Selecting Your Domain Name - Things to consider

Selecting your domain name Selecting a domain name can be a very frustrating process as a lot of domains have been sold already. With 30.000+ domain names being sold each day it can be a challenge to find the appropriate domain name for your company. So what do you do? Your business name might not be available or be too long. If you did think about doing business on the Web when you started, your name might not be appropriate for the web. What if your domain name is available for the country code extension but not .COM? Should you buy the .CA anyway? How long is too long?

Create a short list of domain names and variances. Talk with people that you trust and opinion you value or ask your regular customers. However, don't wait too long about as 30.000 Domain Names are being sold a day now. Below you will find a few pointers or things you should have in mind when selecting your Domain Name.

Using your business name Using your business name as your domain name could be a great idea. However if your business name is really long or very complicated you might want to consider searching for an abbreviation or an alternative.

Recognizable You want it to reflect what you do ... that makes it easier for people to remember your address and will increase the chance of people guessing your web address right without having to search for it.

Uniqueness

Choosing a Domain name that is unique can avoid that you loose business to your competitors as it cannot be confused with other domain names. You still have to consider if the Domain name is easy to type and not too complicated. Most unique Domain Names for .COM are gone and a lot have been bought to re-sell a lot more expensive. If you have a look on eBay you will see a lot of Domain names for sale.

A person had already registered the Domain name for Pope Benedict XVI before they announced the new Pontiffs name and had put it for sale on eBay immediately after the announcement. He sold it for $200.000+. Think carefully about buying your domain name from another person. First of all you would have to pay a lot more than registering a new name. Second, you might not have full ownership of it. Maybe find alternatives as the one for sale by a person might never be sold and then end up being available through a Domain Registrar a couple of years down the road.

Easy to type

You should select a domain name that is easy to type so avoid complicated domain names. You would like people to be able to enter your Web Address very easily. Spelling errors might make them end up at the wrong site. Or if your domain name contains a hyphen "-" and your competitors domain name has none. They might end up there instead. One example could be (note that only one is a real site):

www.pc-world.com

www.pcworld.com

These could be very different web sites but the name is very easy to mistake.

Where in the World are your customers?

Should you choose a Country Code Domain like .CA or just buy a .COM? If you are a Real Estate agent and you only sell houses in your town should you then only buy your Country Code domain? Not necessarily. What about the potential clients that are trying to relocate? Are you a local landscaper? Then a Country Code domain might be the best solution. As the domains are selling very quickly now for the .COM then people start to use the Country Code domains more. Clients and potential customers are getting more computer/internet savvy and as businesses are starting to use the Country Code domains more, they will catch on to that quickly.

Multiple Domain names

If you are a business in Canada that expect to have clients all over the world you might want to consider selecting your domain with both .CA and .COM extension. How this would work is that your main web site could be your .COM address but if people type in your .CA address they are automatically forwarded to your .COM address. You have to ask for your .CA to be forwarded to the .COM address. It's that simple and with the low prices on domain names not a big expense.

Another advantage is that if you have a unique domain name you can avoid someone else reaping the benefits of your advertising. People still tries to enter Web Address with a .COM first so if you had bought the .CA address and someone buys the exact name using .COM they would open your competitors web site first.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Author Anette Petersen is Web Consultant with Create IT Simple a Web Design, Hosting and Domain Company based in Halifax, Canada. Their Web Site is http://www.createitsimple.com

For more information, email her apetersen@createitsimple.com

---

Google News Updated : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:51:42 GMT "Dark Knight" beats total of previous Batman film - Reuters Reuters "Dark Knight" beats total of previous Batman film Reuters - 1 hour ago By Dean Goodman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After just six days of release in North America, the new Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" has grossed more domestically than its predecessor did in its entire run, distributor Warner Bros. Video: 'Dark Knight' Sets Weekend Box Office Record AssociatedPress 'Dark Knight' may be summer's highest-grossing film Los Angeles Times E! Online - International Business Times - Digital Media Wire - Monsters and Critics.com all 1,084 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:19:56 GMT Microsoft refunding gamers, Games for Windows Live goes free - Ars Technica ChattahBox Microsoft refunding gamers, Games for Windows Live goes free Ars Technica - 34 minutes ago By Frank Caron | Published: July 23, 2008 - 07:06PM CT PC gaming wasn't a huge factor at this year's E3, but it seems that Microsoft was merely biding its time before making its big moves to try and perk up the waning PC gaming market. Microsoft Drops Player Fees On Games For Windows Live InformationWeek Unangst: GFW Live Has Full Game Download Plans 'On The Roadmap' Gamasutra GameSpot - 1UP.com - ZDNet - PC World all 305 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:17:11 GMT US House Approves Fannie-Freddie Bill by 272-152 (Update1) - Bloomberg Aljazeera.net US House Approves Fannie-Freddie Bill by 272-152 (Update1) Bloomberg - 1 hour ago By Brian Faler July 23 (Bloomberg) -- The US House of Representatives approved legislation designed to shore up confidence in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and stem the record surge in mortgage foreclosures, sending the bill to the Senate. Video: House OKs Rescue for Homeowners, Freddie, Fannie AssociatedPress US mortgages: Bush relents on veto threat to Fannie and Freddie ... guardian.co.uk MarketWatch - Forbes - Reuters - New York Times all 3,865 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:37:49 GMT "Bad Girls" mind-set, Pierson and Parker a volatile mix - WNBA - ESPN "Bad Girls" mind-set, Pierson and Parker a volatile mix - WNBA ESPN - 1 hour ago By Mechelle Voepel What does it take to light up a tinderbox? Just a spark. Or in the case of the Detroit-Los Angeles scuffle with 4.6 seconds left of a WNBA game Tuesday, it was a Spark. WNBA reviewing fight between Detroit, LA players The Associated Press Don't make Mahorn the bad boy in WNBA scuffle FOXSports.com Newsday - Washington Post - USA Today - W*USA 9 all 743 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:15:40 GMT Google unfurls less laughable Wikipedia - Register New York Times Google unfurls less laughable Wikipedia Register - 1 hour ago By Cade Metz in San Francisco → More by this author Back in December, the search engine cum world power announced an anyone-can-edit online encyclopedia it insists on calling Knol, and this morning, with a post to The Official Google Blog, ... Google Launches Knol, The Monetizable Wikipedia Washington Post Google opens Knol website, a wiki with bylines Reuters CRN - BetaNews - Ars Technica - Computerworld all 157 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:46:16 GMT Angels' bats loom large in victory over Indians - Los Angeles Times Washington Post Angels' bats loom large in victory over Indians Los Angeles Times - 46 minutes ago Normally tepid offense produces season highs in runs and hits (19). Jeff Mathis, Howie Kendrick and Casey Kotchman combine for 13 hits, Francisco Rodriguez gets 42nd save and team ups West lead to 10 By Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer The ... Mathis drives in six; Angels hold off Tribe in wild slugfest Sports Network Angels pound Laffey, slam Mastny, in ripping Indians, 14-11 The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com The Associated Press - Rotoworld.com - Press-Enterprise - WANE all 106 news articles Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:05:36 GMT Genetic Cause of Statin-Related Muscle Pain Found - Washington Post BBC News Genetic Cause of Statin-Related Muscle Pain Found Washington Post - 2 hours ago By Ed Edelson WEDNESDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- British researchers have discovered a genetic variant that causes some people who take cholesterol-lowering statins to have the muscle weakness called myopathy. 7 Reasons Not to Dismiss Statin-Caused Pain U.S. News & World Report Discovery may boost statin safety BBC News Reuters - Bloomberg - The Associated Press - KPAX-TV all 143 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:59:27 GMT Earn Money With Surveys Add RSS Feeds To My Web Pages

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Protect Your Domain Name or Risk Losing It

Your domain name is an important part of your brand... Read More

The Power of Domain Names in Marketing

Purchasing your own domain is inexpensive and very effective for... Read More

Domain Name Trademarks

As your Internet business grows, the value of your domain... Read More

Cheap and Easy Domain Name Registration

Just like any business, your identity is very important. On... Read More

Expired Domains Explained

It is annoying to find that you have a great... Read More

How to Profit with Domain Name Speculation

Domain Name speculation has become big business. According to recent... Read More

Your Domain Name, Your Business Address

Would you purchase anything from someone with a "@yahoo.com" or... Read More

Domain Squatting Explained

The one thing that annoys me most about the topic... Read More

Earn Money With Parked Domain Names

Do you have domain names that you are not currently... Read More

Is Your Company Name Killing Your Online Business?

Ahhh... your company name.Your identity. What separates you from everyone... Read More

How to Win Expired Domains

Every day thousands of expired domain names come back onto... Read More

What?s In A Domain Name?

Choosing a domain name is a very important first step... Read More

Is Your Domain Name On Someones Wanted List?

A good domain name is, and will always be, essential... Read More

How To Really Profit from Domain Names

Have you heard about domain names that sold for over... Read More

Customer Excellence Returns to Web Site Hosting!

For those of you with Web sites, you probably know... Read More

Is Your Domain Costing You Traffic?

You visited a great website some time ago that had... Read More

Making Money with Expired Domains

There are billions of websites and thousands more popping up... Read More

Domain Name Registration Explained

Registering a domain name is a pretty straight forward process.... Read More

Whats In A Name: Selecting the Right Business Name

With all that's written about selecting a domain name, I... Read More

Domain Name Secrets Revealed

If internet is about interactivity between websites, domain name is... Read More

Understanding The Value of Expired Domains

I would like to explain a few things related to... Read More

The Growth of ru-Domains

The registry of ru-domains reports, that the number of domain... Read More

How to Register an Expiring Domain

Understanding the process and options involved with registering an expiring... Read More

Domain Name Registration and Privacy

The internet is a wonderful thing, except for a few... Read More

Domain Name Forwarding and Search Engines

You own a single site, but several domains - perhaps... Read More