subject: Six Rules For Selecting The Ideal Domain Name [print this page] For creative business owners, enterprising bands, and bloggers who want to hit it big, the web is a major land of opportunity. People of a shocking variety of backgrounds can find their niches online, and aside from community-building and getting crucial information, users can contribute on the other end of things. Whether it's financing bills or rent running a highly successful Etsy shop or getting attention from one's idols by creating a high profile blog, the world of the world wide web is one where hard work and the right kind of networking can take anyone considerably far. However, it's important to manage one's web presence well, including choosing the best domain name, so that it's possible to get the most traffic possible and have one's website remembered if it's mentioned in conversation. Here are six rules for selecting ideal domain names that will keep visitors coming back.
#1 - Those in the world of business need to do their best to actually snag the proper name, not a random catchphrase or something unrelated to what a company, store, or business is actually called. If someone is looking for a particular type of clothing or a restaurant and they end up directed to a competitor's page that actually has the proper name, it might mean losing out on a sale. So try to be the first one to strike, and register the right name early to avoid this kind of situation.
#2 - Sticking with the .com is the best bet, no matter the project. While people sometimes will type .net after a .com site doesn't load, the general public is more likely to start out typing .com and then not bother doing anything else. Don't let a Google stand in between someone who wants to see content and the site that holds it. People's attention spans require that they successfully reach a site on the first try, and having the .com means that's more likely to happen.
#3 - Don't have a drawn-out name. No one out there is choosing a business name like Steve and Dave's Motorcycle Repair in Chicago Illinois, so there's no reason to choose a domain name that is steveanddavesmotorcyclerepairinchicago.com. Keep it simple, concise, and ensure that people will be able to remember the address and get to it every single time. The more letters there are, the more potential for a typo, too.
#4 - Do a bit of Googling ahead of time to make sure there's nothing off-color that's a few different letters away from one's own chosen .com title. There's nothing worse than finding out that a search for a wholesome good or service can quickly turn into an unintended brush with the wrong kind of content. Don't make that kind of mistake, as there is only one chance to make an online first impression.
#5 - Consider registering multiple domain names. For those who are trying to drive a lot of traffic to a site, it's possible to redirect to the official page by purchasing multiple names that people might search by. This works best when multiple names aren't promoted, but when it's possible for people to capture more of the market in terms of where to point visitors.
#6 - Don't stray too far from the name of a band/product/business. This goes for more than just those who are in the game for official work-related web presences. If a URL is too different than the title of a site, then there is going to be a disconnect that doesn't really help anyone.
