Choosing a domain name can be challenging. Good domain names are easy to remember, and they often tell the user exactly what the product is. They may even contain keywords.
There are a lot of good choices for your domain name. Sometimes you find the perfect domain easily. Other times it seems like every possible iteration is taken. Here are a few tips for making a good choice:
1. Pick a few domain names. Domain names are cheap – usually well under $15 per year. You should plan to pick at least a few and as many as you can afford. Choose variations, misspellings and keywords to put together your selection. The extra names will be pointed to your main website.
2. Lock in a version of your business name. As your brand becomes more and more recognizable, that’s what John Q. Customer will be looking for in search engines like Google and Bing. You should always have a version of your compay’s name (as close as possible to what people call you).
3. Use keywords in your domain name. Anticipate what your potential customers will type into a search engine. Keywords found in a domain name will help you rise to the top in search engines. Consider an end-user looking for chicken feed in Knoxville. When the user goes to a search engine, most likely they will type in something like, “knoxville chicken feed” or “chicken feed in knoxville.” If you happen to own KnoxvilleChicken.com, you will have an automatic leg up in the results. The search engines will give you extra weight for having two keywords in the domain name.
4. Pick a memorable domain name. How many times have you wanted to go to a website later, but not been able to remember the domain name? Shorter is better. Catchy or clever is a winner. Also, make sure the words are easy to spell and say. I chose billyfann.com, because I thought people would be able to remember the name.
5. Use domain name variations. If there is a common misspelling, get that domain too. Take a tip from search engine giant google.com who also owns googel.com.
A domain name doesn’t have to be over thought. If you’ll follow these 5 tips, you will not only be able to pick winning domain name combinations, but you’ll be able to use your domain names to their best potential, too.
