Choosing The Right Domain Name For Your Business

Your Domain name is your identity on the internet. It is one of the most important decisions that you will make for your company. Here are some valuable tips on making that decision:

1. Secure your domain name in the .COM BEFORE you start up

Do NOT do it in reverse (it will likely cost you dearly down the road). ALL Fortune 500 companies are branded on the .com. If you are very certain you will stay small, stay local, or will not be doing much business on the web, then you can go for the other extensions (.net, .club, .xyz, etc.). Like physical real estate, all decent properties (names) are owned by someone else and you must pay more than just registration fees. You can either make a list of names that you like and type them in your browser and see if they are available for purchase, or go to different premium domain sites like Brandbucket.com or Kazzia.com and find a name that fits and is in your budget.

2. It must pass the “radio test”

It must be memorable, descriptive, and easy to spell and remember. If you were to hear “Visit us on the web at play-free-arcade-games.net” on the radio, would you remember that? No. How about this: “Visit us on the web at ArcadePass.com” No need to explain or spell it out. Single word .coms are usually out of price range for most startups, but two word .coms are usually affordable and should be the goal for most.

3. “Brandables”

Sometimes it makes sense to use a brandable or “made up” domain name. Examples are Ebay, Spotify, or Twitter. Make sure it is short, and if it can include a keyword like “Grindsy” for a fresh ground coffee place, or “Techelo” for a technology company, all the better. Brandpa.com and Brandbucket.com are the best sites to scour these types of names.

4. Pricing

How much should you pay? Domain pricing is a bit of an art, but more sophisticated algorithms are being developed all the time. The best ones factor in comparable sales, cost per click to advertise the keywords, search volume per month, age, and search results. For comparable sales, use Namebio.com. This amazing free service is like the Zillow.com of domain names. For exact price estimates, the best two sources are Estibot.com and Godaddy’s new appraisal tool.

5. Copyrights and trademarks

Once you have narrowed down your search, it is vital that you make sure the names are not in use and trademarked. Check USPTO.gov before you buy. Want to be TopRealty.com? Well, “Realty” is trademarked. Check with your attorney to be sure.

6. Final word

Try to get the best value in your business domain name, but do not try and save money here. A quality domain will add value to your company, trust and credibility to your customers and colleagues, bring organic traffic, and increase in value over time.