Domain Names - How To Choose The Best Domain Name

How To Choose The Best Domain Name

In this article we are going to look at the thought process you should go thru to choose your domain name.

First of all let's define what a domain name is.

A unique name that represents each computer on the Internet. (Some machines do have more than one domain name.) The DNS converts the domain name requested by an Internet user into an IP address.

The Domain Name System (DNS) helps users to find their way around the Internet. Every computer on the Internet has a unique address ? just like a telephone number ? which is a rather complicated string of numbers. It is called its "IP address" (IP stands for "Internet Protocol").

But it is hard to remember everyone's IP address. The DNS makes it easier by allowing a familiar string of letters (the "domain name") to be used instead of the arcane IP address. So instead of typing 64.65.51.245 , you can type www.team-schuman.com. It is a "mnemonic" device that makes addresses easier to remember.

So what makes the best internet domain name?

First of all don't pick a name that has nothing to do with your Web site. If you are selling flowers don't pick a name like apples.com. Picking an oddball name makes no sense and it will just confuse your audience.

Don't make your new domain name too long. The longer it is the harder it becomes to remember. Can you remember myflowers.com or lookatmyflowerswebsite.com?

Short names are not the way to go either. It is to your benefit to try and buy a domain name that has a few keywords that relate to the topic of you Web site when possible.

Keyword placement when choosing your domain name is helpful as your site develops a higher placement with the search engines. Having the name jeffsflowers.com will do better with a search engine than jeffssite.com. With jeffsflowers.com you know I have a flower website where with jeffssite.com you don't know what kind of Web site I have.

When registering your domain name in some cases you will need to determine if you want to use hyphens in the name itself. Personally I have found this to be a great way to get a domain name that otherwise my not be available. The domain name myflowers.com might already be taken whereas the name my-flowers.com might be available.

Everything I have read says try to get a .com domain name first before going to a .net or .org etc. As more and more domain names are taken this becomes harder to do and I think you are better off getting a keyword rich domain name like my-flowers.org than you are to buy a .com domain name like jeffssite.com.

Is buying a cheap domain name a bad idea? Absolutely not. I do it all of the time. I get all of my domain names here:

http://www.godaddy.com

Then I transfer them to my hosting company here:

http://www.team-schuman.com/host4profit.

I can buy a domain name for less than $10 from Godaddy.com and transfer it for free to Host4Profit. This saves me $20 on buying it from the hosting company itself. A domain name is a domain name and you might as well save a little money where you can.

Finding out what names are available is very easy to do. Let's use Godaddy.com as an example.

Go here: http://www.godaddy.com

Click on the icon for Domain Names

Enter a domain name and see if it is available

They will come back with a list of available names

Decide what one you want and buy itOne last thing to consider. Protect your name by registering multiple extensions (.net, .org, etc.) This deters people from copying your name. For example, if you own my-flowers.com you can also register my-flowers.net and any other extension that's available. As you build up traffic to your site if someone types in an version other than the .com version you can forward it to your .com site and not lose any traffic.

In closing it is important to spend a little time when choosing the best domain name for your website. Try and get some keywords in your domain name. Don't stop at choosing just a .com version and save a little money by buying a cheap domain name whenever possible as long as it still contains some keywords.

About The Author

Jeff Schuman is the creator of several websites. His Sites-Plus.Com website is a small business website that contains the best of everything you need to start and run your own small business. Visit it here today:

http://www.sites-plus.com

http://www.team-schuman.com

Created & Maintained by Empower! CMS Web Sites

Host2Sell Web Hosting | Emarketing Workshops | Site SEO Review | FREE Newsletter

| 1 | 2 | 3 |

Your Domain Name, Your Business Address
Would you purchase anything from someone with a "@yahoo.com" or "@hotmail.com" e-mail address? I certainly wouldn't! For starters, people using these e-mail addresses give others the impression that they're not taking their business seriously.Now I understand that you don't want your regular e-mail addr...(related: Domain Names)

Eu-domains For Everybody
Cologne,10 July 2004. ICANN accredited registar Secura announces today, that the company is accepting applications for the sunrise and real time period of eu-domains (https://www.domainregistry.de/eu.html).Sunrise PeriodYou should send now to your applications to secure your rights at the new eu-domains. The eu-domains will be the most important event since the intro...(related: Domain Names)

How To Avoid Copyright Infringment In Your Domain Name
One of the most important aspects of choosing a domain name is that it should be non-infringing. This is not an easy task since most unique names have already been registered. The number of useful domain names from the marketing point of view have become extremely limited. Several comp...(related: Domain Names)

42 Killer Domain Secrets Exposed!
The Basic StuffEvery website needs a domain name. Example "WebBootCamp.com" is a domain name. Your domain is your website address, a.k.a. URL (universal resource locator). Should you use your company name for your domain? Maybe, maybe not. Is it memorable? Easy to spell? Does it contain keywords that relate to your business? For more cons...(related: Domain Names)

Detagged Domains
What is a DETAGGED domain name? We get asked this question regularly.Only UK domain names can be...(related: Domain Names)

Signing Up For A Domain Name? Consider Private Registration
A plethora of websites exists to register a domain name. Google 'register domain names' and have a fun-filled time comparing prices. Though price is definitely a consideration when choosing a domain name registrar, it is also important to find a registrar who offers private domain name registration.Registering a domain name requires that the name, address, email address and telephone number of the owner be provided. For an individual this will be their home address information. A company will provide their main business address. Once this information is provided, it is accessible by anyone doing a WHOIS search.PROTECT YOURSELF!Register privately....(related: Domain Names)

Eu-domains For Everybody
Cologne,10 July 2004. ICANN accredited registar Secura announces today, that the company is accepting applications for the sunrise and real time period of eu-domains (https://www.domainregistry.de/eu.html).Sunrise PeriodYou should send now to your applications to secure your rights at the new eu-domains. The eu-domains will be the most important event since the intro...(related: Domain Names)

Choosing Your Domain Name ? Internet Marketing
This is actually an important key to your business and sometimes its success. I will explain why through-out this article.Firstly when choosing a domain name you can use letters, numbers or hyphens however you can't use hyphens at the beginning nor the end of your URL. You can use up to 67 characters.Choosing a smaller domain name will help your website be more easily remembered for repeat vistors (who don't bookmark your website but wish to return). Problem is most of the smaller domain names are taken these days.Choosing a name that is relevant and rich in keywords for your product or service will enhance your chances of ...(related: Domain Names)

How To Buy And Sell Domain Names Part Time For Profit Part 2
Let's just take a quick glimpse at what we've done so far:We've used www.wehavethem.com, www.DeletedDomains.com or www.namewinner.com to locate names that are about to expire or have expired.We've located consumer site names with a large amount of traffic in the past month. We've grabbed them either personally or using an automated grabber to ensure we get the names we want.That whole process has taken you less then an hour. Just a quick search to locate a name and then register it. Easy. (incidentally if you are confident that a name you have purchased is valuable, it ma...(related: Domain Names)