| A friend of mine calls me the "Domain Queen", | | | | domain. I haven't always followed my own rules |
| since at one time I owned around 50 domains. | | | | here, as I tend to have business names that are |
| I've let many of them go (I own only 22 now) as | | | | quite lengthy. If the domain name is going to be |
| my business has changed and developed, or I've | | | | your primary domain where your primary email |
| just simply lost interest in the project. I'm often | | | | address will be housed, you want your domain |
| asked how I go about picking effective domain | | | | name to be as short, catchy, and memorable as |
| names, so as the "Domain Queen", I'll share my | | | | possible. After a few times of spelling out your |
| thought process with you. | | | | lengthy email address, you'll come to appreciate |
| 1.What's the purpose of the domain name? Are | | | | the beauty of a short domain name. Your domain |
| you planning on using this name as the main | | | | name can contain up to 67 letters and numbers, |
| website for your company, as a one page sales | | | | although I would encourage you not to have one |
| letter site, or squeeze page site? If the domain | | | | of this length, and can contain no special |
| name will be your primary company website, try | | | | characters other than hyphens. |
| and find the closest version to your company | | | | 5. Purchase your your given name as a domain |
| name that you can. If you're just starting out, | | | | name. I typically tell my clients not to try and |
| choose your business name and domain name | | | | brand their given name as their business name, as |
| with care. When I started my virtual assistant | | | | that takes many years, much money, and lots of |
| practice, I chose the name SOHO Business | | | | hard work to have the name recognition of |
| Solutions, as I thought everyone knew that | | | | Oprah, for example. However, it still pays to |
| SOHO stood for Small Office, Home Office. I think | | | | purchase your given name as a domain name, as |
| I've run into 2 people in my 7 years in business | | | | well as any common misspellings of your name. |
| who knew what that acronym stood for. If I had | | | | Many people think my name is Donna Gunther, |
| it to do over again for this business, I would | | | | with an "h" in the last name, but I've been unable |
| choose a business name and domain name with | | | | to register that common misspelling of my name, |
| virtual assistant in the title, like | | | | as a photographer in Venice, CA, has owned in |
| InternetMarketingVirtualAssistant.com, a name I | | | | since 2000. Once you've purchased your name as |
| just recently purchased. | | | | a domain, you can redirect it to your primary |
| If the purpose of a domain is for a one-page | | | | website. This means that when someone types in |
| sales letter site or a squeeze page, think ahead as | | | | a domain, they land at the website to which you |
| to how you might promote this site. Because | | | | pointed that domain. So, currently redirects to |
| content is king in today's internet marketing world, | | | | because I don't want to use my name as a |
| there's little chance that either of these types of | | | | website, although that might change in the future. |
| sites would be picked up by the search engines | | | | 6. Buy the .COM version of the name if it is |
| on key words. Therefore, your best promotion | | | | available. When people hear a domain name, they |
| strategy is PPC, or "pay per click", where you're | | | | "hear" .COM whether it's .NET or .BIZ or .ORG or |
| buying keywords for placement in search engines. | | | | whatever. So, it pays to find a domain name that |
| If you're buying keywords from Google, for | | | | you like that is part of the .COM family. If you |
| example, the paid listings appear at the top of a | | | | just can't get the name you want, try a |
| search in a blue box, or down the right-hand side | | | | hyphenated version of the .COM name. For |
| of your screen. You want to be sure that the info | | | | example, when I was seeking a domain name for |
| displayed there is compelling enough to get | | | | my Self-Employment Coaching Gym, I really |
| someone to click and visit your site. So, for | | | | wanted SelfEmploymentSuccess.com, but it |
| example, I've created a squeeze page, | | | | wasn't available. However, was available, so I |
| GetMoreClientsOnline.com, which has a compelling | | | | grabbed that. Many SEO specialists state that |
| solution to a common problem that my clients | | | | search engines like hyphenated names, and many |
| have, as a side door gateway to my coaching | | | | online business owners use hyphenated keywords |
| website. | | | | in their domain names to be more attractive to |
| 2. Brainstorm a list of ideas of the problem you're | | | | search engines. I don't have a clear answer as to |
| trying to solve or the solution that you have. A | | | | the validity of this theory, so I just advocate |
| domain name that clearly indicates what you do, | | | | going this route before having to resort to the |
| or a problem that you solve, or a solution that | | | | .NET or .BIZ of the name you desire. Some |
| you have to a problem will give a visitor a fairly | | | | domain name holders may be willing to sell you |
| clear picture of what s/he'll find on your website. | | | | the domain name that you want. You can find out |
| What I typically do is go to my domain registrar, | | | | who owns a domain name by checking the WhoIs |
| and just start plugging in the names I'm | | | | Registry at Internic, For info about country codes |
| brainstorming until I come up with 3 or 4 that are | | | | (two-letter) top-level domains (.UK or .CA, for |
| available. If the domain name that you type in isn't | | | | example) visit |
| available, the service will come up with 10 or so | | | | 7. Consider owning other versions of your primary |
| alternates for you to consider. I found this | | | | domain name. If you are registering the .COM |
| alternate listing quite helpful recently in picking the | | | | version of a domain for your business, you may |
| name of an article directory site that I want to | | | | also want to secure variations of the name, |
| create. | | | | alternate spellings, common misspellings, and the |
| 3. For SEO (Search Engine Optimization) purposes, | | | | .NET and .ORG versions of your domain and |
| it helps to have your keywords in your domain | | | | repoint them to your main site to keep them out |
| name. Marla Regan, who's a professional organizer, | | | | of the hands of your competitors. You can also |
| has put two keywords in her domain name, | | | | go broke very quickly by purchasing all of these |
| Retirement Coach Lin Schreiber has her keyword | | | | variations, so exercise some restraint in your |
| niche in her domain, Consultant John Reddish has | | | | purchases and don't go crazy with purchasing |
| the desired outcome keywords in his domain, I | | | | every single variation of your domain name. For |
| own a domain that I haven't yet developed for | | | | my coaching company site, I own both the and |
| house sitters, Before buying your domain, make a | | | | and decided that was good enough. |
| list of keywords that someone might use to find | | | | Your domain name is the beginning of the |
| you online. This list could include your industry, | | | | establishment of your presence online, Take |
| your target market or niche, a problem your | | | | some time and put some thought into the |
| target market has, or a solution that you can | | | | process so that the domain name serves you |
| offer. | | | | well in the years to come, and is an effective tool |
| 4. Shorter is better, if it's to be your primary | | | | for helping you get more clients online. |