The Domain Name Game

Come on everybody!
I say now let's play a game
I betcha I can make a rhyme out of anybody's name…

Yes, you too can play the name game when it comes to choosing a catchy domain for your organization. But it’s not all fun and games, because in the end, you want to be remembered. Here are my top 5 tips to get you going on your domain name selection.

1. Short and Simple: You want your domain to be easy to remember, and easy to type in. If you advertise it should also be easy to say.
2. Keywords: Using your company name is the obvious choice when selecting a domain. If that name is long, try using an abbreviation. You can make it memorable by using a keyword or concept too. For instance, our client Mid-Nebraska Disposal jumped at the chance to purchase “haulmytrash.com” for one of their domain names.
3. Unique: Make it relevant and unique and stay clear of any copyright infringements. Using a reputable Registrar, such as Network Solutions or GoDaddy, you can look up the availability of a domain name.
4. Extensions: The obvious choice for an extension is .com, but .net and .org are also top picks depending upon the purpose of the site, and the type of your organization. Plus new ones are on the market too. Here’s a short list of some extensions available today:
• .Com - A Commercial Web Address
• .Net - Represents the Word Network
• .Org - Organizational Web Address
• .Edu - Higher Education Web Address
• .Gov - Government Web Address
• .Us - Amercia's Internet Address
• .Biz - A Web Address that Means Business
• .Info - The Domain for Everyone
• .Coop - a new top level domain
• .Museum - a new top level domain
5. Avoid Tricks and Trends: It is best to stay away from hyphens or numbers, which are easy to forget. And stay away from intentional misspellings as they tend to trip people up more often than not. Trying to spoof another domain using a different spelling is also bad form. 

With these tips, you can choose a domain name that’s memorable, and gear up for high traffic to your site. Or, ask the team at Idea Bank Marketing to put their quirky wordsmith’s to work researching a domain name for you.