Domain names are vital in the Internet. A well chosen domain name is one of the many success factors for your website’s business, just as how a good and easy to access location is important for physical shop. It is not easy to identify them as time goes on, but at least knowing the characteristics of a good domain name and the rules in finding one will help you.
1. Short and Meaningful
When you start searching for a domain name, it is helpful to have a few phrases or words in mind that best describes the intent of the content or business behind the site. Once you have those words identified, it is time to get creative. To add some variation, prefixes and suffixes around them can help you end up with a very creative domain name.
There is no definite number of characters that you should target, just remember that the shorter the better. If you really need some guidance, try to stick between 5 to 25 characters. Again, there is no fixed rule on this.
2. No Hyphens and Numbers
Domain names that contain hyphens and numbers are cheaper and for good reason. Both hyphens and numbers make it difficult for a domain name to be remembered or typed as standard words out of a dictionary. They might also cause the website to be poorly ranked in search engines, where other well researched articles can offer an explanation on this.
3. A dot-Com Extension
Having a .com extension for a domain name increases the success rate in building a website that attracts in-coming traffic, increased name recognition and most importantly the perception of an international brand. There are exceptions to this though. For example, tech-oriented websites have turned to hosting on the .io extension lately, due to the interpretation of the ‘io’ acronym as ‘input/output’. To find an available domain with a .dot extension, you can use a generic lookup service to search for one.
In modern times, new top level domains such as .club and .rocks have been made available. You could possibly have your tequila business on tequila.club or tequilaonthe.rocks, but the general assumption out there is that .com is the defacto extension of all sites out there. Let’s avoid losing potential traffic.
4. It is Easier to Brand
A domain that is easier to brand will have a nice pronunciation, an interesting mix of letters or simply catchy. They might not be descriptive or make sense at all, but they can be equally effective in sticking in visitors’ minds. Brandable domains will make your visitors associate the name with your website and its content.