There are numerous tips for choosing a domain name to help create an easy-to-remember Internet identity. Your domain name works the same as a street address. If an individual does not know your address, they simply will not be able to find your online company. The following tips will help you choose a domain name that is relative to your business, simple to understand and easy to remember.
Keeping It Short
The maximum number of characters that some domain registry sites allow is 63 characters long. However, humans struggle with remembering any long complicated sequences of numbers and letters. The reason the telephone company minimizes their numbers to seven is because eight numbers is too challenging to remember. It is important to register the shortest name that any visitor or customer can associate with your website. If possible, keep your choice to seven characters or less. (Not including the prefix or suffix)
No Trademark Names
There most likely are not many trademark names left that have not already been swallowed up by the companies that own them. For the ones that are left, registered trademark names can cause more trouble than they are worth. While it was once thought that you could buy the domain name and sell it for huge profits to the companies that own them, most trademark owners simply call their attorneys and sue to resolve the problem.
What Dot to Choose
With all the variable extensions available, how do you know which dot to choose? The answer is simple. Nearly every expert in creating online businesses recommends using the.com suffix. The reason is that it is the very first extension that any individual will try when typing in a URL for a website. As the oldest extension, the use of .com indicates that you are a business that has been well established on the Internet for a long time.
Get Registered Now
The moment you decide on your domain name, or names, it is imperative to register them now. Whether you have a webpage, website, a blog or nothing at all, you can still own an available domain name and not place it on any page until you are ready. Forming your company with an available domain name, only to find out it was purchased when you were not looking can cause major headaches down the road.
What a Character
Typing in the domain name is never case sensitive. However, you can only use numbers, letters and dashes. Any symbol or space is not allowed. You can be creative in selecting characters however, remember the more difficult it is the fewer potential visitors will be able to remember how to get to your website.
When You Need More Than One
It is generally a good idea to register a few similar domain names. If you already own “TheNameIWant.com”, you might want to purchase “TheNameIWant.net” before someone else purchases it. Consider buying the domain name you want, and one that is shorter and may be easier to remember. You can direct an unlimited number of domain names to a single website, providing you many avenues to your online store.
Take Advice
After you have narrowed down your selections to a few available choices, ask clients, friends and family what they think of your domain names. While a specific domain name might be the ideal choice for you, it may be extremely hard for others to remember. Are your selections easy to say or spell? Are they easy to remember? Did you have to explain what it means?
There are still people out there attempting to hold onto a huge amount of quality, and not-so quality, domain names to sell to others. Instead of breaking the bank to purchase the name you just “have to have”, consider keeping your money and coming up with a better name. These seven tips for choosing a domain name can help get you started on creating your own profitable online business.
Kasper Rugholm has a Master’s Degree in Business Management and Economics and is an eager writer of articles about online business touching on topics about market positioning strategy, how earn more per customer and much more at http://www.startitupnow.com.