A domain name can make or break the chance of traffic getting to your website. Choosing a good domain name should not be taken lightly. There are a few things to keep in mind when selecting that oh-so-important address.

Keep it Short!

Less is more. The shorter the domain name the easier it will be to remember. Also, the shorter it is the less likely it will be misspelled. Try keeping it under 15 characters.

Make it Memorable

Memorable means people will remember it. This is key to getting visitors to your site, both new and return visitors. New visitors will have an easy time finding you and return visitors will have an easy time getting back to you! Nothing is more frustrating than finding a great site and then not being able to find it again because the web address is too hard to remember. Make it easy for people to find you by making the domain name catchy, but also easy to remember.

Spelling is Important

If you create a website name that has unusual spelling, though it may seem cute and unique, you’re increasing the chances that people won’t find you. Most internet searchers will use traditional spelling when entering a web address. If you have a huge presence and a nationally recognized brand, you may be the exception. If you’re like most businesses, this isn’t the case, so make sure your users can find you with simple, traditional spelling.

Tell Them What You Do

Creating a domain name that reflects your business and your product or service will help people find you. Often times a business name doesn’t appropriately describe what that business offers. Including that in your domain name will make it easier to locate your site.

Buy Up!

If you can afford it, you may want to buy the domain name for both your company name and a domain name that you choose for your site. You can redirect the site from your company name to your actual site. This will allow you to hold on to both names and give you double the leverage when people search for you.

Tags: choose domain name

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 1st, 2010 at 1:09 pm and is filed under Website. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.