11 Tips For Choosing The Right Domain Name
Start by brainstorming
Pick at least five main words or phrases that describe your
blog topic. Write them down, then mix and match these words to invent domain
names. Choose the one that sounds good and will be memorable. There’s a rule in
advertising that says when launching a new product, you need to start by making
a list of 10 names. The first three are easy. Maybe you can do five or six
without breaking a sweat, but by the time you get to last one, you’ll be stuck
for more ideas. Using the outline described above, pick the best one from your list
and you are on your way.
Choose a unique name
Using a search engine, like Google, search out your proposed
blog name. Does your search show any sites with similar names? If it does, then
make sure you try a different name. Giving your blog a name that’s similar to
other existing sites is the first step to failure. Also, don’t choose names
that are plural or misspelled versions of existing sites.
Make it easy to type
If you have to spell the name out more than once, it won’t
work. Keep the name as easy to remember and type in a search field or address
bar as possible. You don’t want your future visitors to incorrectly type in
your name and be directed to a totally different site. For example: Popular
social site, Flickr.com, was started in 2005. Four years later, the company had
to acquire Flicker.com for a large amount of money in order to redirect
visitors who misspelled their name. If you’re determined to have that oddly
spelled name, then make sure the domain names for common misspellings are
available as well, so you can register them and redirect visitors to the main
domain.
Choose “dot com” first
52 percent of all websites are “dot.com” domains. It’s still
the preferred extension and the easiest to remember. If your top name choice
isn’t available, then try your second choice before accepting another TLD.
Remember that some browsers accept address-only entries in their address bar.
If you type just the domain name (and who knows how many of your users will just
do that?) they will return, by default, to the .com site.
Make it brandable
Your domain name represents your brand. Some names speak for
themselves—when you hear the name, you know what the blog is about.
Shorter is always better
As we’ve said before, shorter is better. If you can’t get
your domain name down to one memorable word (almost impossible to come by these
days), then consider adding one, or at maximum, two more words. Combinations of
two words work great for the memorable names like LifeHacker.com or
GeekSquad.com. Also, don’t use an acronym. People rarely remember the letters
unless it’s an exceptionally catchy name.
Avoid trademark problems
Once you’ve chosen your top choices for your blog name, you
have to make sure you’re not violating anyone’s trademarks. To check within
United States, visit uspto.gov/trademarks and do the search before you register
the name. This problem is not that common for bloggers, but it’s always good to
check now, because this could kill a great blog and business down the road.
Also, if you are going to create a blog about a big-name product, such as
WordPress or Facebook, review their terms and conditions. Most will not allow
you to use their name in any part of your domain (sorry—no wordpresshacker.com
site allowed).
No numbers and hyphens
Numbers and hyphens (especially hyphens) cause confusion.
Avoid them at all cost. Even something as clever as the number1blogger. com
will cause confusion. Make the name speak for itself.
It’s not always good tofollow new trends
It’s not always good to follow new trends. Anything that
deals with something trendy will, like the trend, fade away. Stick with a
classic name that will span the decades and not be tied down to a trend or fad.
Marry your domain name
You have to be 100-percent certain that you love your domain
name. Once it’s set, you’ll be wedded to it for years to come. If you decide
later to rename it, then you will lose time, money, brand equity and rankings.
We do not recommend changing your domain once your blog has been live long
enough to have ained a following.
Check social networks
Before you register your desired domain name, it’s always a
good idea to check social networks to see if the same name is being used. To
keep your blog name constant and to build your brand, you want a name that is
readily available. For example: check facebook.com/ yourdomain,
twitter.com/yourdomain and secure them as well. KnowEm is a great tool to use to
see if certain names are already branded on social platforms.