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6. 7 Must Haves For Your Online Business: A Good Domain Name

Tue, Aug 11, 2009

7 Must Haves

In order to establish your online identity it is very important that you put some thought into choosing a domain. You’ll want to decide on a domain name that is memorable, is optimized for good search engine ranking, and, adds a brand value to your business. You will also want to remember that it shouldn’t be too complicated because it may be attached to your emails, so, you want it to look good and minimize any potential problems in communication.

There has been a lot of discussion on what factors are the most important when determining which domain to purchase. Choosing a good domain name should be tied directly to the business plan and your vision for your online company. As was stated prior, a domain name can be chosen for the advantages it will give you with Search Engine Optimization efforts, your company’s brand, or maybe as a description of a general term, such as “trout fishing”.

A search engine optimized domain is one that contains your main keyword in the domain. These domain names tend to rank high in the search engine results, because the actual domain name contains the keywords being searched for. However, search engine optimized domains are very rarely brandable unless you are creating a searchable brand for your business. A company who sells blue doo-dads would benefit from acquiring blue-doodads.com and bluedoodads.com , because people searching for blue doodads will be more likely to remember it. Also, that domain name will probably rank higher in search engine results and thereby, that website will get more traffic.

A brand is something, whether a word or picture, when it is seen, its meaning is understood. Take for instance the golden arches of  McDonald’s, or the word “Macy’s” (at least in the USA). These are brands. “Microsoft” and “Google” are also brands. You don’t have to tell someone to go to google dot com or microsoft dot com. It’s understood what is meant when either of the terms are used. Or, your logo, such as the Coke or Pepsi logo, may be a brand also.  There is a consensus among most Internet domain experts that the shorter the domain, the better. A domain that is about 5 letters long is highly desirable for a brand. However, the domain must sound right as well. Eventually, you will want your online business to by synonymous with your business and so you may want to consider this when picking your domain name.

Here are some tips to follow when brainstorming a good domain name:

Tips for Avoiding Poor Domain Names

  • Avoid using domains that are deliberately misspelled.
    Ex: SellURHome2Us vs. SellYourHomeToUs
  • Avoid using domains with hyphens.
    Ex: WeBuyPrettyHouses vs. We-Buy-Pretty-Houses
  • Avoid using domains that are way too long.
    Ex: WeSaveHomesFromForeclosure.com
  • Avoid using domains that are meaningful only to you.
    Ex: ABCFinancialGroup.com (investor or bank?)
  • Avoid using .org unless you want people to think you’re a non-profit organization.
    Ex: HomeSolutions.org (non-profit?)
  • Avoid using unpopular domain extensions such as
    .info, .tv, .cc, .ws, .name, etc. for your Primary Domain.

Tips for Choosing Good Domain Names

  • Choose a domain that is short as possible.
  • Choose a domain that is easy to spell and remember.
  • Choose a value laden domain that says what you do.
  • Try to purchase a .com or a .net if possible. If you are really set on a certain domain name, settle for a .biz or .us if necessary.
  • Purchase YourCompanyName.com so that no one else will.
  • Purchase the .net, .biz, .us and all others too if you can.
  • If your company name is taken, try adding an “Inc” or “LLC” to the end of the name and see if that is available.
  • Anytime you get a good .com domain, tie up the .net, .biz, .us and any other variations of the name so others can’t.
  • If you find a really good domain name, purchase it for more than one year. Tie it up for as long as you can.
  • When purchasing domain names, be sure to set them to automatically renew so you don’t forget to renew.
  • Don’t use YourCompanyName.com on your marketing material if your company name is vague or ambiguous.
  • Make your domains private or unlisted for anonymity.
  • Private domains also keep your email and fax off the public WHOIS database and help prevent SPAM and junk faxes.
  • Make a list of all the words you would like to use in your domain name.
    Ex: We + Buy + Houses + Fast
  • If your name is taken, rearrange the words or insert new words in between them.
    Ex: We + Buy + Atlanta + Houses or Homes
  • Make a complete list of all the domains you want to purchase.

Tips and Tricks

  • Domains that are mapped to your websites are “attached” to your sites.
  • Domains that are forwarded, are not attached to your site, but are simply redirected to your site.
  • Mapped domains get picked up by the search engines. Forwarded domains don’t.

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