So you’ve decided to create your own domain. It doesn’t seem like a tough process so you start thinking. After searching through fifty domain names you’d like to use, you finally decide to use a name which has nothing to do with you or your business. Basically, what should have been a relatively simple process has grown up, had children, and a few grandchildren.
The first thing to remember when choosing a domain name is the length. Yes, there are some outlandishly long ones out there, but are they memorable? In other words, does the whole name stick in your mind? If only the sound stands out, then consider another name. If your company’s name is Impellor International Microsystems Incorporated, consider using Impellormicro or Impmicro. Even IIMI before the .com or .net would be a good choice.
Where you’ll more than likely run into problems is with domain squatting. Over half the names you can think of are already taken or have been parked. In those cases you have two choices. You can either try other names until you find one which isn’t used or parked, or you can contact the name’s owner and attempt to purchase it. Beware if you choose the latter option. No individual or company wants to let something they “own” go cheaply.
Brand Domain or Keyword Domain: What is the Right Choice?
Something else to consider when choosing a domain name, especially a business website, is whether you want to use the brand name or a keyword name. Fordtrucks.com is an example of a brand domain name, and Heavyduty.com would be a keyword describing trucks. You have to decide which one will be the most memorable to your target market. Your market might not remember your company if the name is Phone.com, but they might remember Perfectsignal.com.
You will have the hardest time finding a .com or .net domain name. Depending on what the site’s main focus is, you should consider .org or any of the many others out there. Yes the .com and .net domain names are the most popular, but do you really need them for a family history website? Pretty much, it’s all in what you want to do with the site.
Think of this when choosing your perfect domain name. Does it have to be perfect? If the answer is yes, then you have to be willing to pay for it. Nothing in life is free, and a domain name is no exception.
If your website is going to sell A-type widgets, and your company’s name is Somewhere Widgets, what name would stand out in your mind more - Awidgets.com, SomewhereWidgets.com, or Somewhere.com? What if all those names were parked or taken already? Even if those names weren’t taken, are the names memorable enough that potential customers or visitors would type them in?
Ask yourself this, when deciding on a domain name. Would you want to type in the whole name? When considering the answer to that question, try to think like one of your site’s potential visitors. Most people wouldn’t even want to search for the name Somewhere Widgets because of its length. They’d type somewhere or widgets into their search engine. Based on that information, you need to come up with a domain name which will hit on both those names without being too long.
In the end, it’s your visitors or customers who will decide if your site is a hit or not. No amount of wishing is going to help. So remember a few of the tips in this article, and you might just have a chance. Unless you have a few million dollars for advertising, your name needs to be one people will remember for a long time to come.
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