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How To Choose a Domain Name

Contributed by James Hold    Sep 10, 2004
James is eVerity's President and Lead Account Manager.

This is the most important decision you will make. You can not succeed without a well thought-out domain name. Your domain is how your customers will find you, perceive you, and remember you. It will follow you wherever you go. It is your brand name, and if you change it later you will have to start rebuilding your brand all over again.

Always choose a name that ends in .com. These are hard to find because so many have been registered, but it will be worth it in the long run. .Com is automatically assumed. It is the sign of an established business.

You want a domain name that is easy to remember, to spell, and to verbally communicate. It should not contain hyphens, as people tend to forget their placement or leave them out. It should be spelled the way it sounds. If you are not sure, say it to a few people and see if they can spell it correctly on their first try. Only use that name if everyone gets it right. Keep it short, preferably no more than 10 characters.

Your domain name can be based on the name of your business. If your actual name is already taken, or simply doesn't make a good domain name, you could try using abbreviations or adding your organization type to the end, such "inc" or "llc." Adding a word like "online" is also acceptable.

If you can't use your business name, you could try using a descriptor of your business. For example, if you service a geographic location, add that into your business name. Some examples: ohioart.com, atlantafurniture.com. If that doesn't work, and you don't have many competitors, use a word that describes what you do. If you do have a lot of competitors you can incorporate a word that makes your business unique.

Coming up with a good domain name is a challenge. It can be frustrating. Don't rush it. Narrow it down to 5 or 10 possibilities, and then think about it for a few days. Above all, remember to keep it as short, intuitive, and as memorable as possible.

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