Having a website is an important part of marketing your home business and developing your brand. Choosing a domain name can be an agonizing experience, like the name of your business, it reflects your image. Assuming your business is a success, you will be stuck with for a long time. The most important thing to remember when choosing your domain name is keeping it simple and easy to remember, and a name that will stick in the minds of your customers.

If possible, have your domain name the same or as close as possible to your business name. This is the easiest for people to find and remember. If your business name is hard to spell or long, you may want to consider some other options. Use the name of your product or service, the words people will most likely type in when they are looking for someone like you. Try a keyword search for popular phrases.

What if the domain name you want is already taken? What if it is being held for ransom by domain name squatters? If you are committed to the name or have an established brand, the higher price to secure the domain name may be worth it in the long run. If you really want the name and are flexible, you can try using numbers, hyphens or an alternative ending to .com such as .net, but all of these are harder to remember and type correctly. Much of your desired traffic may be diverted to the name you originally wanted. The same is true of making the name plural, or adding a the', my', or other word to the beginning. These modifications can work, though, if they are promoted correctly.

How established is your business name? If you are just starting up, it may be easier to find a domain name that is available first, then name your business. The same concepts of naming your website apply to naming your business.

Remember, something easy to remember will be more successful. A short domain name, less than 7 characters is easier to remember if it makes sense. If not, you may want to go with a longer name with a phrase that is easier to remember and will show up in searches. You can promote it with capitalization if it makes it easier to remember, but case does not make a difference when typing it. Short, nonsense words only work if they can be easily associated with a concept. Although many people have tried to mimic the success of google, yahoo, and others, nonsense words are not easily remembered.

Try out your domain name of choice on as many people as you can, test its stickiness. Once you decide on a domain name, register it as soon as possible, they can be snatched up if you're not quick enough.

Learn more about this author, Rachel Logterman.
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