Author: Gloria Cohen

What makes a good domain name? It's a name that gives you a
decisive edge over your competitors that they often find hard to
surmount. Your position in your industry can often be dictated
by how good your domain name is. Here are some solid
characteristics of an effective domain name to get you started
in the right direction.

Good domain names are easily memorable from casual conversation.
Something that can be said once and be remembered instantly. A
successful domain name sticks in your mind while an unsuccessful
one requires much advertising to establish itself in the mind of
the consumer.

Apply the 'Short and Simple' theory when devising your domain
name. Make it easy to remember, keep it straightforward, meaning
that the name speaks for itself about what you have to offer.
The length should be shorter as people remember or rather recall
shorter domain names than longer ones. Your domain name should
be something that actually conveys only one idea about what you
are. Limit the name to two words if possible, three words as an
absolute maximum. Remember the idea is to create domain names
people can easily recall and type into their browser.

Go .COM at the end of your domain. Make it your priority to get
a .COM name, as it has become the default extension for most
everyone. The.COM extension seems destined to remain the
standard default extension for commercial websites, at least for
the foreseeable future. Keep in mind that it's second nature for
Internet users to type in .COM in their browsers when they want
to find any site.

Don't add hyphens or special coding to your domain. No one will
remember to put that hyphen or a space in an URL, therefore, if
they try to locate your site without applying needed hyphens,
the obvious action to that result is that they won't locate your
website. When your website isn't located because of an unusual
or complicated domain name, it means one thing. The loss in
sales. The point of a good domain name is to get those people
flocking to your site to generate revenue.

Domain names should carry value. Always remember that perceived
truth is more powerful than the truth itself. A good domain name
tends to heighten the perception of the website's value, sending
a message that quality of your domain name reflects in the
products and services you offer. Think of your domain name as a
'headline' of an article and people will likely judge and visit
your site according to its domain name.

Avoid domain names that are similar or copycat to existing ones.
Not only do you want to avoid legal issues, but want your brand
to be distinct from that of your competitors. Granted it will
take time to come up with a domain name that will work and set
you apart from the others selling the same product or services
as you.

Use your domain name to position yourself on the Web. If your
domain name reflects your site's core benefits and instantly
communicates how different you are from others, your URL will be
positioned above the competition in the minds of your market.

Never use a 'free' domain name. This will be the worst mistake
you can make when setting up your business online. Believe it or
not, when consumers are researching online and see that your URL
is with a free site or sites of lesser quality, will quickly
turn away. In other words, if people notice that your site is
hosted with the 'freebies', they will only assume that your
product or service is just as cheap, or worse that you don't
actually respect your products and services that you are
offering. If you don't believe in your products, your own target
market won't either.

Don't make the mistake of attempting to retrofit your domain
name to your website. You should have your domain name first and
then your business name should be the same as your domain name.
You would think that most people would have their domain name
exactly the same as their business name. That isn't the case.
Many online sites were not able to get domain names the same as
their business names as they were not available due to others
currently using those particular names online. Hence the
importance of making sure you have your domain first, then you
will be able to have the same name for your website. There are
domain names out on the market for sale that you may be able to
purchase, but a word to the wise, some of these names come with
a hefty price tag. Make sure that the name you select truly
reflects your business goals and philosophy.

In conclusion, your domain name in itself is the ultimate
marketing brand and is in fact, the most important marketing
tool you will possess. Always remember that your domain name
also gives the first impression for your customers and that
alone makes an impression before your customers even reach your
website. Without further ado, choose your domain name carefully
and wisely, add credibility from the get-go and you should fare
off very well.





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