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.

    Copyright 2004 Jeff Schuman

    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

    • More Resources

    Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

    More Domain Names Information:

    Related Articles

    The truth about hyphenated domain names
    There is a lot of confusion about the use of hyphens being used in domain names. While researching hyphenated domain names I found a lot of conflicting information so I will give you a distilled view of what is currently believed to be the facts regarding hyphens in domains.
    Choosing A Domain Name
    --About Domain Names--Choosing a domain name for your web site is a major step for any individual or organization. You need domain names that are sticky, short, meaningful, easy to remember and at the roll of your tongue!It is very easy to choose a domain name but difficult to find a good name, simply because of the fact that most of the good domain names are taken up by organisations.
    Its Raining ccTLDs
    By now you've probably noticed the onslaught of unfamiliar domain name extensions popping up here and there. Like most domain name professionals, you've probably sat at your computer pondering whether or not you should kick out the extra cash to register some of these domain names.
    Secrets of Expired Domain Name Traffic
    One of the biggest challenges to a webmaster is how to generate traffic. More traffic to your website equates to more sales.
    Why to Register md-Domains?
    What is .md?.
    Public Domain - Internet Gold Mine
    With the advent of the internet and the ease of which information can readily be downloaded and compiled you would think that more people would realize that the public domain is a source of wonderful wealth that can be tapped into for huge profits.I have spent the last 4 years "discovering" little known secrets of this information that is readily available to those who know where to look.
    Protect Your Domain Name or Risk Losing It
    Your domain name is an important part of your brand and identity. Losing it could be disastrous! Yet, month over month we see people lose their domain name, either because they ignore or forget to renew them, or do not keep their contact information - especially their email address - current and up to date.
    How to Conduct a Domain Name Search and Why Your Domain Name Matters for Long Term Branding
    Creating a website is not just about designing your pages and including all the important information, it is also about creating a domain name that relates to your products and services and that is also easy to remember and spell for your customers. A domain name that is easy to remember will have more return customers and more word of mouth advertising than domain names which are hard to spell, remember, or both.
    Get Your Own Domain Name Or Die Online
    Would you buy from someone with an "@yahoo.com" e-mail address? I wouldn't.
    How To Make Great Money Part Time Buying And Selling Domain Names - Part One
    This truly is the business to get into in 2005. It's a red hot opportunity that savvy investors can make a killing on when you know how.
    All-time Record of Domain Registrations
    The number of registered domains has reached an all-time high of more than 60 million domain names worldwide.Figures show that country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) are the fastest growing market, while general demand for new domains remains strong.
    .info Freedom Frenzy
    Whether you're someone that registers domain names on a regular basis, or you're a person looking to register one domain name for your website or business, then it's likely that you've encountered the free .info registrations taking place at several registrars.
    Domain Name Trademarks
    As your Internet business grows, the value of your domain name increases. The issue of a domain name trademark should move to the top of your list.
    Domain Name Registration Explained
    Registering a domain name is a pretty straight forward process. In fact the hardest part of registering a domain name is coming up with a name that has not already been registered.
    Whats in a Domain Name?
    You've decided to start up your own website. You've weighed all of your options, and have come to the conclusion that you want to purchase web space for your site.
    What's In A Domain Name?
    Choosing a domain name is a very important first step for anyone starting a business on the Internet. This name is the first impression that strangers are going to have about you and your business.
    Protecting Your Domain Names
    Domain Dispute is no longer news unless a Madonna or Julia Roberts type of celebrity gets involved. However, greater now than ever is the risk for domain registrants to lose their domain names when they get involved in a domain dispute.
    Domain Names and Longevity
    It begins as an idea -- a company name, a business venture, a personal project. You research available domain name options, choose the one you want, and finally register it.
    Selling a .co.uk Domain Name via Sedo
    Selling a .co.
    8 Tips for Choosing a Domain Name
    If you're just starting out on the Internet, choosing a domain name is one of the first major decisions you will have to make. I won't say that choosing a name for your site will determine the overall success or failure of your online business.