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Featured Domain Names Articles

Choosing an Effective Domain Name
Effective Domain Names Choosing an effective domain name is just as important as choosing a company name or even the line of business itself. There are a number of guidelines that you must adhere to that we will look at, but apart from those, you have ...

Selection A Domain Name That Clicks!
Permission is given to add this article to your website or online newsletter only. Do not change content. Leave resource box. Please notify the author when the article is published.------------------------------------------------Selecting A Domain Name ...

The Benefits of having a country Top Level Domain(tld) name
Most new websites tend to look for a domain name with a .com or .net tld (Top Level Domain). They feel this gives the site a more professional appearance and will appeal to a more international audience and in many cases this is true. However, it can also ...




8 Tips for Choosing a Domain Name
 
If you're just starting out on the Internet choosing a domain name is one of the first major decisions you will have to make. I won't say that choosing a name for your site will determine the overall success or failure of your online business. It will, however, affect almost every aspect of your business. Finding a good domain name requires extensive planning.

I would like to offer some tips for successfully choosing a domain name:

1) Use the .COM extension. This is still the number one choice for the majority of online businesses. While, .NET, .ORG,.INFO,.BIZ, and .US are viable alternatives they are not as widely recognized as .COM. The .COM extension will immediately give you and your business more credibility. Also, because we are creatures of habit many people automatically include .COM when typing in almost any web address, so why not capitalize on human nature?

2) Keep it Short. Whenever possible your domain name should not be longer than 13-15 characters, numbers, or hyphens. It is much more difficult for the average person to remember longer variations of a web address.

3) Make it Sticky. You want your domain name to be easy to remember. Make it stick out in people's minds. Be creative. Be Unique.

4) Minimize Confusion. You should never lose a prospective customer because they misspelled your domain name, or they used the wrong extension. If you can afford it, register other variations of your domain name and have them redirect to your main site.

5) Include Keywords in Your Domain Name. Try to include at least 1 and if possible 2 keywords in your domain name. Many of the experts believe this can help with the way some of the search engines index and rank your site.

6) Be Descriptive. Your domain name should have something to do with your business. Make it descriptive of your site, your product offerings, or your service.

7) Search for Deleted Domain Names: Domain names that were once registered but have expired turn up every day. With some research you might be able to find one of these names that would be a good fit for your business. You can search for deleted domains at http://www.deleteddomains.com

8) Check for Trademarks. You should do this before registering your domain name. Search as many existing trademarks as possible and look for possible conflicts. Obviously you want to choose a name that is unlikely to cause you any legal problems. Trademark research can be done at the following sites:

U.S Patent and Trademark Office - http://www.uspto.gov

Thomas Register - http://www.thomasregister.com

The Trademark Association - http://www.inta.org

Nameprotect - http://www.nameprotect.com

If you need help with researching your domain names try the following websites:

1) Nameboy - http://www.nameboy.com

2) GoDaddy - http://www.godaddy.com

Both Nameboy and GoDaddy are well-known registrars and will allow you to search for and register domain names.

You can register a domain name today for less than it costs for a nice lunch. There is really no reason not to put forth the effort and money to register a domain name that you can begin building your online presence with.

Your domain name is your first chance to build credibility with your visitors. Keep in mind that you never get a second chance to make a great first impression.

Remember, choosing your domain name is one of the most important first steps you will take in building your online presence. Make it a step forward. Happy Hunting!

About the Author
David Cooper is the editor of the 1Source-WebMarketing Newsletter. David specializes in helping people with their internet marketing efforts by offering real world tips and strategies. Subscribe to his FREE newsletter at: http://www.1source-webmarketing.com



Domain Names News


TheHostingNews.com

Group looks for help in evaluating new domain names
The Hill (blog)
By Brendan Sasso - 02/08/12 11:12 AM ET The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) asked for volunteers on Tuesday to help evaluate whether applicants for new Web domain endings should qualify for a reduced application fee.
ICANN Seeks Volunteers for TLD EvaluationsTheHostingNews.com (press release)
Defending trademarks on the internet: new generic top-level domains present ...Lexology (registration)

all 5 news articles »

DealDash buys defunct Swoopo.com domain name (and 22 other end user sales)
Domain Name Wire
Register your domain names with Searchen Networks Inc., Check domain name availability. Search for domain names. Domain Name Wire is the Domain Name Industry's News Source. Remember Swoopo.com, the auction site where you had to pay for each bid?

and more »

Grocery chain wins first .XXX UDRP case
Domain Name Wire
Register your domain names with Searchen Networks Inc., Check domain name availability. Search for domain names. Domain Name Wire is the Domain Name Industry's News Source. HEB Grocery Company, headquartered in San Antonio, is the first complainant to ...

and more »

University of Hawaii urges state lawmakers to deter fraudulent use of domain names
The Republic
She explains that UH has been victimized by unknown attackers who have been maliciously using the domain name to misrepresent the state institution. Greenwood's written testimony asks the committee to consider amending the bill to include fraudulent ...

and more »

Hey NAF, this is a classic example of reverse domain hijacking
Domain Name Wire
Register your domain names with Searchen Networks Inc., Check domain name availability. Search for domain names. Domain Name Wire is the Domain Name Industry's News Source. Respondent wins but should have gotten more than that.

and more »