Looking to create a domain name that will drive online business? Check out the following tips to create a domain name that’ll rack up website hits.
Keep it Short
Good domain names are short. As a guide try to go below 12 letters and never exceed 20. And avoid using hyphens, as they can create confusion.
Use Keywords in Domain Name
Try to embed the most relevant keyword/s into your domain name. Register all variations of a word such as ‘auslighting.com.au’ and ‘ozlighting.com.au’ to avoid competitors getting a hold of it.
Dot What?
Australians tend to trust businesses with .au domain extensions. Australian search engines will also give preference to these domains over the traditional .com extension. You can even register a few domain names that point to the same site.
Avoid Trademarked Names
A person who is not the trademark owner and registers the trademark as a domain name engages in trademark infringement—even a domain name as innocent as sonytvsales.com would be in violation.
Already Registered?
You can use ‘whois lookups’, to search for the registration information on domain names, including owners email addresses and expiry dates. You can contact the owner to pass it on or wait for it to expire so you can register it. And remember, creative names can be very effective and memorable.
—Andrew Koloadin, director, Digital Pacific Web Hosting (www.digitalpacific.com.au)
