Selecting the right domain name for your website can be a frustrating business. It takes time and patience as different variations of the name are crafted, trying to find the one that fits the best. The issue is made worse when the name that is desired is already taken under the .com extension. There are most likely other extensions such as .org or .net available, but do they fit the type of website you are going to run? Here are four tips on how to choose a domain name that works for you.
- Consider carefully the extension that will be used. Users default to typing .com after a website name first out of sheer habit. .Net and .org are the next ones that they will use, but avoid using oddball extensions. You can use a site such as DomainNames.com to test for available extensions.
- Keep the name as short as possible. Having a long name makes it harder for the user to remember as well as opening up the possibility of misspelling. A simple and short URL works in your favor. Make it as easy as possible on the person who will be typing the domain name into the browser.
- Consider using your own name as the URL, especially if you are using it to highlight professional services. A self-named domain will be found easily by users.
Stay away from hyphens as much as possible. Hyphens are used as a means to obtain a domain name that is not available in non-hyphenated form. Too many dashes increases the chance that one will get left out, thus keeping your site from being found.