10 Essential Tips on How To Choose a Domain Name

How do the most successful websites on the internet get such great domain names? Is it all by accident? Did the name come before the business, or vice verse? Did they just get lucky? What makes the domain name so successful?

The answer to all of the above questions is "yes" .. and "no" ... and "maybe". Much of the success of choosing a domain name depends on the content available on the site. Without a superb search function, Google would not be where it is today. Without the innovative social networking capabilities of Twitter and Facebook, those sites would not be where they are today either. They have all followed the basic rules outlined below in becoming successful domains.

There are many successful sites on the net that use numerals in domain names. Ideally, stay away from using numerals in the domain name. If it is decided upon to use a numeral, make sure to avoid substituting them for real words. Something like the number "2" instead of the word "to", or the number "4" instead of the word "for". This can become confusing, and may end up hurting your sites traffic more than it helps.

Think about the act of typing in a domain name. The longer it takes to type, the less likely a person will return to your site regularly. A domain name that is short and easy to type offers the first pleasant experience of your website, typing in the domain! Think of some of the sites you visit often. Chances are, the name is anywhere from 5-10 characters long the ideal character length for a domain name. Keep this in mind while choosing your next domain name.

Of course, there's much more that goes into "branding" than just a domain name, but the importance of the domain name has become more and more important to how people connect with a company. Chances are, people are not going to be saying "oh, just ericrier it" like they say "just google it", but if your domain name encourages action, it will spread across the net like wildfire!

We've all seen the options : .com, .net, .org, .tv, etc. By far, the most widely accepted domain extension is ".com". Not only does ".com" add more credibility to your website, but it's almost implied when speaking about a domain name. When we say "Twitter", we think "Twitter.com". Generally, a ".net" is used for small businesses or as an alternative to a .com that was not available. A ".org" is typically tied into non-profit organizations. ".Tv" is still in it's infancy as a popular extension, but has been making strides due to video becoming a more common medium on the net.

The explanation for this is rather obvious, but it is an important factor in the success of a domain name in search engines. Unless the name has been successfully branded (odds are, your company name is not at that point) like "google" or "yahoo", it is in your best interest to include a keyword in your domain name. So, for example, instead of "ericswebsite.com", use "ericswebdesign.com". This will greatly help search engines recognize your website as one that is associated with the industry you want it to be connected to.

Keep in mind, this is NOT A NECESSARY rule, but if you want your site to grow quickly at an early stage in it's development, this is a factor that should be considered.

You may notice that most successful websites incorporate the name of the business within it's logo. Although this is fairly common sense, it is sometimes overlooked on small business or personal sites. Make sure to always include the name of the site in your logo. Placement of the logo is up to the site's creator. Typically it is placed within the top left corner, but feel free to be creative!

If you feel you've found the perfect domain name, make sure that you also purchase domain names that are similar. This serves a double purpose. First, this will make sure that some other person/company does not get confused with yours. The last thing you want is for online traffic to be going to another website when it should be going to yours. For instance, if you own the domain "google.com", try and grab "goggle.com, googley.com, gogle.com" and others so no one else can. Secondly, you can forward all traffic of each domain name to the domain of your choice. So, if someone misspells "google" as "goggle", they will automatically be re-routed to "google".

This is more of a strong recommendation that a requirement for a website. Studies have shown that search engines do not factor in hyphens when ranking websites. So, essentially, a hyphen will not hurt search engine ranking. With this said, think of the audience of the site (and refer back to tip #2). I, for one, find it to be a bit annoying having to type in a hyphen for a website. It is not part of the typically used keyboard characters and could be a turn-off of sorts to some web surfers. If a hyphen is absolutely necessary or the only way you can get the company name as the domain name, hyphens are fine BUT make sure to exhaust all other options first.

This should be obvious! If you use your business name as your domain name, you are all set. If the domain name is already taken, refer to tip #8 on how to still be able to use it.

If your decision lies on a few different domain names and you are having trouble deciding which one is best for your website, always ask for advice from friends, family, and professionals. A domain name that is absolutely perfect for you, may not make any sense to others. Besides, you're already going to be going to your own site. Make sure the name is attractive enough to get others coming back. This advice will go a long way!