What is a Domain Name?
When you open a web browser, such as Firefox, Safari, or Google Chrome, you often type in a URL to reach a specific website (ex.:http://www.kathyjacobs.com). This is the domain name for the website.
Your Domain Name Represents Your Business
Choosing a domain name for your website is an important step in developing an online presence. Your domain name should represent your business or organization, be easy to spell and remember, be relatively short, be easy to say over the phone or on the radio, and, if possible, contain some keywords. Having a domain name that is easy to spell and remember is very important.
Your domain name should not include any odd characters or words that are not commonly used or unusual spellings unless they are strongly branded. Although I can provide some recommendations for you, you should come up with one or two options for your website. If you would like me to, I can assist you with purchasing your domain names.
Try the Phone Test for Your Domain
Most small businesses market their domain name on other venues than just the Internet. Brochures, television commercials, radio ads, and even billboards can have your domain name printed on it. This is helpful for potential customers who are looking for more information about your products and business or organization. One way to test your domain name is to call a friend or relative and tell them your chosen domain name. Ask them to wait about five minutes and type the name in a browser window and then call you back. If they can remember it and type it in a browser correctly, it may be a good choice for your business. If they have to ask you how to spell it or ask you more than once what it was, you may want to rethink your choice. Try this on more than one person.