How to pick the right domain name. Choose the correct domain.

What is a domain name and how to pick the correct one.

First things First - Your Name of your Website Your Domain Name

You have to think of an idea that you will like. Something that appeals to you. It might be a hobby, a sport, work related, or just something you always wanted to try. Something you are very interested in. This would make it fun for you when you design your site.

If you are looking to get lots of traffic, try and find a name that is associated with your type of website. My website is websiteuse.com and it is associated with website design. I have the keyword "website" which will help you later on with search engines.

Once you think about your great idea, you need to search for a name you would like to call your website. Keep in mind, you should think of several different names because your name might already be taken. We are talking about your website address. Just like mine websiteuse.com This is called a Domain Name.

Once you come up with different idea's, you need to see of they are available. Again, make sure its something you are really interested in, and it makes perfect sense in your website name. You can check it HERE.

What is a Domain Name?

Domain names were invented to fill a need on the Internet. Computers connected to the Internet are identified by a unique series of numbers called an IP Address (for example, 225.197.75.29). IP stands for "Internet Protocol", and they are not easy to remember.

If you type an IP address into the URL bar of your browser you will be connected to the computer it represents. But since IP addresses are so difficult to remember, the Domain Name System (DNS) was invented in 1983 to help people connect to specific computers and content.

It may help to think of an IP address like your physical home address. If someone sends you a letter by postal mail, they must have your physical address. Similarly, an IP address is the physical address of a website online. When someone connects to your website, their computer finds it by looking up the IP address associated with your domain name.

Basically, your Domain Name is associated with an IP Address. My Domain name is websiteuse.com and my IP Address associated with that is 72.167.1.128. This is a Hosting account so you must use the Domain name to connect to it.
Here are 10 things to consider when choosing a Domain Name.

Brainstorm 5 Top Keywords or Phrases.
Keywords play a great part of your domain name. This is the words or phrases that people search for when finding your domain through the search engines. Keywords are also used for your meta tags.

When you first begin your domain name search, it helps to have 5 terms or phrases in mind that best describe the domain you're seeking. Once you have this list, you can start to pair them or add prefixes & suffixes to create good domain ideas. For example, if you're launching an insurance related domain, you might start with words like "insurance, finance, security, interest rate, budget" then play around until you can find a good match.

Make the Domain Unique - different from others.
Having your website confused with a popular site already owned by someone else is a recipe for disaster. I never choose domains that are simply the plural, hyphenated or misspelled version of an already established domain.

I went to face book the other day and misspelled it. It took me to a survey and said that if I filled out a survey for face book, I would win a prize. It almost convinced me! I had to double check the domain name.

Only Choose Dot-Com Available Domains - Mostly
If you are serious about building a successful website over the long-term, you should be worried about all of these elements, and while directing traffic to a .net or .org, owning a .com is critical. Now, you could get a .net or .org for your domain so you can monopolize all the extensions.

Make it simple to spell - avoid some letters
Make sure your domain is simple for people to remember and that it does not take so much concentration for someone to type it into the browser.

Avoid hard letters ("q" "z" "x" ) Try to keep with easy to type letters and of course, make sure its easy to spell.

Make it Easy to Remember
Remember that word-of-mouth dominate marketing (where your domain consistently comes up for industry-related searches) both rely on the ease with which the domain can be called to mind. You want your website to be easy as 123. Now that would be a good website domain www.easyas123.com. People would remember that. Not something like www.queen_elizabeth-44765_whales.com This would not be the easiest to remember.

Keep the Name as Short as Possible
Short names are easy to type and easy to remember (the previous two rules). They also allow for more characters in the URL and a better fit on business cards and other offline media.

Create and Fulfill Expectations - Allow the word of mouth

When someone hears about your domain name for the first time, they should be able to instantly and accurately guess at the type of content that might be found there. That's why I love domain names like Hotmail.com, CareerBuilder.com, AutoTrader.com and WebMD.com. Domains like Monster.com, Amazon.com and Zillow.com required far more branding because of their un-intuitive names. Look at my domain, www.websiteuse.com. This obviously has something to do with websites.

Avoid Copyright Infringement
This is a mistake that isn't made too often, but can kill a great domain and a great company when it does. To be sure you're not infringing on anyone's copyright with your site's name, visit copyright.gov and search before you buy.

Set Yourself Apart with a Brand
Using a unique moniker is a great way to build additional value with your domain name. A "brand" is more than just a combination of words, which is why names like mortgageforyourhome.com or shoesandboots.com aren't as compelling as branded names like bankrate.com or lendingtree.com.

Reject Hyphens and Numbers
Both hyphens and numbers make it hard to give your domain name verbally and falls down on being easy to remember or type. I'd suggest not using spelled-out or roman numerals in domains, as both can be confusing and mistaken for the other

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