Selecting Your Domain Name

If you wish to have a presence on the web, your domain name is one of the most important decisions you will need to make. We offer these tips.

The real value of a domain name isn't helping people find your site the first time; it's helping them find it the second time, after they forgot to bookmark it. Odds are that most visitors come to your site from another Web site, either by clicking on a banner, following a link on someone else's site, or drilling through results in a search engine. If they like your site, that's great; maybe they'll bookmark it. Then again, maybe they won't.

What Extension Should My Domain Have?
There are many different extensions available. If you are a business, we recommend a .com suffix if at all possible. It is the first extension that most people try when searching for a site. Also, since it is one of the oldest extensions, .com shows that your business has been around for a while and has a well established presence on the web. Avoid using domains ending in “biz” or “info” or any one of the score of new top level domains. Your business will have little credibility if you do so. You can consider registering a “.net” domain, but since most people are familiar with “.com,” it is better to stick to convention. The exception is if you are running a business in a country other than the United States. Consider using your own country code. As a listener from Zuerich, Switzerland pointed out "Australians will want to see ".au", the Swiss want to see ".ch" and so on. People in other countries are generally very familiar with their local TLD."

Avoid trademarked names.
The companies that own the trademarks are no longer opening their pocketbooks to get their names back. They are calling their lawyers. Also, pending legislation will soon make it very difficult to register someone else’s trademarked name.

Don’t make your primary domain too long.
Even though 67 character domains are a reality, exactly how many of your users will want to type a domain name like "buymyterrificpastasauce.com"?

Character types and hyphens.
Just a reminder: domain names can only use letters, numbers, and hyphens ("-"). Spaces and other symbols are not allowed, and they cannot begin or end with a hyphen. Domain names are not case sensitive. Most domain names cannot exceed 22 characters, not including the extension. Domains containing hyphens are difficult to remember, spell and pronounce. This is not to say that they cannot work for you. It's just something to keep in mind when selecting your domain name.

One may not be enough.
Sometimes, it isn’t a bad idea to register several similar domain names. If you have "yourname.com", register "yourname.net" so no one else takes it. You can register your full company and a shorter, easier-to-remember version. Some people even register common misspellings of their company’s name.

Don’t register a domain containing the digit “0” in it, unless it is going to be part of a recognizable word (like 1000 or 2000).
This is because the digit “0” is often confused with the vowel “O.”  If you feel that you must register a domain with the digit “0,” make sure that you also register the corresponding domain containing the vowel “O.”

Ask around
When you have settled on several available name choices, see what your friends and clients have to say. A name that may make perfect sense to you may be too hard for other people to remember. Is your domain easy to say? Is it hard to spell? Do you have to explain why you chose the name?