Choosing a Domain Name

January 11, 2010 pmiorm Business, Entrepreneurs, 1

So you want to buy a domain, do you? Well, there are a few very relevant things to consider. First of all, do you have an established product name? If so, you’ll probably want to purchase a domain containing that name if possible. For example, if I manufacture a rocket launcher called the Fire Belching Dragon, I would likely want to buy something like firebelchingdragon.com. This is not necessarily true in all cases, but for the most part, you want to think of what people will type when they think of your product…then buy that domain. If I sell the Fire Belching Dragon through a website called superdiscountrocketlaunchersandmore.com, my customers may have a hard time remembering the connection. If I were to attempt to buy firebelchingdragon.com and find that it is owned by a guy in Ohio who sells dragon statues, then I could contact him and offer to buy the name. A domain name owner is under no obligation to sell the name, but they may be willing, so it’s worth it to ask. Just be prepared to potentially pay significantly more than the standard price. You’ll have to make the judgment call to determine if it will be worth it.

What about long domain names? Many entrepreneurs argue that multiword domain names are too difficult for the average customer to remember. This can certainly be true. And some long names get somewhat laborious to type. But short, acronym names can also be tricky. If I try to sell my rocket launcher on a site with a short name like fbd.com (short for Fire Breathing Dragon), people may still have a hard time remembering the name. And this would be particularly true for a name like drlam.com (short for discountrocketlaunchersandmore.com). People would probably think that drlam.com was a website for Dr. Lam, whoever that is. So you must find a nice balance…a name that has relation to its purpose and can be easily remembered, regardless of the length. That means that travel.com could be effective, as well as a name like europeantravelspecialists.com.

Picking a domain name can be an exciting opportunity, and it doesn’t have to be entirely frustrating. Some people have found that enlisting the help of a success team, such as the internet consulting experts at Professional Marketing International, can help ensure a wise choice and successful integration. Just remember that your domain name is essentially your online storefront, so it is important to find the right word or combination of words for it to be memorable and accessible.

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