Domain Names

An introduction to domain names.

The Importance of A Good Domain Name

You need to own your own domain. There is just no debate about this issue. Getting a Geocities, Angefire, or Tripod page is out of the question. If you can't afford the $0.75 a month to own it, then you shouldn't be in this game. A good domain name for your website is critical because it will play a huge part of your web site branding campaign and be an integral part of your site's identity.

But choosing the right domain name, like choosing a logo or tagline, is sometimes a deceptively difficult process. Partly because you want to make sure the name of your site fits well with what your site is about and your site's image. The situation is complicated by the fact that it is getting harder and harder these days to get the exact domain name you want simply because all the good domains are being bought up.

If you have a good idea for a website and you want to get started right away then there is nothing wrong with brainstorming for a few hours and picking a name and going with it if you need to get the site up quickly. There will be times when the right name just comes to you but for the most part picking your domain name is a process that requires a lot of thought to make sure you are picking the right name. This is because "thinking" of a domain name is hard. The problem is that if you sit down and "try" to think of a domain you'll do what everyone does - have a brainstorming session where stupid names are thrown around. It feels forced. Sometimes it is better to wait and let a good name come to you.

To solve this problem you should start thinking about the domain name for your site as soon as you come up with the idea for the site and write down all the domain name ideas you have as time goes on. There should be a good amount of time between the initial idea and site launch (anywhere from a month to a year probably) so you can let the domain ideas marinate in your mind. When it is time to finally work on the new page you'll probably realize some of the earlier names you choose were not the best.

I, myself, have about 6 other sites I want to put up and I have thought about 7 potential names for each site. With 42 names to consider I keep them in my spreadsheet that you can also download from my organization page and use. I also like to use the spreadsheet to keep track of names I own (if you own 20 or more) and also to type in cool domain names I see on the web which I wont get to own but may trigger ideas for my sites. Here are a couple of factors you will want to consider when deciding on a domain name.

Some Criteria For Domain Names

Catchy - You'll want the name to very memorable. Either make it funny or make it rhyme or something. HotOrNot is an example of a name that rhymes and engrish.com is an example of a funny name.

Message - Every word in your name will convey a message. You need to make sure your name is picked so that this message is sculpted to fit with your site. For example, the word "cult" could be interpreted many different ways. The web site WhiteCordCult.com, a site devoted to the IPod, picked a great name because it is well-known that Apple tends to have a very, loyal, cult-like following among technophiles for being a trendy and innovative company. But if you were to use the word "cult" in conjunction with, say religion or famous people, it would have a negative connotation - the names ChristianCult.com and TonyRobbinsCult.com would not be attractive choices.