The first tip in this series about selecting a domain name was all about planning. This tip is… well, all about planning. Choosing a domain name is a pretty big commitment. When you consider the impact it will have on your branding, advertising, business image and search engine marketing, you’ll see that it’s something to take seriously. The last thing you want to do is buy a domain name that you’ll repent of later. Better to think about it before buying, before you end up regretting every dollar you invested in printing it on your collateral materials, before you end up losing search ranking and brand recognition because of it. Here are a few more things to consider before you buy.
Step 2: Make It Easy-To-Use, Easy-To-Say, And Easy-To-Remember
This might not seem obvious at first, but it’s important to pay attention to the practical impact your domain name will have on the success of your site and marketing.
- Avoid choosing a domain name that is too long. It’ll be harder to type and more likely to be typed incorrectly.
- Don’t choose a domain name that can be easily misspelled. Or be sure to buy an additional name that includes a common misspelling… “petersonsgarden.com” is great if that’s your company name, but try to pick up “petersensgarden.com” as well, to catch customers who spell it either way.
- Stay away from numbers that can be confused with words such as “2cute4you.com”. You’ll spend a lot of time explaining to people that it’s the number 2, not “too”.
- Avoid cute and clever. It may seem like a good idea to buy a domain name like “frydaysfish.com” but if you do, be prepared for customers who hear your web site advertised to type “fridaysfish.com”.
- Always remember that the domain name you buy is a reflection of your business and your brand. Make sure it’s professional and appropriate for your industry.
And don’t worry if you’ve already run out and purchased a domain name or two that you’re having second thoughts about. Domain names are inexpensive, so if you’re not convinced that the one you have is right, go back and think about it some more, then buy a couple more domain names. It’s not a bad idea to have a few anyway. You can capture misspellings, thwart competitors, explore ideas and in the end route them all to your primary domain so that every one of them leads directly to your site. Just try to make your mistakes before you build, launch and market your web site. It’s a lot more complicated to change your mind after the fact.
Have you ever had to switch domain names for a marketing-related reason? How did you make the switch?
Read more in the “Buying A Domain Name” series
- Step 1: Select A Name That Makes Sense For Your Business
- Step 2: Make It Easy-To-Use, Easy-To-Say, And Easy-To-Remember
- Step 3: Choose The Right Extension: .com, .net, .biz, .org
- Step 4: Get Online And Buy
About Carol Lynn Rivera
