Any Name Will Not Do Today – Don’t be an Average Joe
It’s a competitive world out there and you need to stand out from the crowd and attract the right prospects. Choosing a good website (or ‘domain‘) name can be difficult as there’s a lot to consider, and the best website name depends on your website’s circumstances. Here are the 30 top tips for the right domain name ideas:
Tip #1: Keep it Short
Short domain names are easy to remember and tend to rank best. Even acronyms are better than long names.
Tip #2: Include a Keyword
Including a keyword helps with SEO while providing a description of your business or website.
Tip #3: Make it Easy to Spell
If you choose a name that’s too difficult to spell then visitors may type in the incorrect spelling and land on a different website, or forget your website. Make it easy for prospects!
Tip #4: Be Descriptive
Descriptive domain names immediately describe your business or purpose and attract the right traffic.
Tip #5: Be Memorable
Stick in the mind of your prospects and be different from your competitors.
Tip #6: Make it Easy to Pronounce
This makes it easier to remember and may facilitate word-of-mouth advertising.
Tip #7: Keep it Simple
As Leonardo Da Vinci famously quotes “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” – simple domain names are intuitive and people will instantly get it.
Tip #8: Have Few Syllables
This makes it catchier and easier to remember.
Tip #9: Exclude Hyphens & Numbers
Hyphens and numbers make your domain name less memorable and may forget to include them and land on your competitors’ sites!
Tip #10: Be Unique
Stand out from the crowd and be remembered by your audience.
Tip #11: No Abbreviations
No one will remember how to spell them or where to put them (eg mkt vs market).
Tip #12: Don’t Infringe IP
Check the name has no outstanding intellectual property (i.e. copyright or trademark issues) to prevent future problems or potential legal action; stay safe!
Tip #13: Don’t Restrict Yourself
Be as future-proof as possible and ensure your chosen name represents future growth and your purpose.
Tip #14: Check Social Media
If social media is important to you, check that your desired Twitter, Facebook, etc names are available.
Tip #15: Brainstorm!
Preferably in a group, jot down some ideas.
Tip #16: Use Tools
Try using related words, describing words and more listed here.
Tip #17: Use Geography
Consider including a geographical location. This is particularly important if you’re a business targeting a specific area. You could just use an extension if available.
Tip #18: Use Extensions
.com is usually best, but it really depends. You could consider extensions like countries, cities, .net, .co, or even the increasingly popular .io. If your site is a personal blog then you could use .me, or even .tv for video content.
Tip #19: Check Competition
If competitors all have similar names, pick something that’ll stand out; be different!
Tip #20: Be Creative
If you can’t use your name, turn it into a phrase (e.g. a company name ‘99 Photography’ could be ’99creative.com’).
Tip #21: Represent their needs
Consider your audiences’ demographics and needs rather than choosing an arbitrary name based on a personal whim.
Tip #22: Consider Languages
Ensure the name doesn’t mean different things in different languages or have negative connotations!
Tip #23: Check the Previous Registrar
If you choose a name that has been previously owned, check that it hasn’t been involved in nefarious activities or has penalties.
Tip #24: Check Ambiguities
Double check for subtle bad words.
Tip #25: Ask your Audience
Ask your target audience for ideas or tell them your own suggestions.
Tip #26: Consider Traffic Sources & Goals
If you’re one who creates a landing page as an entire website and sends traffic purely from search traffic, you may want to choose a domain name related to the call-to-action.
Tip #27: Consider Breaking the Rules!
Making up words may be ok in some instances as it’s unique and memorable.
Tip #28: Common Sense Rules
Use your common sense. If something doesn’t sound right, it’s probably not right.
Tip #29: Consider Subdomains
You may want to use a subdomain along with your primary domain.
Tip #30: Don’t Wait!
Your dream domain name could get taken. Use the website name checker to check if a domain name is available.
Remember
There are a few points you need to note before making any decision:
- You need web hosting to host a website on a domain name!
- A domain name will also represent any business emails you may register
- To get a good price, see my recommended domain name service provider in my FREE website start-up guide
Thanks for Reading!
I really appreciate you reading my entire domain name article! This should give you some thought about how to choose the right domain name, the considering factors and some ideas.
I’d suggest seeing the resources that could assist in your domain name endeavour.
If you’re looking at building a website, you should check out my free beginner guide above, and while not use the domain name checker above to have a quick go at searching for some domain names.
Please feel free to share this article so that others can also benefit; I’d really appreciate it!
Thanks,
Nick
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