Before building any new website you will choose a domain name. Sometimes
the domain is purchased from someone who specializes
in reselling domain names, a domain broker. However, most of the time, it will
be registered through a domain registrar. No matter how you
purchase your new domain name, the domain name for your new website
should be carefully considered. The basis of the marketing for your new
website will be the domain name your pick.
The choice of a name for your site is critical for marketing it.
The most important
of those criteria is readability and lenth. If your domain name is too long
or too hard to read for your visitors, its value is very low. If it cannot
be spoken and typed correctly, it's also of low
value. You domain name is the first step in a successful
website and marketing campaign.
To choose the right domain name for your new website, follow these three basic steps:
Step 1: Choice of Name
Choosing a name may be as easy as "yourbusinessname dot com" but it
may be more difficult especially if you have a common name for your
business. In all cases, your business' name should be your number one
pick for your domain name.
Say your business name is "Peanut Inc.". You'll have a hard time getting the domain name "peanuts.com" or
"peanutinc.com" and will have to find alternatives. You can overcome this. Even if your product
or product type isn't in your business name, for marketing purposes, your website domain name could include that product.
First, make a list of words that have something to
do with your business. A dozen of these is good to start. Then delete the ones that have more than twenty
characters. Then create new additions
to your list combine two or three words into one word (e.g. "peanuts bag"
becomes "peanutbag") to ad to the list.
Now you have to prioritize this new list by numbering the entries
from 1 to 12 or more. Now see if these domains are available (step 2).
Step 2 - Your Domain Name Availability
TGo to registrer and search for the names on your list beginning with #1 on that list. Usually, you can just enter the domain name without a
suffix (.com, .net, etc.) and find out if any of the variations are
available. Consider also the alternatives if any produced by the search.
As you proceed through the list, cross out any name on your list
that is not available. Check off any "dot com" domain available. Don't worry about alternative names since "dot com" domains are best for businesss marketing. When finished, you should have a short
list of good domain names for your business that are available.
Step 3 - Register your Domain Name
Now that you know what is the best domain name available for you, register it. To find a registrar, you can follow the link provided on our homepage. You can also search over the Web. You will get many registrars with varying prices and
services. A good registrar is worth any extra money
since a registrar going out of business could easily cause you more problems than savings. I have used, worked with, and recommend the
following registrars:
What is the best domain name for you