the best option go with when you’re picking a domain name as they’re both easy to type and easy to remember. Shorter domain names also look better on print media, are a better fit on social media and sound better in forms of offline marketing, especially word-of-mouth.

Create Expectations

When people hear your site’s domain name for the first time, it should be easy for them to form an idea of what it is that your website is all about. For example, take domain names such as AutoTrader.com or Hotmail.com, which are not only easy to remember but also let the user know straight away the kind of site that they’re going to visit. If you choose a more obscure name, you’ll need to put a lot more effort into branding.

Always Choose .com

You’d be surprised at the amount of people out there who still think that .com is the only extension available. Don’t make the mistake of losing out on traffic by choosing a different domain name extension. Although you may be able to get away with directing to different domains, it’s vital that you at least own the .com version of your domain name. This is important to the future of your site if you want to build its success for the future.

Along with these tips, when you choose a domain name it’s also absolutely vital to ensure that you don’t infringe on anybody else’s copyright. There’s no point in choosing a domain name that’s catchy, easy to type, easy to remember and makes for great branding if it’s committing the sin of copyright infringement. Be sure to search before you buy!