Choosing a domain name sounds pretty simple, and in a way it is. The major registrars will even helpfully offer suggestions when your first choice is already taken by a monastery in Nova Scotia.
But there’s more to it than just picking a name. Remember, people are going to type this name into their Web browser’s location bar and hit enter. You’ll want to ensure they get to the right place.
- Avoid homophones. rightaccess.com might be available, but if you tell someone that URL over the phone, what happens when they type in wrightexcess.com? Lost, is what happens.
- Avoid numbers. Can’t remember: is it formyself.com or 4myself.com?
- Avoid punctuation. This should be obvious, and URL rules disallow most punctuation anyway. Sometimes, a hyphen is essential.
- Avoid misreadings when words are crunched together. My favorite is whorepresents.com. (That’s supposed to be “Who Represents?” — or, perhaps, gifts for a favorite courtesan…)
- Be careful with cute words. Your biz might sound cool spoken as “Gijmo, the source for motorized gadgets” — but I’ll never remember the correct spelling unless it’s right in front of me.
- Be careful with letters and fonts that can be misread. Is that lls.edu or 11s.edu? After you’ve chosen a URL, be careful in your marketing that you display it in a font that’s easy to read.
- Avoid common misspellings. Even the best spellers might type ibeleive.com by mistake.
- Avoid names too close to your competition. No matter what you do, some people will still get it wrong. Best that they not land on your competitors site, lest they decide to stay there.
Of course, domain names are cheap. You can always register a bunch of alternatives (if the monks didn’t get to them first) and redirect them to the same location. But at least think it through first.
