7 Domain Name Considerations

1. Size Matters

Generally, the shorter your domain name, the better. That’s because it’s easier for people to remember and type in a shorter domain than a longer one. Consider the above example, Pets.com is better than something like PetsPetEmporiumAndPuppyStore.com.

2. Corner The Market On Variations Of Your Domain

If your business can afford it, it’s a good idea to buy as many variations of your domain name as possible. This prevents other people from getting them and also allows you to capture prospective customers who type in your domain name incorrectly because you can simply redirect them to your primary website.

For example, if you own an eyeglasses business called Four Eyes, your primary website should probably be FourEyes.com. But you may also want to buy 4Eyes.com, ForEyes.com, and other similar variations.

3. Avoid Commonly Misspelled Words

In your domain name, try to avoid words people can easily or consistently misspell. This includes words that include such spelling rules as “I before e except after c …” and other frequently misspelled words or phrases.

4. Make It Memorable

The best domains are those that people can remember. When choosing your domain, try to make it as memorable as possible by keeping it simple, highly descriptive, or using clever phrases that make prospective customers sit up and take notice.

5. Building Your Brand

The name of your business or brand may be your first choice for your domain name. This keeps things simple: It’s generally easier for your customers to remember and it can be integrated more easily with your organization’s brand elsewhere within your business.

For example, because it’s already an established brand, the Ford Motor Company uses Ford.com to provide access to all of its products, dealerships, service, media, and everything else related to its business.

6. Limit Your Hyphens

Sometimes you can get the domain you want even if it’s owned by somebody else simply by adding a hyphen or two. For example, DetroitBodyShop.com may be in use, but you might be able to purchase Detroit-Body-Shop.com for your business of the same name.

It’s a good idea to limit the number of hyphens you use, however, because they are difficult for people to type into search engines and some customers may find them confusing. Whenever possible, go with the hyphen-less version of your domain with the .com suffix if it is available.

7. Don’t Forget Cross-branding On Social Media

Once you settle on your domain name, it should essentially define your brand across all platforms. You don’t want to have a different name for your social media accounts than you do for your website, if it can be avoided.

For example, if your domain is OklahomaCheeseCompany.com, it will be easier for your customers to find you on social media and elsewhere if the names for those accounts are exactly the same.

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