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Here we discuss important considerations in choosing a domain name, or web address, for your online business. Some important thoughts include length, punctuation and customer convenience.

Choosing your domain name is like naming your child – once it’s done, it’s permanent. And once customers remember that domain name, they’ll use it forever. Thus, selecting your web address is a critical decision that can help or haunt your online business for years to come. Read the following for a little guidance.

Keep it short and sweet.

I remember looking for a pair of cowboy boots online and came to a website that was more or less the following: “www.westernwearonlinewarehousediscountdealsunlimited.com.” Looks like someone was trying to throw some keywords into their domain name but all it did was confuse me. Don’t make your customers’ wrists hurt from typing in your web address. Remember, the ultimate goal here is to have customers get to your online store by directly entering your domain name into the address bar – this way they won’t have a chance to find your competitors’ sites through a search engine.

Pay-Attention_to-Punctuation

If at all possible, try to limit dashes and underscores in your domain name. Most Internet users aren’t used to typing these characters into the address bar, and quite frankly, it’s a tricky maneuver for the fingers. However, in some cases, it can be helpful to your customers. For example, if your business is “Sally’s Shoes,” it might be confusing if the name was “sallysshoes.com.” One could wonder if there is one “s” or two, so a dash between words might be appropriate here.

Make It Memorable

Following the points above will help make this piece a lot easier, but keep in mind that your domain name is also a marketing tool. It can be used to help describe your business or define a point of difference. From the previous example, westernwearwarehouse.com would be a decent choice since it tells us, “Hey this store sells lots of western wear. I get it.”

Help Your Customers Out

A lot of traffic is lost when customers misspell or don’t totally remember your domain name. Give them a hand and provide a few options that are close to the original. For example, I always type in “espn.com” even though the true domain name is “espn.go.com.” I still enter “thefacebook.com” because I got used to it in the site’s early stages. In both cases, I’m simply redirected to the primary domain. You can do the same with your storefront, so think of some potential errors that can cost you sales. Additionally, picking up multiple domains is a good way to protect your business from copycats in the future.

Have Some Backups

Before you decide on the best address ever, make sure it’s available. There are lots of websites out there, so domain names are popular items. Try making a list of 3-5 so you’re more likely to find one that is free game.

Love your business like you love your child and name it with care – this decision really is one that should be given more than 5 minutes of thought.

Happy selling!

-Matt Winn, Marketing Associate

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What is your experience with selecting domain names? Do you agree with the advice provided? Have any extra thoughts to help? Do you have any questions about the process? Let us know what you think below!