Choosing a Domain Name for your Website

Choosing a good domain name is paramount for the success of your website. Whether it’s a personal website designed for a small group of users or a company website competing for the attention of potential customers, the domain name will either make or break its effectiveness. Make your domain name unforgettable by carefully considering its extension, length, punctuation, and suffix.

The .COM

The first thing you may actually think about before your domain name is whether it will have the original .com extension or not, which is generally considered to be the best because it’s what everyone thinks of first. That .com would be your best pick is an easy assumption to make, but that is not always the case. It’s standard for many of the bigger corporations to protect themselves by purchasing all the major Top Level Domains (TLD), which can be very limiting and expensive. For some of you reading this article, you may want to consider a .net or .org extension. If that is the case make sure to advertise your website as much as possible by its full domain name to prevent lost traffic, as most search engines will place .com first.

Name Length

A short name may be best in most cases but there are exceptions. Above all you want your name to be catchy and easy to spell and type, whether it’s short or not. For example, if the name your company goes by is Merryweather Fabric and Designs, merryweatherfabricanddesigns.com may be a perfectly suitable name. However, if merryweather.com is not already taken, it may be a better choice as it’s easier to type. You may also be tempted to use an acronym if your full name is long, but unless your company name is branded as so, it won’t be memorable to your customers.

Punctuation

The only punctuation that can be used in a domain name is the hyphen; however its use is generally avoided. Hyphenated domain names are harder to read aloud, more difficult to type, and some people may not even though what a hyphen is. On the other hand, if your domain name is made up of three or more words which are long, the hyphen makes it easier for a person to recognize the keywords. For example it is much easier to recognize the words “fabric” and “designs” in a hyphenated merryweather-fabric-and-designs.com. There is also a small chance that a hyphenated domain will produce better search engine results, but as a general rule using hyphens in domain names is taboo.

Suffixes and more

Though the plural or singular of an already existing domain name may seem like a good find, be cautious as you consider the minds of your customers. Unless it is an obvious distinction, you may actually be directing your customers to a competitor! For example if your company’s name is Merryweather Fabric and Designs, merryweatherfabricanddesign.com would be a counter-intuitive to your customers and thus harder to remember. But take it on a case-by-case basis, as plural and singular versions of your domain name may be interchangeable. Above all remember that if it’s not unforgettable, you may want to consider going with another domain name

Sonia Day is a writer for Best Web Hosts Online http://www.bestwebhostsonline.com - news, hosting review, and resources for webmasters.