Good Domain Name Choices Are More Memorable & Better Promote Your Firm
Here are some guidelines to selecting the best domain name.
.com is by far the most recognized and best
Select your exact business name, rather than promote two differing names, a business name and domain name
Avoid hyphens
Shorter, fewer characters, is better
Top Level Domain (TLD): Select .com
DOT COM (.com) is best; it is always what all Web visitors will presume. When domain names are bought or sold, .com is the primary consideration. However, if you are a network operator, .net is most appropriate; if a non-profit, maybe .org; and a school should have .edu.
The Number Of Characters
Easy to remember is best; fewer characters almost always is easier to remember. If you ever chose to sell a domain name, the length is the secondary consideration.
Length Of Words
Which words compose the domain name you are considering? Are they short? Simple? Memorable? Describe your business - or the products or services?
Number of Words
Count the number of words that comprise your domain name. Unless very descriptive, fewer is better.
Does Any Firm Own A Shorter Version?
If you are considering a domain name with more than one word, who owns the other, shorter versions of the name, e.g. the one, two, or three word versions? For example, if you were considering NetworkEquipmentResellers.com - who owns Network.com and NetworkEquipment.com?
Number of Hyphens
Web visitors prefer not to type hyphens and find them hard to remember. We suggest you avoid them, although even large firms, such as Delta Air Lines used delta-air.com before they finally purchased delta.com!
Word Length & Ease Of Spelling
This plays on the length of words in characters, but also the ease with which your targeted Web visitors can accurately spell your domain name.
Industry Value & Terminology
One method of naming is to select a name that describes your product or service. Other possibilities are standard, descriptive industry terminology. Another is to choose the latest of industry buzzwords, which could accelerate name recognition or backfire if the term fall from favor.
Common Usage
Usage relates the semantic relevance to typical online activities, such as "Shopping" or "e-Commerce". Examples include terms, such as "software", "construction", "CPA" or "Biz".
Name Availability
If the name is taken in .COM, you may wish to consider .NET, .BIZ, or .ORG. A name that is already taken in one or more of these TLDs will garner a higher value based on the assumption that this indicates that the name is more desirable.
Web Frequency of Terms
The frequency with which similar domain name appear on the web, containing many of the same words, can confuse Web visitors and dilute the online recognition of your name.
Search Frequency
Look up the frequency with which your domain name appears - as a text search - in search engines, such as Google, Bing/MSN, Yahoo!, etc. Therefore, if your proposed company name and domain were sincerelyyours.com, look up "Sincerely Yours" on search engines and note how much noise - extra unrelated search results - might exist confuse your target audience and prevent them from finding your firm.
Select MediaFirst for a personal touch to domain registration, Websites, and hosting
MediaFirst registered domain names, hosts Websites, and manages e-mail for: UTSpos.com, FutureStarsSoccer.com, JustHappy.com, PeachtreeFlooring.com, PeachyLiving.com, SiaOne.com, and MediaFirst.net.
We offer domain name registration, domain renewal, domain transfer, DNS management, bulk name transfers, and domain name management. We have a limited number of domains for sale. Get your Web address, let us help you find a domain name, set up personalized e-mail, host a Web site, find a design or graphic artist, and build an effective Web presence.
Call Jim at 770/642-2080 for guidance or to acquire a domain name.
MediaFirst offers a range of services to support your Web presence and online marketing efforts. Services include Websites, design, development, hosting, SEO, online advertising, and conversion consulting. Partners include Rackspace, OpenSRS for Domain Name Registration, Acquia for Drupal hosting and support, and Hubspot for inbound marketing methodology and analytics.
