Choosing a Domain Name

Before you get started creating your first website, you put some thought into choosing a proper domain name. A domain name is where people will find your website on the internet. Many people underestimate the impact that a good (or bad) domain name can have on the ultimate success of your website.

Here are a few helpful tips to consider when choosing your domain name:

• Dot Com Is King - If you are building a commercial website, the gold standard for domain name extensions is .com. This will provide the impression of authority and global reach.

• Dot Com Is Not King - The .com domain name may be unavailable or difficult to acquire. Luckily, in a few certain circumstances, you may be able to get away with using another domain name extension. If you are building a non-profit or personal website .org can be a good fit that carries positive connotations. If you intend to operate only in your home country, the corresponding country code extension may be suitable such as .us for United States, .ca for Canada, and so on.

• Avoid Numbers and Hyphens - Domain names can carry numeric characters of hyphens. While this expands the number of possible combinations, it also makes it difficult to verbally explain your domain name. These characters also make a domain name more difficult to type.

• Keep it Short - Domain names can contain a maximum of 63 characters, but how would someone remember a name that long? You should keep your domain name as short as possible. If you are using a made up word, keep it under 7 characters. If composed of actual words, include two or at most three words.

• Make it Memorable - With the immense number of websites on the internet, it can be easy to get lost in the fray. If you can come up with a domain name that people will remember after hearing once or twice, you have that much of a jump on the competition.

• Include Key Words - If you are building a website for a business or specific focus, you might want to try to include key words or key search terms in your domain name. When people link to your website, they often use the domain name. By including targeted key words in your domain name, you will receive a nice flow of targeted text links which will yield search engine ranking benefits.

• Register Early and Often - If you think of a potential domain name for your site and find that it is available for registration, it's best to register it immediately. The costs of registering and renewing domain names is quite low. If you have to acquire a domain name on the secondary market it can be quite costly. Better to be safe early, than sorry later.