Tips on Domain Name Selection
With more than 33 million domain names out there already, it can seem overwhelming to come up with a domain name for your new website. Many common names have been taken already and others may be protected under a trademark, making them unavailable to you. Employ some creative thinking to come up with a list of names for your site that are descriptive, original and search-engine friendly. Next, search each potential name on a domain registrar's website to find out which are available.
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Make it Memorable
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A short domain name is easier to spell, type and remember, so visitors will be more likely to find your site again. Be cautious about creative spellings because visitors may remember the name but not the spelling. You may use your company name or descriptive words that will help the search engines find your site. For example, if your company is called Bob's Emporium, and you sell wine glasses, your domain may be "BobsWineGlasses.com."
Avoid Trademarked Names
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Many trademarks are designed to protect similar sounding versions or spellings of a business or product name. Run a trademark search on the U.S. Patent Office's website. If you find something that looks or sounds very close to your potential domain name, consider changing it. The alternative could be a lengthy legal battle that may result in you having to change the domain well after it has been established in the marketplace.
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Avoid Using Hyphens
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Some people believe that hyphens can make your domain appear spammy, or ill reputed. Hyphens can also make your website difficult to remember. Potential visitors may remember the words without the hyphen, or they may remember that there is a hyphen, but forget where it is placed.
Browse Different Domain Endings
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Domains that end in ".com" are the most popular, but sometimes it can be difficult to secure the domain you want. If your desired domain is not available with a ".com" ending, try ".org," ".net" or ".co." If you are targeting a specific country, you may consider a country specific domain ending such as ".ca" for Canada.
Check the Domain's History
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If a domain name has been used before by a person or company that used spammy practices, the domain may be blacklisted by search engines. This means that regardless of your efforts, your domain will not show up in any search results. Visit Internet Archive's website and search for the domain name. Here you can view the history of the website to help determine if it was legitimate.
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References
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