Choosing a Domain Name

One of the primary components of an online business that makes it easy for customers to find them, is the Website name (or “Domain Name”). It is very important to choose the right Domain name for your site. The name should be memorable and relevant to your business.

It is not difficult to find and buy a domain name. The process is a little different if you already have a Company name but there are still several steps you will need to take:

Brainstorm for a domain name
If you already have a business name then you can skip this part. If you are looking to find a domain name, go to Google and look for the product you will be selling to check your competition’s domain names. You can not have the same name as anyone else, but just viewing them will give you a few ideas.

Write down any potential names you can think of. Keep in mind that when consumers are looking to buy something, they generally key in three words, so try and devise your name to take advantage of that. When someone enters the words into Google, if your Domain is exactly what is keyed into a Google search you obviously get some advantage in the Search Engine ranking.

Tips for selecting your Domain name:
DO’s

• Select a Domain Name that reflects your web site and business
• Select a Domain Name that contains your web site’s keywords
• Select a Domain Name that will be easy to remember
• Select the Best Domain Extension for your business (.com, .net, .org, etc)
• Remember that shorter names are easier to remember

DO NOT’s

• Avoid Using numeric substitutions for words, while you might understand “4″ means “for”, or “Four”, or “fore”, your potential customers may not
• Avoid using dashes and underscores in your domain name
• Avoid using abbreviations within your domain name
• Avoid using long domain names – you want the name to be easy to remember
• Avoid using slang – Your spelling of a slang word may be different than how a prospective customer spells it
• Avoid using the numeral “0″, it is too easily confused with the letter”O”
• Ensure Your Domain Name is Not a trademark infringement or copyright issue- Search the Trademark Electronic Search System, http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm to ensure your potential domain name is not a trademark infringements.

Purchase your Domain Name
Once you’ve decided on potential names, you will need to run a search to ensure that the name is not already being used by someone else. We have provided a search box at the bottom of this page to use for searching domain names at GoDaddy. Just enter any potential names you are interested into the search box, the site will tell you immediately if the name is available. The best “extension” is a .com rather than .net or .org, but if you absolutely, positively must have a particular name and the .com one is unavailable then go ahead and buy one of the other extensions. Just understand that someone with the same name but as a .com will most likely rank higher than you in the Search Engines.

Domain names are renewable every year, so be sure and designate how many years you want to lock up the name. Many Domain name registrars will try to sell you extra services (ie..) it’s your choice if you want to buy the extras….but you don’t need to.

Keep in mind that your Domain name and your website are two entirely different entities and you will need to link the two when your site gets built.

Keep track of your Website details
Once you’ve purchased a name, put the receipt and any passwords required to access the account in a folder entitled Website.