How to Choose the Right Domain Name for Your Company

As the editor of DomainNameWire.com, I'm frequently e-mailed by people asking for domain name advice. Specifically, what should they look for when registering a domain name for their company? This may be basic for some of you, but I hope some of my readers gain value from this.

Let me start with the things to avoid when registering a domain name that will be used for your main company web site.

1. Never use a hyphen. If your domain is some-name.com, many people will forget the hyphen when typing your name into the browser or sending e-mail to you. This can result in lost business.

2. Avoid digits if possible. Using digits requires you to spell the domain name out to people. For example2.com, you need to tell people it's the digit "2" rather than the word "two" or even "to".

Here are the positive things to look for in a domain name.

1. .Com extension. It's imperative that your domain name be available with a .com extension. I've seen businesses and major web sites try to get away with .net or .org, and perhaps half of their intended visitors land on someone else's web site. Or worse, confidential e-mails are sent to the wrong domain.

2. Easy to spell. Keep in mind that your spelling might be better than most people!

3. Short. Try to keep it to 2 words, 3 maximum and 20 characters or fewer.

These are general guidelines applicable to your main company domain name. There are instances where hyphens, numbers, and non-.com domain extensions are fine for secondary sites and search engine-optimized sites. But your company's main domain should follow these general guidelines. Good luck!

Andrew Allemann is editor of Domain Name Wire, a news and opinions site for the domain name industry.

In The News:

Ex-eBay chief seeks to reclaim name in cyberspace
The Associated Press - 4 hours ago
Hall, a Democrat who described himself as a paid political writer and media consultant, said he registered the domain names for less than $10 apiece. ...
Ex-eBay chief seeks to reclaim name in cyberspace San Jose Mercury News
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New York Observer
Condé Nast to Cityfile: Please Return Our Editors' Domain Names
New York Observer, NY - 9 hours ago
by Irina Aleksander on January 8, 2009 Since its inception, the gossip Web site Cityfile has been buying the domain names of powerful New Yorkers, ...
Conde Editors Get Their Precious Domain Names Back Gawker
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Ping Golf Loses Ping.me Domain Name Arbitration
Domain Name Wire, TX - 8 hours ago
Pingify didn’t profit from this, and most registrars place similar parking pages on customers’ domain names. The panel didn’t seem to care that this was a ...

Negotiating the Domain Name Thicket
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By Jim Offner An Internet domain name can make or break a business, so choosing wisely is critical. Even pricey names may offer value that far exceeds a ...

Gambling911.com
Appeals court set to rule on Kentucky effort to seize domain names
Computerworld, MA - Jan 6, 2009
The appeals court is deliberating whether to uphold a lower court's approval of a state plan to seize Internet domain names belonging to 141 online gambling ...
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INTERNET LAW - Domain Name Disputes Involving Automobile Manufacturers
IBLS INTERNET LAW (subscription), CA - Jan 7, 2009
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration Panels frequently find likelihood of confusion where domain names incorporate automobile ...

101domain Releases New Site, Services - Including ...
PR Web (press release), WA - Jan 7, 2009
Today 101domain.com launched a freshly-overhauled website along with a portfolio of new services, including internationalized domain name (IDN) registration ...

Domain Name Wire
Top Level Domains in 2008 - ME Domain Has The Fastest Growth 2008
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Companies Have Fiduciary Responsibility to Lock Down Domain Names
Domain Name Wire, TX - Jan 7, 2009
It would seem that protecting domain names — especially mission critical ones like CheckFree.com, Dell.com, Amazon.com, and ATT.com, would fall under that ...

What to consider when choosing domain names
SmartBrief, DC - Jan 6, 2009
When acquiring domain names, think beyond just the company name, and get some that take into account geography and what you sell, an expert advises. ...
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