Choosing a biz domain name is an early task that is critical to your online success. There are some common domain name mistakes that you need to avoid. Don’t take this task lightly, it is difficult to fix it if you make a mistake! Take the time to do your research and select a great name, no maktter how long it takes you.
Your biz domain name has many purposes. You want it to be congruent with your brand. You want a name that you can get to the top of the search engine results. And you want to generate maximum web traffic.
I generally start by brainstorming to come up with a long list of potential names, getting other people involved with this process to get a broad range of input. Then I use GoDaddy to see which names are already taken and crossing them off my list. Unfortunately, many of your favorite names will probably be taken, especially the short and common names. Finding a name that isn’t taken is the most difficult part of the process.
Go through your list of available biz domain names, and see which ones contain the following 5 common domain name mistakes. Eliminate them from your list.
1. A domain name that is hard to spell or pronounce. When you verbally give your domain name to someone they should be able to spell it correctly without any ambiguity. It should also be easy to remember.
2. Not registering plural and hyphenated versions of your biz domain name. This is dangerous because if you don’t register them, your competitors will. As a result, they will steal some of your traffic, legally! Domain names are not expensive so don’t skimp on this step.
3. Choosing a biz domain name that doesn’t end in .com. If the .com extension is not available, go back to your list and pick a different name. Don’t settle for second tier extensions like .info, associated with hackers and spammers, .bz, .net, .ws, etc.
4. Choosing a domain that doesn’t contain your main key term. This gets into search engine optimization. Basically, you’ll get a higher relevance score if your main key term is in your domain name. This is important because higher relevance means more natural traffic from the search engines.
5. Not buying your personal name. This should be in addition to any business domain names. Do this for yourself and your kids. Even if you won’t use this domain right away, you want to register it now before someone else with the same name grabs it! Use the form FirstLast.com.
Your biz domain name is a very important aspect of your online success. Avoiding these 5 domain name mistakes is well worth the time you will spend to choose the right name.
Bonus Tip: After getting your domain name, you’ll want to generate highly targeted traffic to your new website.
Tags: domain name, domain registration, Internet marketing, online marketing
