Choosing the right domain name
Successful websites have domain names that are short, easily remembered and supports the wider marketing activities of the company. The right choice will be the difference between success and failure.
Before you even think about what your site is going to look like, think about the domain name. This article looks as seven areas to consider when choosing your domain name.
Short
Memorable
Unique & Legal
Simple
Business related
Trustworthy
Some howlers
Short
Keep your domain name short. Several reasons for this:
- Makes for better branding
- Easier to remember
- More recognisable
- Looks better on a logo or letterhead
- Harder to misspell
Some of UK’s best know companies have short names. For example, Barclays, Dixons, Next, Prudential, Tesco, Unilever and Vodafone.
It’s also interesting that the majority of domain names registered are between 8 – 10 letters long. Take a look at some recent research done using data from Alexa.
Memorable
The more memorable your name, the more your customers will remember it. This is obviously very closely linked to your overall brand awareness programme. Mention your website address at every opportunity.
Names without meaning can also be memorable. Take Google or Amazon as an example. A particular recent trend is to use rhyming names like Fogdog and Noodlekidoodle!
To help you be creative with your name selection, there are a number of tools available.
Try: Domain Generator, Domain Fellow or Nameboy.
Unique and Legal
Ensure that your domain name is unique and cannot be easily confused with other names. Apart from preventing confusion with your customers, you need to ensure that you do not break any trademarks. It’s also not nice stealing trademarks!
Whilst at AXA, I dealt with a similar sounding domain name hosted in the Far East. Trust me, the lawyers were on to it quickly and I got the domain name back to the company!
The days when you could make a quick profit by companies buying your similar sounding domain names are long gone.
Simple
Simple domain names are easier to communicate over the phone or in writing. They are also more difficult to misspell. Having said this, Vodafone have also registered Vodaphone that re-directs to the correct site. Smart!
Bear in mind how a word is spelt in other countries (after all the world-wide-web knows no international boundaries). For example, the word “colour” is spelt differently in the US.
Avoid hyphens as users forget them or mistake them for underscores (which can’t be used in a domain name anyway). Domain names can only use letters (not case sensitive), numbers, and hyphens. Spaces and symbols are not allowed.
If you have to have two names in your domain name, stick them together like sanjayonline!
Finally, avoid abbreviations unless your brand is so strong that abbreviations work such as BBC or BA.
Business related
Relate your domain name to your business or product. Users will often guess your web address from your business name. If relating to your product, try using a name that describes your uniqueness or expresses an emotion or attitude. Just be aware that product related domain names would not give you the flexibility if your business expands into a different offering.
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Trustworthy
Building trust from your domain name is critical. Therefore use .com or your country level extension if it’s a business. These are the first extensions people will try when searching for your website. I’ve used sanjayonline.co.uk as I want people to know that I’m UK based.
Don’t use .org or .info type extensions if not appropriate for your business.
Above all, uncommon domain names sound bizarre and suspect. Your domain name should be the one that people expect it to be.
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Some howlers
When choosing a domain name for your business, consider what it will read like as a web address. As web address don't have spaces, users will mentally insert their own. And they might stick one where you didn't want them to. This results in some real howlers like:
- A bespoke pens firm called Pen Island at: www.penisland.net
- A therapist finder website in California at: www.therapistfinder.com
- Holiday villas firm in Spain at: www.choosespain.com
- Master Bait and Tackle fishing supplies in Florida at: www.masterbaitonline.com/
- Therapist's Choice Medical Supplies at: www.therapistschoice.com/index.asp
If you know of more, please let me know!
