How to Select and Buy a Domain Name

What Is A Domain Name?

A domain name is the address that people will type in their browser to find your website.

Example: www.google.com

Select A Good Domain Name

Here are a 7 things to keep in mind when selecting a domain name:

1. Keep it short. People should be able to easily remember your domain name.  All domain names of 4 characters or less have already been taken so I recommend a name of 5 to 15 characters.


2. Dot com.  When people already know a domain name but are unsure of the extension, they will almost always try .com first.  The .com extension should be your first choice.


3. Easy to spell. Choose a name that is easy to spell.   People should hear your domain name once and know exactly how to spell it.  Avoid double letters, dashes, long names and be careful with plurals. You should also buy the domain with a close alternative spelling. For example, I tend to type istockphotos.com but the site I am really looking for is istockphoto.com. The company istockphoto.com really should have purchased the domain istockphotos.com as well.


4. Brand Vs Keywords. Using keywords in domain names can increase the ranking  of your website in search engine result pages for those keywords. For example,  a dog clothing business might buy the domain uniquedogclothing.com.  Although this website is in 4th position when you google "dog clothing"  the top two sites don't even have "clothing" or "dog" in their domain names.
   

   The ideal situation is to have your primary keyword (in this case it would be "dog clothing") in your brand name and to use your brand name as your domain name.

   If your primary keyword is not in your brand name, use your brand name as your domain name (ruffknits.com, for example). Avoid using a keyword-filled domain such as buy-dog-clothing.com. You can always use a few keywords in your page and directory names instead.



5. Avoid Trademarked Names. Do some research online to make sure your domain name is not already someone else's product or business name.


6. Ask Friends & Family. Ask your friends and family what their thoughts are.  Your domain name should be self-explanatory. If they don't get it right away, visitors probably won't either.


7. Don't waste time. Don't wait for your website to be ready to buy your domain name. There is nothing more frustrating than finding out your great domain name idea was  purchased by someone else a few days before!

Where To Buy a Domain Name?

I have tried many companies over the years, including the popular GoDaddy.com but at the time of writing, I buy all my domain names at Netfirms.com. I choose and recommend this registrar because it has four unique qualities:

1. Price - At $9.95 per year, it is one of the cheapest places to buy domain names.


2. Control - You have full control over your domains: DNS admin, MX Record, CNAME, A Record and sub-domains.


3. Free Privacy - You can make your contact information private at no additional cost.


4. Transparency - There are no hidden fees.

Let me explain reason #3 a bit more: when you register your domain name, your postal address and phone number appear in an online database called the WHOIS database. Everyone has access to this database and can look up any domain they choose. With Netfirms you are entitled to your privacy at no extra cost.

NOTE: Many hosting companies offer a free domain name with their hosting plan. So do not buy your domain name until you have verified if your hosting company offers a free domain name!