7 Tips for Selecting Your Domain Name

Thinking up a great domain name is easy. Of course, with the nearly 275 million existing domain names, finding one that hasn’t already been taken … well, that’s a lot harder.  But good domain names are still out there. It just takes a little time and effort to find the right one.

In this first half of a two part article on finding your domain name, we’ll cover eight basic tips for selecting your perfect (or reasonably close to perfect) domain name. Next week we’ll look at some tips for brainstorming your domain name.

Stick With .com

Whenever possible, choose a .com extension. There’s nothing wrong with a .net, .org, or other top level domain. However, there’s a lot more right with a .com extension. When someone hears your domain name, if they forget the extension, they’re automatically going to try adding .com to the name when they get home. Take advantage of that tendency.

Make it Easy to Type

If your business name is hard to spell, you might try an easier to spell version of the name. For example, if Jayne Mansfield had a website, she might want to go with JaneMansfield.com instead of or, better yet, in addition to JayneMansfield.com. For your website, consider registering all alternate spellings of your domain name.

Make it Easy to Remember

As W.C. Fields said, “It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.” Or how you’re known. A well known slogan or catch phrase might make a better domain name (or, again, an additional domain name) for your business. Even though they have plenty of brand name recognition, Nike registered JustDoIt.com in addition to their regular Nike.com domain name. Actor Michael J. Fox might be known as Mike to family and friends, but to the world he’s Michael J. Fox and, therefore, his domain is MichaelJFox.com.

Shorter is Better

As of 2013, all of the four letter domain names were gone. The three letter domains were taken over a decade before. But that’s no reason to use the full sixty-three characters available in your domain name. Stick to fewer than four words and under twenty characters if at all possible.

Check for Appropriateness

Read, re-read, and have friends read your website to make sure no hidden messages exist in the name. Imagine your surprise if your domain for exchanging information with experts, www.ExpertsExcchange.com, turned out to also promote very knowledgeable gender transformations: www.ExpertSexChange.com.

Don’t Use Texting Slang

While texting slang can definitely keep your domain name short - following the tip above - it makes for a confusing mess that’s hard to remember for most people.

Build Your Brand

The most important tip is to keep your brand in mind and continue to build it. With every advertisement someone reads, every web search someone performs, and every email you send, you’re building your brand with a custom domain name.

The Quick Takeaway

Finding a great domain name can be challenging but it can also be rewarding and a lot of fun. Follow these tips and others that you can find in Chapter 4 of 15 Minute Mondays and you’ll be well on your way to your own great domain.