Let us create a 3D eBook for you!
Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com

 

Domain Name - How To Pick One


Picking a domain name should be easy, right? Why, I'll just use my business name. Not so fast, Sparky. A good bit of thought should be given to selecting a domain name.

A Cautionary Note

Picking a domain name is like getting married. You are going to have to stick with it till the bitter end. People that use your site will come to know it by the domain name. Repeat visitors will often simply type in the domain name to get to the site, better known as "type in traffic". As an example, do you search for "Amazon" when you want to buy a book or do simply type in amazon.com? If Amazon were to change its domain name to Desert, there would be a lot of confusion. The same goes with your domain. Once you pick something, stick with it.

Your Choices

Well, the obvious choice is your business name, but it may not be the best. There are four significant issues to consider.

First, is there something about your business name that makes using it as a domain an unwise choice? This situation typically arises if you have a long business name or have plural words. "Halstatt's Rip'n Marketing Campaigns, Inc." is going to be a horrible domain name. Clients are going to find it difficult to type in such a domain name.

Double letter problems are a second issue that is entirely unique to the Internet. What if Sams Salon wants to use its business name as a domain? The "s" at the end of first word and beginning of the second can cause confusion. Is the domain name Samssalon.com or Samsalon.com? Confusing your users is a bad way to run a site.

The third issue concerns the nature of your site and search engine optimization. If you are shooting for a particular keyword phrase, you may be better off using that keyword phrase in your domain name. Google, for instance, looks at the domain name when evaluating a site. If the words in your domain name are spaced with dashes, many believe it will help in the ranking process. This is why you see so many xxx-xxxx-xxx.com domain names on the net. If your business focuses on a very specific area, strong consideration should be given to using relevant keywords in your domain name.

Finally, your domain name should end in ".com" and I don't want to hear any argument or see any rolling of the eyes. The simple fact is that when people think of sites, they always type in .com. Yes, there are other extensions and .us, .net, .biz, etc., may seem unique, but it kills your traffic. Pavlov and his dog experiments had it right. People have been mentally conditioned to type in .com, so don't select any other ending. If you do, a smart competitor will register the .com version of your name to get some free traffic. If you are really lucky, a porn site will do it!

Take a breath before you select a domain name. Like a spouse, it can be either a good or bad choice.

Halstatt Pires is with http://www.marketingtitan.com - an Internet marketing and advertising company comprised of a search engine optimization specialist providing meta tag optimization services and Internet marketing consultant providing internet marketing solutions through integrated design and programming services.


MORE RESOURCES:

Domain Names - Google News

What's in a name? The value of a domain - Easier (press release)


What's in a name? The value of a domain
Easier (press release)
Thomas Darré Medard Frederiksen, COO at One.com discusses the value of a domain and offers some tips on selecting the best domain name for your business. In the internet age, many customers' first interaction with your business will be online.

Group looks for help in evaluating new domain names - The Hill (blog)


TheHostingNews.com

Group looks for help in evaluating new domain names
The Hill (blog)
By Brendan Sasso - 02/08/12 11:12 AM ET The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) asked for volunteers on Tuesday to help evaluate whether applicants for new Web domain endings should qualify for a reduced application fee.
ICANN Seeks Volunteers for TLD EvaluationsTheHostingNews.com (press release)
Defending trademarks on the internet: new generic top-level domains present ...Lexology (registration)

all 4 news articles »

DealDash buys defunct Swoopo.com domain name (and 22 other end user sales) - Domain Name Wire


DealDash buys defunct Swoopo.com domain name (and 22 other end user sales)
Domain Name Wire
Register your domain names with Searchen Networks Inc., Check domain name availability. Search for domain names. Domain Name Wire is the Domain Name Industry's News Source. Remember Swoopo.com, the auction site where you had to pay for each bid?

and more »

University of Hawaii urges state lawmakers to deter fraudulent use of domain names - The Republic


University of Hawaii urges state lawmakers to deter fraudulent use of domain names
The Republic
She explains that UH has been victimized by unknown attackers who have been maliciously using the domain name to misrepresent the state institution. Greenwood's written testimony asks the committee to consider amending the bill to include fraudulent ...

and more »

UC Berkeley spends $1300 to purchase x-rated domain names - Daily Californian


UC Berkeley spends $1300 to purchase x-rated domain names
Daily Californian
By Chloe Hunt UC Berkeley may be known for its academics, athletics and the occasional protest, but the campus administration has paid about $1300 thus far to stop pornographic websites from buying .xxx domain names associated with the campus.

Hey NAF, this is a classic example of reverse domain hijacking - Domain Name Wire


Hey NAF, this is a classic example of reverse domain hijacking
Domain Name Wire
Register your domain names with Searchen Networks Inc., Check domain name availability. Search for domain names. Domain Name Wire is the Domain Name Industry's News Source. Respondent wins but should have gotten more than that.

and more »

Did You Sell Any Go Daddy Premium Domain Names During the Super Bowl? - Elliot's Blog (blog)


Opposing Views

Did You Sell Any Go Daddy Premium Domain Names During the Super Bowl?
Elliot's Blog (blog)
Domain Name News reported that Go Daddy planned to have their premium listings appear during the Super Bowl. This was big news because GoDaddy spent upwards of $10 million producing and airing its two Super Bowl commercials, and as a result, ...
Godaddy Set Sales Record For Super Bowl SundayTheDomains.com
2012 Super Bowl Commercials: GoDaddy, Danica Patrick Sell Domain NamesOpposing Views
Innovative Super Bowl 1st Caps a Record Go Daddy PerformanceEON: Enhanced Online News (press release)
Domain Name News
all 54 news articles »

6 questions about DOMAINfest answered - Domain Name Wire


6 questions about DOMAINfest answered
Domain Name Wire
Register your domain names with Searchen Networks Inc., Check domain name availability. Search for domain names. Domain Name Wire is the Domain Name Industry's News Source. A look back at last week's DOMAINfest conference. Before heading to DOMAINfest ...

and more »

Letters: Internet domain names can confuse consumers - USA TODAY


USA TODAY

Letters: Internet domain names can confuse consumers
USA TODAY
I agree with USA TODAY's editorial on the problems with the expansion of the Internet domain name suffixes by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("Editorial: ICANN expanding websites to 1000 dot-anythings").
ICANN Wants YouNational Journal
Corporation Service Company Advises Organizations That New Generic Top-Level ...MarketWatch (press release)
Volunteers Sought to Help Evaluate Generic Top-Level Domain Applicants Seeking ...San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
BtoB Magazine -Lexology (registration)
all 18 news articles »

U. buys .xxx domain names in preventative move - The Brown Daily Herald


U. buys .xxx domain names in preventative move
The Brown Daily Herald
By Meia Geddes The University bought two domain names to avoid association with adult content, but brownuniversity.xxx had already been purchased. Students surfing the Internet for adult content will not find it on brownu.xxx or brownuniv.xxx — the ...

and more »

Click here for Best Buy In-Store Pickup

StreetSideAuto.com

Looking For Royalty Free Photos for your Website, Business or Advertising?

My Life Through The Lens

TSC2000 Domain Is For Sale - $15,000 For Enquiries eMail Us

© www.TSC2000.biz 2011

home | site map | links

eXTReMe Tracker