Domain Names--Points To Consider When Choosing One by Ba Kiwanuka
Domain Name Registration
Not too long ago I used to preach and practice that you should "Never register
your domain name through your web hosting company however attractive the deal
might appear" Why? Because in the past it was not uncommon for web
hosts to react somewhat angrily to the idea of you transferring those ooooh
so delicious annual registration fees to a competitor.
But times have changed...the web has matured...web hosting services have
matured. Most recognize the fact that the big bucks come with providing quality
service.
And what's more some very reputable web hosting companies provide some very
attractive domain registration packages coupled with hosting.
So go ahead and take advantage of those cheap domain registration/web hosting
packages...so long as the hosting company is well known and reputable.
If you ever do find yourself in a domain transfer battle you can contact the
International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
Another thing to consider when registering your domain name is not to rely
solely on your domain name register to ensure that the domain name you have in
mind is available and does not infringe on someone else's trademark rights
(unless you enjoy being sued). To be doubly sure your domain name has no
trademark infringement issues, after conducting a search for its availability
on your domain name register's website, you can also check at the United States
Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) http://www.uspto.gov
.
When registering your domain name it's a good idea to register it for more than
one year. The reason being that, other than the usual discounts you get for
multi-year registrations from most domain name registers, Google (and perhaps
the other search engines) consider multi-year registered domains as less likely
to be spam sites. Consequently, right off the bat your site will have a search
engine advantage (at least with Google), such as a shorter evaluation period in
the Google Sandbox.
A final note about domain name registration; there are plenty of domain name
registration companies out there, all eager and equally willing to register
your new name. Domain name registration prices range from as little as $10 a
year up to $35 per year and beyond. Generally there is little point in opting
for the more expensive registers because you more or less get the same service.
In fact some of the cheaper domain name registration companies provide better
quality service.
However whatever service you use, make sure that your domain name is registered
in your name. Some less scrupulous domain registration services have been known
to register new domains with their own information. You can verify that your
domain is registered with your particulars at:
http://www.internic.net/whois.html
.
The Domain Name Game
So what kind of domain name do you want? Do you want to pick a domain name
incorporated with a targeted keyword, or do you want to take the
memorable-brand route that the likes of Google, Yahoo and Amazon (to name but a
few) have done with astounding success. Well, if your website is going to be
business related or involved in some form of commerce it makes sense to have a
well-searched-for-keyword incorporated within the domain name. The majority of
online businesses are still found through search engine queries. By and large
though, a good rule of thumb is to incorporate the most searched for term (for
your market) in your domain name.
The shorter your domain name the more memorable it's going to be. However
you'll discover that most one-word/two-word domain names have been snatched up
already. One alternative you've got is to hyphenate your targeted keyword with
another word. The jury is still out about hyphens though, but most seo experts
concur that hyphenating a string of words makes a long domain name more search
engine friendly. The downside is that when it comes to word-of-mouth
dissemination most folks won't bother including those pesky hyphens, with the
resulting consequence that intended referrals to your domain could end up on
your competitor's doorstep. So as you can see, the whole process of naming your
domain is a fine balancing act.
Cutesy Artsy Domain Names
There's a budding artist in all of us waiting for just the right moment and
place to show the world we are the new Leonardo da Vinci. Be that as it may,
but naming your domain is not the place to express that inner artist. Avoid
cutesy names interspersed with numbers in place of words (e.g., 4 instead of
for), they'll only confuse potential customers and torment you with heaps of
regret somewhere down the road. In fact the best rule of thumb is to avoid
numbers in your domain name altogether. However, if on the other hand your
domain functions merely as a cyber-platform to let an uncaring world know you
exist, then by all means let loose!
Bottom line...your domain name is your online identity, so try to choose
something that is memorable, fares well with the search engines, and also
inspires confidence and respect.
To Dot.com or Not to Dot.com
These days there're more and more choices for domain name extensions. This is
great news because it is getting increasingly difficult to find a good domain
name ending in .com that runs under twenty letters (okay that might be a wee
bit of an exaggeration but you get the point). However the drawback with using
anything other than a .com extension is human nature. You see people are
creatures of conditioning and habit, and given a choice of precisely similar
domain names, (other than the extension) you can bet most of us will
instinctively beeline for the domain name with the .com extension--Without
question the .com extension is the most recognizable.
Also think twice before settling for a top level country code domain such as
co.uk. Unless you are located in that region and ship primarily within the
area, such a domain name could have a negative impact on your business. Think
about it...a potential customer based in the U.S. or another part of the world
is not going to relish the prospect of forking out a mini fortune for shipping
and handling fees when they can easily find a more local competitor. In the
same vein try not to regionalize your domain name (unless your business caters
to a market found only within that region) because you'll probably lose
potential customers who reside elsewhere.
On a final note, if you anticipate a lot of your traffic is going to come via
word-of-mouth referral, you might consider registering similar domain names and
redirecting to your main url (e.g. www.africasafarizone.com and
www.africansafarizone.com) before cyber-squatters (people who register domain
names in hopes of selling them for a profit) get wind of your growing success
and beat you to it.
Find A
Quality Domain Name Registration Provider
About the Author
Ba Kiwanuka is the webmaster of http://www.internetbusinessmart.com
