So you think you have a great business idea? Great! Before you get started, you may want to spend some time trying to come up with a creative and memorable domain name. Spend some time on it, just not too much. Far too many people spend a great deal of much time trying to come up with that perfect domain name and never being satisfied with their ideas. Don’t get stuck in that rut. In fact, it might be better for you to take these six tips and six tools to help you craft your perfect domain name.
Six Tips When Creating Your Domain Name.
First, start by giving out a white sheet of paper and a pencil. Think of all the names you might want to use for your domain name. Write it all down. Once complete, go through this short checklist and start crossing off the ones that don’t pass this six-pointtip list.
1. Make It Easy
Make it easy. Your name should be easy to spell, easy to say and roll off the tongue. One of the goals of creating a website is to have content on there that people are willing to share. If people can’t spell your domain name or even say your domain name easily, your content is not likely to get shared as easily.
2. Make It Unique
It’s often not enough just to say make it unique. When we say unique, we mean don’t make it sound like anything else out there. It’s already a given that you cannot register the same name your domain as someone else. However, it would not be smart for you to register adomain name for your website that sounds too much like, “Microsoft,” or any other name like that. It will get mistaken too easily.
3. Com Domain Names Are Not the Only Ones out There
Don’t settle for “.COM” names all the time. In fact, if you reside outside of the U.S., it might be better for you to have a domain that is country-centric such as, “CO.UK.” Also, remember what COM stands for. COM is short for commercial, ORG is short for organization, MIL is short for military, GOV is short for government and TV is short for television-based websites. There’s more – use an extension that is appropriate for the kind of site you’re trying to create. If you’re in tech circles, the “.io” domain ending is commonly used. This is a weird TLD (top level domain) ending, because it belongs to the British Overseas Indian Ocean Territory. There are actually only military inhabitants of the island, so it’s a bit of an anomaly. Another commonly used non “.com” extension is “.co”. It’s so close to .com and most people won’t be turned off by it. That one is becoming increasingly common. There is also “.xyz”, “.ninja”, “.guru”, and tons of others to explore.
4. Consider Your Audience.
This is one of the most overlooked secrets when it comes to registering your domain name. When you consider your audience, you’re considering what they’re expecting. Are you going to use your own name to become your own brand, such as NathanBarry.com? Or are you going to be your own brand but also start a movement, like Pat Flynn’s SmartPassiveIncome.com? Are you trying to create a company, and you’ll be starting with just a website? It’s important to remember that website name and company name don’t always have to be the same, but it definitely helps. If you have aspirations to expand beyond a simple WordPress site with you running it, don’t pigeonhole yourself with too specific of a name. If you eventually want to become a large national general marketing agency, calling your site HundredDollarBacklinks is probably not a good idea. Go for something that meets your aspirations like Connect2020 or SimpleSurge (both made up).
5. Be Creative
If your name is taken, consider shortening it, adding a tagline at the end, or altering the name. You can try compounding words like [YouTube], using a phrase such as [24seven], tweaking a word such as [Flickr], or even combining a prefix with a suffix such as [Shopify].
6. Keep It Short and Simple
Above all else, keep it short and simple. Don’t make your domain name overly complicated to spell, too complicated to say, or difficult to memorize. It should be short and catchy.
Six Tools to Help You Discover Your Domain Name
These rules are great. They can help you come up with a creative and unique domain name. However, we realize that you may still be stuck. We put together six tools to help you discover your domain name.
Lean Domain Search
This is a domain name generator that will help you come up with a unique name. It specializes in using prefixes and suffixes and putting them together. On top of that, it will check the names it comes up with for availability.
GoSpaces
This is another free domain name generator based on a keyword. Simply type in a keyword and let it come up with unique ideas for your business and domain name.
NameStation
Just like GoSpaces, NameStation will come up with several free and unique ideas based on submitted keyword. Simply put in a keyword that you want, such as your niche topic, and let NameStationgo to work.
Domaintyper
Once you have your unique name idea from NameStation, GoSpaces orLean Domain Search, check for availability on Domaintyper. This is an excellent way to narrow down your ideas what you have two or three selections in the works.
Domain Pigeon
This is an excellent tool that searches search engine results. Simply take your niche and find out what people are searching for. This way, you can insert keywords directly into your domain name.
Domainr
This is a neat and unique tool that will help you “hack” your name. When you first visit the Webpage, it encourages you to try the service by searching for something like, “acme florist.” Immediately, it will come up with 15 unique names, and give you information such as which domain names are available and which ones are parked. Domainr.com
Last Updated on August 28, 2017 by Catalino