Everybody wants to be on the web. These days it’s not just business owners that are looking for a way to announce who they are to the world. Everyone is getting in on the trend – internet savvy teens, doting parents, community groups, and more.

One of the initial steps to making your presence known online is choosing a domain name. It seems like an easy thing to do. The average person would simply add a “.com” to the word or phrase that best describes their product or service and voila! Although this approach could work, it may not generate the results you want. This is especially true if you plan to limit your domain name purchase to one or two domain names for your website, product or service.

Another factor to consider is the tremendous amount of people currently promoting their products and services on the web. The domain name that fits you best may already be taken. What should you do then? Of course, you could choose the “.net,” “.info,” or “.org” version of the name and hope that everyone remembers it. However, since choosing the right name could be the difference between having great success on the web and getting lackluster results, there are a few other points you may want to consider:

1. What terms do people typically type into the Google or Yahoo search box when looking for your product or service? Is the term you chose very generic or could you be more specific? Studies show that a person looking to buy a Mexican blanket is more likely to be attracted to a website called WarmMexicanBlankets.com than one called CuteSnugglyBlankets.com even though they both may carry a similar product line.
2. How long should your domain name be? When thinking about your domain name, you’ll want to keep in mind how the full name will appear on the internet. In other words, consider what your full web address will be. The longer or more complex it is, the harder it will be for people to remember. The most effective choice is often a single, descriptive word. The next best choice is two words. A three-word cap will definitely keep you under the wire for today’s short attention span culture. The exception to that rule would be an easy-to-remember or well-known phrase like www.ItIsDoneUntoYouAsYouBelieve.com.
3. Is it better to use a .com, .net, .biz or .org extension for your domain name? Long gone are the days when you could simply choose a domain name with a .com extension on the end and be done with it. Which one is best? It may surprise you to know that even with all the new extensions, the “.com” domain name is still king. Go with a .com extension whenever possible.
4. Is it a good idea to have a creative web address that includes hyphens or numbers? Simplicity is always best. If your tagline or company name has hyphens or numbers, then customers may be familiar with it. Otherwise, it may confuse them rather than amuse them.

Now that you have a few handy tips on choosing a domain name for your website product or service, you can feel confident about choosing one that will represent you well.

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