Spectrum Global Services

What is a domain name?

A domain name is the web address of your site, usually preceded by a “www.” For example: www.yahoo.com and www.google.comare two popular domain names.

The “right domain name” for an online business would be one that contributes towards enhancing your image and towards your marketing efforts. It helps in bringing more traffic to your web site. The basic principle is the three S’s- Short, Smart, and Significant!

The motivating factor behind choosing a right domain name is this simple question: “How easy is my Web site to access?” Domain name is the primary point of access for a Web site, and if a domain name is difficult to associate with entity’s name, contains commonly misspelled or even words that are difficult to spell, or lengthy, it is likely that many potential Web site visitors may never reach your Web site just by virtue of the domain name you have selected.

Guidelines for Selecting a Domain Name

There are a few general guidelines, some common sense, which should be taken into consideration when selecting a domain name:

1. Make the Domain Unique – Having your website confused with a popular site already owned by someone else is a recipe for disaster. Thus, never choose domains that are simply the plural, hyphenated or misspelled version of an already established domain. Avoid Copyright Infringement this is a mistake that isn’t made too often, but can kill a great domain and a great company when it does. To be sure you’re not infringing on anyone’s copyright with your site’s name, visit copyright.gov and search before you buy.

2. Ease of association – The average individual should be able to easily associate entity’s name with domain name and vice versa. Always choose a domain name that closely resembles the name of one’s business or organization. Domain names that are difficult to associate with the name of your business or organization can make your Web site potentially difficult for visitors to access.

3. Keep it “short and sweet” – The shorter the site name, the easier it is for a customer to type and most importantly, remember. This also means, the easier it is for that customer to refer other customers to your site. The internet is all about speed and convenience, so choose domain name along those same lines. Make the process of referencing, and getting to your website as painless and effortless as possible for your new customer.

1. Related to category – Your domain name should give some idea of the business you are in, and what your web site is about. When someone hears about your domain name for the first time, they should be able to instantly and accurately guess at the type of content that might be found there. For Example domain names like Hotmail.com, CareerBuilder.com, AutoTrader.com and WebMD.com. The two famous web based brands Yahoo! and Amazon defy this rule. You can’t tell that Yahoo! would be the name of a search engine and Amazon would be a book store. But don’t let this change your mind. Amazon and Yahoo! have the advantage of being the pioneers in their chosen categories, along with consistent brand building efforts and a commitment for quality.
2. Keywords – Selecting a domain name that contains one or more of the keywords you plan to use in marketing your Web site can have a positive effect on the search engine ranking your Web site is able achieve. Use the tool that follows to test the popularity of different keywords currently being searched for:  Keyword Tool.

Brainstorm at least 5 Top Keywords: When you first begin your domain name search, it helps to have 5 terms or phrases in mind that best describe the domain you’re seeking. Once you have this list, you can start to pair them or add prefixes & suffixes to create good domain ideas.

1. Dot What? – There are many different extensions available right now. For businesses, recommend one is .com suffix. It is the first extension that most people try when searching for a Website. With the exception of the very tech-savvy, most people who use the web still make the automatic assumption that .com is all that’s out there - don’t make the mistake of locking out or losing traffic to these folks. Also, since it is one of the oldest extensions, .com shows that your business has been around for a while and that you have a well-established presence on the Web.
2. Use an Ajax Domain Selection Tool – Websites like AJAXWhois and Domjax make it exceptionally easy to determine availability of a domain name - just remember that you don’t have to buy through these services. You can find a name you like that are available, and then go to your registrar of choice.

8. Alphabetical considerations – A instead of Z: If you intend to rely heavily on search engine traffic, like the majority of web sites on the net today, you may also want to consider the alphabetical order of the name. A name starting with “A” would be listed on the top of a directory, while “Z” would go right at the bottom. This may make a big difference on the amount of traffic you can draw from directories.