| There's a lot of talk out there about choosing the | | | | You'll know where the balance lies for the particular |
| right domain name before you go ahead and buy a | | | | type of domain name you want to buy; if it bores |
| domain for your website. The importance of choosing | | | | you, it will probably bore your customers, but if it's |
| the right domain may be overshadowing the risks of | | | | search engine friendly (and if that's when you hope |
| choosing the wrong one. Of course, these are | | | | your main audience finds you) it may still be |
| opposite sides of the same coin, but it's worth it to | | | | appropriate. Use your best judgment. |
| look closer at the "do's and "don'ts" of selection | | | | • Domain name advice: Choose something catchy |
| before you buy domain name rights for any site. | | | | and memorable. |
| • Domain name advice: Buy a domain that's | | | | Flip side: This will seem like the opposite of the last |
| related to what you do. | | | | piece of advice. Again, it's about finding the right |
| Flip side: Don't get so specific that people think you | | | | balance. Yes, you want something that's catchy and |
| only do one thing (unless you really only do one | | | | distinct, but you may want to make sure it's also |
| thing). For example, "Everything Hammers" would | | | | practical enough to be descriptive. Search engines |
| imply that you sell all varieties of hammers, but if you | | | | include domain name in their assessment of a |
| actually sell tools of all sorts, a name like "Hammers | | | | website, so having a helpful keyword in your title |
| and More" will be more helpful to your potential | | | | may be more useful to you than clever alliteration, no |
| customers. | | | | matter how catchy it seems. |
| • Domain name advice: When you're choosing | | | | There's no hard and fast rule on how to buy domain |
| cheap domain names (because there's no need for | | | | name rights to the perfect domain name. It's more a |
| them to be expensive), make sure you choose | | | | matter of finding the appropriate priorities for your |
| something that is simple, not something that's too | | | | website. You can also buy a few cheap domain |
| complicated to remember. | | | | names and point them to a single site, which is |
| Flip side: Don't buy a domain that's so simple and so | | | | particularly useful if you have a couple different |
| generic that it becomes easy to forget. There is | | | | keywords in mind, but they don't fit well into tone |
| something to be said for distinction, for memorability. | | | | single domain title. |