Selecting an Appropriate Domain Name

A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority or control within the Internet. It is not possible to have a website without a domain name, it is an address that shows your location and helps customers drive directly to your website.

Main characteristics of a good domain name

Easy to Spell

As anyone who depends on a computer’s spell checker can testify, the average person doesn’t do well in spelling the words. That’s why we’re firm believers in avoiding hard-to-spell words in your domain name. Although www.usonlinepublicbookslibrary.com seems harmless enough, it’s fairly easy to flub. Why not try www.publiclibraries.com? The easier your domain name is to spell, the more likely customers are to find you without a hassle.

Simple to remember

Your domain name doesn’t have to be catchy or trendy to work. Simplicity goes a long way in our crowded, overhyped world. You can select a domain name like www.bizeducator.com

Relatively short

A shorter name is easier for customers to remember than a longer one. Like business website www.bizeducator.com

Contains important keywords

This characteristic is important for two reasons:

Using descriptive words in the domain clearly says what you do.
Using relevant words that frequently show up in search engines is potentially beneficial to your site’s rankings.

The business and technology web blog used in the preceding example have the combination of keyword

Biz Educator = Business Educator = Bizeducator.com

The domain name should be specific

One recent trend is that of niche (or specific) sites. You can find out more about growing a niche on the Internet. Creating a more specific and telling name, rather than one that’s broad, serves you well in search engine rankings and with your customer base. For example, www.linkedin.com is specific about its subject and audience.

Select a creative domain name

Ever hear that saying about thinking outside the box? Even though it’s a cliché, it holds true with domain names: Sometimes, you’re trapped into seeing only one way to describe something, and that usually means being literal. If you sell the book you’re tempted to find a domain that says exactly that: books.com.

Rather than continuous circle around the same type of name, think about other ways that your products, services, or target audience are viewed. Make a list of terms and phrases that people use when they talk about these items. You can still be specific but with a more creative tone. That book site may do extremely well using a domain name like bookboon.com or the freebooks.com.

Use add-ins

If your domain name uses common words, finding an exact match available isn’t all that easy. Not to worry: Just mix it up a bit. Abbreviate your words or use a few initials rather than spell out the whole thing. Or break up the name with a hyphen or two (Books-For-You.com, for example).

You can also add Inc or Corp to the end of your company name (only if you’re incorporated, of course) or add another word that indicates the industry you’re in — for example, MiketechInc.com or Bizeducator.com. Another trick is to include words such as official, favorite, original, or popular to the domain name ( for example, FavoriteMovie.com).

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