Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Questions about the best domain name for you

I’m coaching a client right now who wants to revise her moldering web site, which after 10 years needs freshening up. She’s been lovin’ a certain domain name. But, alas, it’s already been taken with the “com” suffix.

A similar name – also with the "com" suffix – has also been taken with a hyphen between the two words she likes.

She still loves her domain name – and she wants to know – should I go with the newer domain suffixes – like “us,” “biz,” and “info"?

I say no. You want have a name that is easy to say, easy to remember, easy to spell and promotes your brand. Not too long – too much to remember and type – and something that’s memorable. For the average person, "com" means a business domain name.

This article in Inc. magazine by Rhonda Abrams agrees with me and gives reasons why.

Before you start, consider what your brand  is. Here are some questions to ask:

Are you the brand, and your best product?
Is your name easy to spell and easy to remember?

You might want to use your name.

Is your name harder to spell and remember?


Is your business about something specific, like plumbing, garden products or Chinese food?

Then you’ll want to come up with a simple but memorable name that you use to make clear the products you sell.

And one last question:

Are you creative? (If you are, you will find the right one for you.)

Before you plunk down your money to get that domain name and start that web site, here are a few useful articles: