Choosing a Domain Name
Your domain name is what will represent you on the Web. Take the following into consideration when choosing your new domain name.
Keep it Short
Although you can register a name with up to 63 characters, you want to choose something that people will remember, and can easily type it into their browser. Try to choose the shortest name that your customers and visitors will associate with your website, and choose a name that is easy to spell.
Character Types
Domain names can only use letters, numbers and hyphens. Spaces and symbols are not allowed. Also, domain names are not case sensitive.
Note: Remember that a hyphenated domain name isn’t people friendly - it will be hard for visitors to remember where to include the hyphens.
Dot What?
There are many different extensions available for domain names. The most common top level domains are:
- .com - intended for commercial use
- .net - intended for Internet Service Providers
- .org - intended for non-commercial websites
- .edu - intended for educational institutes
There are also country specific top level domains. For example:
- .ca is for Canada
One May Not Be Enough
You may wish to register several similar domain names to ensure that no one registers your domain name with an alternate suffix. For example, if you have "yourname.com", you can also register "yourname.net". Also, you can register a full name and a shorter, easier to remember version. Some people even register common misspellings of their program or company name. Note that several domains can all point to the same website.
Ask Around
When you have settled on several available name choices, see what your colleagues and customers have to say. A name that may make perfect sense to you may be too hard for other people to remember. Is your domain easy to say? Is it hard to spell? Do you have to explain why you chose the name?
Other
- Avoid trademarked names
- Register your domain name before you lose the opportunity to get the name you really want
Last reviewed
11/14/2011 1:14:25 PM
