Choosing a domain name is just about as important these days as deciding on your business name. Use these 4 tips to help you choose the perfect domain name to help with your business success.

1. Stick with .COM

.COM is by far the most widely accepted extension for a domain name. It is also the easiest to remember. When you tell someone to visit your site, in most cases they are going to think “business name.com” so try to stick with a .com if you can.

The only exception to this rule is for non-profits and organizations. Then you can use the .ORG, but I still recommend buying the .COM version too.

If .COM is not available for the domain you would like, don’t just jump and buy an alternative extension like .NET. Chances are that your potential clients will stumble upon the wrong website (and this could be a direct competitor)! It is better to come up with an alternative domain name that you can purchase with .COM

2. Keep It Short and Simple!

Don’t buy a domain name that is a gazillion characters long. Keep it short and easy for people to remember. Choosing a simple domain name without confusing spelling.

3. Make it Keyword Rich

Using keywords in your domain that people might be searching for in Google to find a business like yours, can help with SEO. For instance, if people are searching for “Charlotte Chimney Sweepers,” charlottechimneysweepers.com would be a great domain to buy since that it is exactly what people are searching for.

4. Research, Research, Research

Before you decide on a domain name (or a business name for that matter), you should always do some research online first. Go to a major search engine like Google and type in that domain name/business name and see what pops up. Watch out for competition, inappropriate items, etc. Get creative with your domain name in anticipation of future branding…so that when someone searches for your business name there is no problem with it popping up first!

Use a thesaurus to look for alternative words if something you want is already taken. This is a great way to come up with a creative name; however, make sure your alternative word is something that can be remembered and spelled properly.

Check on social media channels like Twitter and Instagram to be sure you can grab the names you need too. Example: My website is www.thecreativestack.com and my twitter and instagram accounts are @creativestack

Understanding Domain Extensions

.COM represents the word “commercial,” and is the most widely used extension in the world. Most businesses prefer a .com domain name because it is a highly recognized symbol for having a business presence on the Internet.
.NET represents the word “network,” and is most commonly used by Internet service providers, Web-hosting companies or other businesses that are directly involved in the infrastructure of the Internet.
.ORG represents the word “organization,” and is primarily used by non-profits groups or trade associations.
.BIZ is used for small business Web sites.
.INFO is for credible resource Web sites and signifies a “resource” web site. It’s the most popular extension beyond .com, .net and .org.
.MOBI (short for “mobile”) is reserved for Web sites built for easy viewing on mobile devices.
.US is for American Web sites and is the newest extension. It has the largest amount of available names for purchase.

Now, as to where to buy these domains? I recommend Host Gator for domains and hosting.