Still trying to pick out a good domain name? Check out this post from FireYourBoss.com
So you are starting your own online business and want to know how to pick a domain name? Well, it is a combination of Science, Luck, and Art (not the Garfunkel kind).
Here is the short list of things to pay attention to when selecting your new domain name.
Shorter is Better
Forget the ads on television and the SPAM emails. People really do, when it comes to domains, want it as short as possible.
My very first URL was a great name…but way too long. I have been married to it for so long and every time I type it in the browser I cringe. Since then I have always sought to keep my URL’s as short as possible.
Easy to Spell
Can you believe that poisedpatientplatypus.com is not taken? At least until I publish this article and someone in Tasmania jumps all over it.
Make sure when you pick a domain name; you start with something easy for people to spell.
Keywords
From an SEO point of view it is helpful if the topic of your site is also included in your URL.
If for example you were doing a site on reviewing cameras, you might start with www.camerareviewsXXXX.com [the XXXX would have to replaced with some other word(s) like “Now” or “ForMe” if camerareviews.com was already in use].
I realize when you start to incorporate Keywords into your domain name you start to run the risk of longer URLs – there is a trade off. If you really want to make money online, and you are in a competitive field, you are going to want to start with Keywords.
Unique
Let’s face it, unique domain names get attention. Would you go to LearnToPlayTennisReallyWell.com or FuzzyYellowBalls.com (yes, that is a real tennis site).
People want a name they can remember and tell their friends – course in this case, you might only want to share the URL with other tennis players or start getting some really weird looks from strangers – BUT, you will remember it!
Avoid Duplicate Letters
If you use more than one word in your URL (and you will) then try and make sure the last letter of the first word and the first letter of the second word are not the same).
For example. Eagleearners. (Eagle Earners). The two “e’s” get lost when typing.
You can cheat when you put this type of domain name in your marketing materials buy capping the second one in print…EagleEarners.com but I would avoid it whenever possible.
Common Words
Try to stick with common words. Just because you own a Thesaurus and watch Jeopardy reruns doesn’t mean you need to use your braniac vocabulary it when it comes to picking out a URL.
When it doubt…go back to “is it a word everyone can spell?” If you ask 6 random people to spell it, and they can’t, then the word is not common enough.
Go for it!
Stick to the above few rules and you will be well on your way to building a great site for your online business– that starts with a great URL!
