 Choosing A Domain Name "It's choice-not chance-that determines your destiny."
Jean Nidetch
When it comes to domaining, choosing a good domain name is crucial to success. With 26 letters in the English alphabet, 10 numbers and a hyphen to choose from, the number of potential domain names is enormous. Add the further possibility of over 250 domain name extensions and IDN systems and the figure balloons enough to make the sharpest mind melt like cheese.
All is not lost; even though there exists a borderline infinite amount of choice, only a fraction of them will be regarded as a good domain name. Furthermore, pushing choice aside, there are a certain number of rules that cannot be broken:
- There can be no more than 63 characters and no fewer than 2. This excludes the domain extension.
- Domain names are not case-sensitive; it is therefore irrelevant whether you write them WildAtom.com or wildatom.com. They are the same domain name. (NOTE- This is something to consider when trying to avoid domain name gaffs).
- The 63 characters can be made from any combination of letters, numbers or hyphens. An exception to this is that a hyphen cannot be used as the first or last character.
Before you go and buy every available domain name under the sun, stop for a moment and consider motivation. The reasons for buying a domain name are myriad but essentially fall into two camps. The first is to develop and build a site that complements an existing or new business. The second is to purchase purely to make money. Increasingly, with parking revenues decreasing, there is a great deal of overlap between the two and it would be tantamount to negligence if both were not dissected in this section of the guide
Traditionally, the domainer is not necessarily looking to develop the domain into a fully functioning website but is instead looking at:
- Domain names for investment - Buying domain names for resale at a later date.
- Domain names for parking - Buying domain names with existing traffic that can be converted into PPC cash.
Ultimately, a good domainer will be able to see the potential in a domain name, be able to 'sort the wheat from the chaff'. There is only one reason a domainer buys domains; and that is to make a profit.
There are many different schools of thought when it comes to choosing a good domain name and much of this section is dedicated to weighing up the pros and cons:
- Is it really 'All About The Name'?
- What About Hyphens?
- To .com or Not?
- Are IDNs worth a Second Look?
- Domain Name Gaffs.
- Staying Inside the Law.
Finally, even with the great amount of guidance being offered, we still might need that extra helping hand; the muse suddenly packs up without a forwarding address and leaves us to fend for ourselves. Inspiration becomes a scarcity. Never fear; the wise and wonderful place that is the WWW means you will never be struck dumb. Free domain tools exist for just this purpose and a handy domain name creator might be just what you need to get the juices flowing again.
Choosing a domain name is arguably the most difficult part of a successful online venture. With so many words (and non-words) from so many languages to choose from, how are you going to crack the magic combination that will make you money? Although there are no real clear-cut, black and white answers to this, there are certainly a number of pointers that will help you on your way. But don't leave it to chance.
|
