How to Choose A Domain Name

Your domain name is most likely the first impression visitors have with your brand while online. You want to set the right tone. Give your domain name some thought but remember do not stress. Use these tips to help guide you through the process. Coming up with a domain name that is right for your brand can be fun and creative so let’s get to it.

Domain naming goals for you – choose a name that is:

1. unique

2. memorable

3. easy to type

4. ready for growth

5. reflects your brand/mission

Tip 1: Brainstorm

Set aside some time, get a pen and paper then brainstorm ideas. Make a list of words and names that represent your brand. A thesaurus might be helpful here. You can try creating a mindmap or use word association strategies and let the ideas flow freely. You can refine your list later.

Tip 2: Keep It Simple

Long and complicated domain names can be hard to remember and hinder visitors trying to find you online. Including hyphens and numbers can be tricky for people to use so avoid confusion by keeping it simple. Visitors can appreciate a simple domain name they can access on the go from a mobile device. Consider using a TLD (domain name ending e.g. “.com”) to help visitors find you easily. Organize your list and choose your top 3. You can always go back to the full list if needed.

Tip 3: Grab Your Toolkit

Now that you have your short list of ideas, you are ready to bring in some tools. We’ll start with naming tools. Naming tools can help you put your ideas together and further clarify your list. Play around with a few of our favorite name tools to see what cool and creative names you can come up with.

Toolkit
1. NameMesh
2. Whois Name Suggestion
3. Related Words
4. Word Association Network

Tip 4: Do Your Research

Keep that toolkit out to do some time-saving research that can prevent headaches later on. The first important thing to check is that your domain name is not too close to a competitor. You don’t want to be confused with another brand. You also want to be careful you are not using a trademarked name. This step can be really helpful if you are deciding on a company name (by performing a business entity search as well). Another good thing to check for is social media handles/usernames to see if the name you want to use is available. Think globally if you plan to operate in other countries, you will also want to check that the name you choose does not have an offensive meaning in another language. If the domain had a previous owner, remember to check the history to ensure a clean track record.

Toolkit
1. Business entity database search (by state) – (New York)
2. Trademark search
3. Domain availability lookup
4. Norton Safe Web
5. Internet Archive Wayback Machine

Tip 5: Remember Your Housekeeping

Congratulations! Once you have chosen a domain that is unique, easy to type, memorable, and you have done your research then you are ready to secure it. I recommend that you buy the domain in your name so that you are the owner. This will protect your brand in the event you change hosts, web developer, or web administrator. Choose auto-renew if that option is available so you do not lose the domain if it expires and you forget to renew it. Set a reminder in your calendar. Last but not least, consider adding domain privacy to protect your personal contact information from being displayed publicly in the domain registrar.

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How to Choose A Domain Name

Tip 1: Brainstorm

Tip 2: Keep It Simple

Tip 3: Grab Your Toolkit

Tip 4: Do Your Research

Tip 5: Remember Your Housekeeping

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How to Choose A Domain Name

Tip 1: Brainstorm

Tip 2: Keep It Simple

Tip 3: Grab Your Toolkit

Tip 4: Do Your Research

Tip 5: Remember Your Housekeeping

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