Domain names - choose the right one

Choosing a domain is a difficult task; as soon as you find a name you like, you just as quickly find it has already been registered, as 93% of the words in the Oxford English dictionary have been registered.

More often then not people then try finding variations of what they originally wanted, different spellings etc, and produce a huge list of possible domain names. To reduce these lists follow these basic rules.


Eliminate domain names with…

• 
  Numbers in i.e. everything4you.com
  This will make it harder to remember, as there will be confusion between four and 4.



• Text spelling i.e. cars4u.com
  
  Mobile phone text language has become popular so more information can fit into a 160-character message. This limitation doesn’t apply to the web, so there is no need to use it, it will only confuse visitors trying to remember your website address.
  

Choose a domain name that…

• Has the .com and. co.uk (for the UK) available
  
  As there is often confusion remember between a .com and other extensions like. co.uk or .ie (Ireland)



• That you don’t have to spell out
  
  If you have to spell a domain name to somebody it is a sign it is a bad one, as it is less obvious and memorable.

A good domain name
Is a memorable one. Follow the advice above and you will be well on your way to picking the right one. However don’t get hung up on choosing one, it is very rare that a domain name will make you a successful website, its what you do with the website that counts.

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