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Choosing domain names for professional sites: six guidelines
A professional or commercial site is one in which the primary purpose of the site is to facilitate business transactions. You want customers to buy products and / or services directly from you.
To create a domain name for this type of website, here are some guidelines:
- The shorter the better
- make the name easy to pronounce
- Think long term
- Stick to categories and topics
- Run a trademark search
- Always have a slogan
The shorter the better
If you want to earn real money online, try to keep your domain name as short as possible. In the online world, the options of where to buy and get information are overwhelming. A shorter name will be instantly memorable. It is always easier to remember words and short phrases.
A shorter name is good for online and offline word of mouth advertising. Customers can easily remember the URL and are therefore more likely to transmit it and return to the website. The name will also stand out when printed on brochures, business cards, and other business warranties. Liz, Dick, Kate, Feds are examples of our incessant need to reduce every term in the English language to three syllables or less.
Easy to pronounce
If you want a short name, you have to be very creative. To be creative and strategic, make sure your domain name is easy to pronounce. It's perfectly acceptable to create a name from scratch, but it should sound like a real word when you're trying to say it out loud. Any term of three or four syllables will last a long time, as it easily slips off the tongue. If you don't know what to say, try writing a description of your product or service on paper.
This is a very easy way to find those little words that you can use without losing the meaning of what you are trying to say. You can also use a dictionary and a thesaurus to find additional words. You can also choose a longer word but shorten it or use only acronyms. When deciding on a domain name, say it out loud a few times.
Think long term
You want a domain name that lasts for a long time. If you choose a name that is slang or overly cheesy, you could find yourself looking for a new name in a year or two. Once you build a certain level of online success, your traffic will follow the domain name. You don't want to disrupt your brand and reputation online with redirects and "we've moved" notices. The online customer will buy, but only if your site allows them to. If you don't see yourself using the same domain name in three to four years, get a new name before setting up your website.
Trademark searches
Perform a trademark search. If you build your business online and your domain name, you don't want to find a court order ordering you to give it up because it belongs to another company. Remember, your traffic and therefore your sales will follow the domain name to the new company.
For a quick trademark search, go to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (http://www.uspto.gov) for national searches and to the International Trademark Association (http://www.inta.org ) for international searches. If your name is clean, consider getting a trademark to protect your business.
Tag line
Tag lines are the workhorses of the marketing industry. An interesting and professional tag line can get you more word of mouth advertising than you could buy from a search engine company. This can help you save money on paid advertising and create the best viral marketing campaign without very little effort.
Keep these six tips on hand to brand your domain name and drive more traffic to your site.