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September 18, 2008

Domain Name Strategies

When it comes to domains, there are the basics such as where to buy and register the name, then comes the advanced mechanics.  After finding a registrar you want to do business with, there are a few things you should know about domains to give yourself a good push on the web.

Choosing a TLD

There are many different TLDs (top level domains) that can be appended to your domain: .net, .org, .biz, .gov etc.  While several domain registrars actively market and sell these extensions, the best TLD you can buy for your name is .com.  In fact, some have suggested that if one can't be found for a name you have mind, you would be better off picking a new domain entirely.

The rationale behind this approach is simple - if you want people to visit your website, it would be much wiser to come up with a domain that is easy to remember.  More often than not, the first extension visitors will reference the domain name by is .com.  If they have to think long and hard to remember the name, or type in the wrong URL a few times, those visitors are more likely to give up and take their surfing elsewhere.

Buying Your Real Name

One name that's almost sure to be available is your own.  If you want your customers to find you, this is the easiest way.  This could allow you to keep contact with existing customers and establish relationships with new clients when your name becomes popular on the web.  Using your real name for a domain builds tremendous credibility to your brand and makes it much easier for people to find you in a search engine.  This is a simple yet effective way to create a positive buzz for your website.

Common Misspellings of Your Domain

Another strategy involves purchasing the most common misspellings of your domain name.  You would be surprised at how many visitors will type in the wrong URL when looking for your site.  Unfortunately, a human might cause you to miss out on sales.  For instance, if your domain is mydomain.com, it may be a good idea to purchase misspelled names like myydomain and mydommain as well.  Instead of designing three different websites with the same content, all you have to do is point those domains to your primary domain, thus redirecting traffic to where your visitors intended go in the first place.

Get Some Advice

Just as with everything on the internet, both the visitor and webmaster have the luxury of hopping online and accessing a wealth of information.  If you are stuck deciding on a domain, finding a resolution could be as easy as asking your clients or associates for a few suggestions.  Give some of them a collection of names and see it what it narrows down to.  This could be fun and rewarding if you offer some type of incentive for participating.  Since these are the people you'll be associating with the most, they just may be able to help you come up with the perfect domain for your website.

Tags: URL,  TLD,  domain name,  domain