One of the very first decisions you make when starting a new business (or even a blog) is picking the right name. A close second is choosing the domain name that best represents your business or blog. This can be a challenge.
Even if you come up with a great idea for your business name, you’ll still have to search to check if the domain name is available (and it’s often not). You should select a domain name that is easy to hear and understand. The shorter the domain name, the better it is. Spelling, for instance, must be obvious.
If you are in the market for a domain name, here are some good rules of thumb to remember as you make your pick.
Stick to .COM Domain Names
Here’s the thing. If you are registering a .net or a .info, for example, it’s probably because the “dot com” is already taken. Isn’t it? Chances are when you tell people your domain name — over the radio, or in person — their first expectation is .com.
Unless you’re appealing to a specific regional customer base that is. For instance, if the business market is strictly based in New Zealand, .nz domains make sense. Consumers take pride in supporting their local, regional, and national businesses.
Avoid Hyphenation
Avoid hyphens “-” in your domain name for the same reasons you stick to dot coms, people’s expectations, and human behavior. Most people are absent-minded. The “dash” is one more character or syllable to remember. Hyphens are also harder to hear and say. Perhaps that’s why all other punctuation is prohibited by ICANN, the entity that governs domain names.
You might also want to think twice before using numbers in your domain name, too, as they can be confusing. Unless, of course, they are an irrevocable part of your brand identity. For example, 7up uses numerical digits in their domain name. Five Guys, however, spells out the numeric value in alphabetical letters.
Character Length Matters
Shorter domain names are preferable. After all, a short domain is much easier to recall and type into a browser. Therefore, will have more visibility. Given how few short domain names there are left these days (four character dot coms are gone!), bloggers and brands have no choice but to choose longer ones, but that’s hardly optimal, right?
Well, things aren’t really that black and white. Short domains can be difficult to remember, too. For instance, even though it’s fairly short, a domain like “directtraffic.com” can be mistaken for “directraffic.com” because of the two “t’s” mashed together side by side. It looks kinda funny, doesn’t it?
Abbreviations or initials can cause confusion as well. On the other hand, longer domain names containing keywords can be beneficial for search engines. It’s a balance. Either way, make sure to stay away from common misspellings and grammatical errors.
Check for Double Meanings
Since way back in the early days of the Internet, a prominent business that lists agencies who represent athletes, celebrities, and artists became a common joke (and warning) amongst writers. The domain name “whorepresents.com” resolves to the “Who Presents” company website. Most don’t have to look twice to see how the domain can be misconstrued in a way that’s not beneficial to the brand. Believe it or not, there are worse cases of domain names with double meanings!