| One of the first things that you will need to do when | | | | confusion. The domain, is an example. To |
| you set up your first web site is to choose the | | | | communicate this domain name over the phone, you |
| domain name. You should spend enough time on this | | | | will need to make sure the customer knows you |
| critical process to get it right. It should be simple to | | | | mean "4", not "four". You will also have to tell them |
| remember, easy to say, and easy to hear over the | | | | that it is "u", not "you". This will become a frustrating |
| phone. It should include keywords, as you'll want to | | | | waste of time if you are handling sales over the |
| use search engines to find your site. | | | | phone. |
| The best domain names are dot com. Your | | | | Stay away from words that are spelled different for |
| customers tend to assume the dot com at the end | | | | different meanings, such as "To", "too, "two", and "2". |
| of domain names. If you pick a different type such | | | | Another is with our successful website, Though it is |
| as .org, .tv, .us, or .net, you will lose customers to the | | | | not a serious problem, we do have to deal with ware |
| other sites who have the dot com version of the | | | | vs. wear in our telephone support with this site. We |
| name you pick. If you like a name well enough to use | | | | didn't even see this one coming. |
| the version other than dot com, you will need to be | | | | When I pick a domain name, I will usually look at a |
| sure that a competitor in your field does not own | | | | two word definition of what I am trying to market, |
| the dot com. That can really spell disaster. | | | | or the mental image I am trying to present. I will run |
| We usually start with a dot com name and if the | | | | these two words through an online thesaurus. Then, |
| others are available, we will purchase them as well to | | | | when I have a list of each, I will try different |
| diversify our project. If you use a different domain | | | | combinations until I find one that flows well, sounds |
| name for email, for example, you can sometimes | | | | nice when spoken, is not terribly confusing, and |
| simplify the development of your website. | | | | doesn't need to be spelled out 50 times a day. You |
| A domain name should be as short as possible. You'll | | | | will be amazed at how many really excellent dot com |
| find that two words for a name is usually possible to | | | | names, using two words, are still available. |
| find with some effort. One-word names are mostly | | | | Sometimes when I am looking for a domain, I will end |
| gone. Availability of three word domain names is | | | | up buying two or three for later use, or resale. In |
| common; and if the words are small, the name will | | | | fact, you may even want to purchase domain names |
| not be too large. An example of this would You can | | | | that are close misspellings of your original name. Many |
| use dashes in a domain name. This will separate the | | | | companies make use of search engine misspellings to |
| keywords for the search engines. Then, every time | | | | sell their products on pages developed just to get |
| you use your name in a link, the search engines will | | | | the traffic from misspelled searches. |
| pick up the keywords that you are targeting. A good | | | | When we name a new software product, we name |
| example Many domain registrars have tools available | | | | the product with available domain names in mind. Our |
| to help you search for unused domain names and | | | | soon to be released affiliate organizer is called |
| find different combinations for those names. | | | | Affiliate File Cabinet. We chose the name and |
| Keep your domain names as short as possible, and | | | | purchased at the same time. That not only puts |
| make sure they are easy to say over the phone. | | | | critical keywords in the domain name, it also ties the |
| Names that you have to spell, or differentiate | | | | domain name directly to it's product. |
| between spelled out numbers, or numerals will cause | | | | |