Choosing a domain name is a very important first step for anyone
starting a business on the Internet. This name is the first
impression that strangers are going to have about you and your
business. You are going to need to give this decision some real
thought. It is very likely that you have a name in mind already.
Something catchy, perhaps? Something that has meaning to you.
Maybe you always wanted to name your business after you
grandchild, or your favorite pet. I strongly urge you to
reconsider. In the very informative book, The Invisible Touch,
Harry Beckwith has some unique ideas about naming a business. He
touches on saying your proposed name out loud, slowly. How does
it really sound? He cites the name Facial Aesthetics. Sounded
out slowly, it becomes ‘fa shil ass thet icks’. Doesn’t sound so
good now, does it? Get opinions from others, and then really
listen to what they have to say, objectively. The next thing to
consider is whether or not your name says anything about your
business. Some years ago, I was friends with a lady who had a
business named “Heather’s Feathers”. So, what do you think that
this business sold? Feathers? Birds? Bird products? Nope, it
sold emu oil. And Heather was her 4 year-old daughter’s name.
Consider what you would think of when you see a business name.
You may love your family name. If you are thinking of naming
your business after yourself, however, you really need to give
it some thought. I have never forgotten these two businesses,
whose names I saw on billboards years ago: Crouch Equipment and
Tick Insurance. Now you may say to yourself that I remember
these names after years. True, but not for their products or
their service! You also run a risk if you choose a name that is
too, let me say… mystical. You may know what you mean when you
name your business Mystic Blue Nights, but how many other people
will? Don’t choose a domain name that reads like a book. It is
difficult for the average person to remember long domain names.
It may be descriptive to get
lowcostdiabeticrecipesforalloccasions.com, but it is not going
to be memorable, and you run the risk of people misspelling it
and not being able to find you. Watch out for the use of dashes,
too. People don’t expect them, so instead of visiting your site,
Pickles-R-Us, they could wander to your competitor ‘pickelsrus’
instead. Trying to be clever and tweak a competitor’s name could
backfire on you. If the name that you really want is not
available as a .com, go and look at the .com site before you
choose .net, or one of the other extensions that are becoming
available, such as .info and .tv. People think .com first, and
if they are looking for you and put .com in by mistake, you sure
don’t want them to end up at some porn or hate site. You are
going to have to live with your choice of domain names for a
long time. Take your time and choose wisely.
About the author:
Sibyl McLendon is the owner of Spirit Web Design
http://www.spirit-webdesign.net. She has been designing sites
for 3 years. Visit Spirit Web Design for useful information on
website marketing.
