Choosing a Domain Name
Purchasing a great sounding domain name that has not been registered can be a daunting task. Today, opportunists purchase domain names for the sole purpose of reselling them. The creative domain name you came up with in the middle of the night might already been registered. So, how can you come up with a great domain name that's still available? Here are a few tips.
Consider adding Hyphen between Words
Typically, domain names without hyphens are preferable. But if you must have specific words in your domain name, consider adding hyphen between words. It is more likely that your multi-word domain name be available if you add the hyphens.
Add "Small Words" at the Beginning of your Domain Name
Add words such as my, all, his, the, your, etc. One of my clients wanted the domain name "dreammarriage.com". Unfortunately, the great sounding domain name is not available. As an alternative, she used "mydreammarriage.com" which was still available to purchase.
Add a Descriptive Word at the End of your Domain Name
Use a word that describes what your website is about. This word could be as common as online, web, store, site, etc. Or you can be more descriptive with your word. If you are a design firm, you can add the word design at the end of the domain name. Other descriptive words may include gaming, interactive, art, news, tv, videos, etc.
Use Synonym of your Domain Name
Use a thesaurus to find a synonym of your domain name. One of my clients wanted a domain name with the word journal in it. Instead of using the word "journal", he used the word "diary" instead. Even with a synonym, your word might not be available. Be creative and add words at the beginning or at the end of it.
Add a Common Abbreviation to your Domain Name
I wanted to purchase a domain name with the word "hiking" or "hikes". The website is a guide for hikers in San Diego. My first choice was "sandiegohikes.com". Unfortunately, it was not available. As an alternative, I chose "sdhikes.com". The abbreviation "sd" is common to San Diegan and therefore, appropriate to use for this particular domain name. State or country abbreviations such as, ca and us, can also be used as the beginning or end of a domain name.
Consider Domain Name ending in .net, .org, .us, .tv, etc
Typically, your first choice is to have a domain name ending in ".com". But it does not have to be your only choice. Search engines treat them all the same way. In some cases, by using an ending other than ".com" is more appropriate and easier to remember. A website for a television program can use the ".tv" ending and may result in domain name that is more memorable. It is always good practice to include your domain name in all of your promotional materials to increase awareness of the website.
