subject: Finding the Right Domain Names - Tips to Follow [print this page] Finding the Right Domain Names - Tips to Follow
One frequent complaint among internet entrepreneurs and online businesses is that there are no good domains left free to register. While its true that there is no chance of you stumbling upon a free to register commonly used dictionary word like Cars.com or Chairs.com, it is still possible to get catchy 2-3 word domains in quality extensions that can make your business stand out. The trick is knowing what to look for.
Thinking up original, appealing domain names is as much art as science. If you are of the creative bent of mind, you will in all likelihood find it easier to think up domain names. Your domain should ideally convey not just the gist of your services, but also have carry some of your brand image with it. A combination of keywords plus branding words, consequently, makes for a good domain that is usually easy to find (although you should ideally try to buy your main keyword domain for SEO purposes).
Truth is, today people are a lot more forgiving with the kind of domains you use. Sites like Digg.com, Tumblr.com, etc. have made people accustomed to seeing deliberately misspelled, slightly zany domains that you wouldn't have seen 10 years ago. Use this to your advantage by deliberately misspelling a domain if the exact one you want isn't available. If "Plumber.com" is unavailable, why not pick up "Plumbr.com", if it is free?
Imagery and symbols work great with domain names. PhotoBucket.com, one of the largest photo sharing sites, uses a very evocative domain name. Flickr.com, on the other hand, uses a deliberately misspelled but evocative name. Domains like these can give you a marketing headstart.
Then there are always the prefixes. Usually, you'll find domains with prefixes such as "My + Keyword", "You + Keyword", etc. available. Fortunately, the success of sites such as MySpace.com and YouTube.com have made such domains highly acceptable and even desirable.
So when someone says that the domain they want is unavailable, I just tell them to look a bit harder and experiment - the right domain might be just around the bend.
