5 Rules For Choosing A Stunning Domain Name

It’s 2015 and the Word Wide Web (that’s what the “www” stands for if you didn’t know) is going on 26 years old! That makes choosing a stunning domain name that isn’t already taken really difficult. I’ve put together my 5 Rules For Choosing Your Domain Name to help you get started.

Keywords: If you were to Google your future website, what would YOU type in to find it? What are some variations of those terms? For example, suppose you wanted to create a financial advising site, you would start with words like, “finances, planner, advising, investments” then mix and match until something resonates well.
K.I.S.S. : You’ve heard the acronym K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) before, right? I can’t emphasize this one enough. Think of it this way, if you were giving a 30 second elevator pitch about your site, would that person easily recall it later? For that reason, I suggest you avoid lengthy names, leave out odd characters or symbols, and above all, make it memorable!
Dot.com: Vanity URL’s are all the rage nowadays. There’s everything from .club and .guru, to .rocks! And while I love the individuality they bring to the table, the large majority of people are still unaware they even exist. In fact, although popular, someone will be more inclined to type in .com over .net or even .org. So for now .com still rules the roost and I suggest you stick with it. Because if you think about it, even your iPhone has a .com button on its keyboard by default.
Expectations: Your domain name should set the stage for what to expect. For example, our site Simple Content Creation makes it very obvious that our purpose and goal is help you make content, simply. “So what about Amazon or Google? Everyone knows them and they don’t follow the expectation rule.” That’s true, but consider the amount of branding and money that was required to establish their name in the public mind. Do you have those resources? I’m not saying you can’t choose a unique, original name, but it’s something you’ll want to consider.
Copyright: The quickest, and surest way to get your site shut down is by copyright infringement. For instance, let’s say you create a website to help people use WordPress. If you were to call it www.wordpressmadesimple.com for example, you’d likely be in some hot water very soon. However, call it www.WPmadesimple.com and you’d be good to go. Bottom line, do a quick search to make sure your domain name or part of it is not already taken before you go all in.