Here are some tips on choosing a domain that not only defines the purpose of your website, but can easily be remembered or indexed. Consider these tips as suggestions, and not strict rules.

Stick with “.com”

The .com TLD (top-level domain) is by far the most widely accepted extension for a domain name. For obvious reasons, it is also the easiest to remember. When you tell someone to go to your site in most cases they are going to think “name/business name.com” so try to stick with a .com if you can.

Keep it Simple

Try to find a domain name that only has one possible spelling. Choosing a simple domain name without confusing spelling will make it easier for visitors to reach your website.

Shorter is Better

The shorter your domain name is, the easier it is for your visitors to remember, type and tell others about. Try using 6-10 consecutive characters.

Avoid Hyphens

Hyphens can really get someone lost. Not to mention, it can be difficult to embed the hyphen into someone’s memory. If mydomain.com is taken and you decide to order my-domain.com because it is available, there is a great chance you will end up getting people lost at mydomain.com

Keep it Singular

This follows the same reasoning applied for avoiding hyphens. If mydomain.com is taken and you pick mydomains.com, there is a good chance you will be sending your traffic to mydomain.com as most domains are singular rather than plural. This is not so much the case when it comes to picking keyword rich domains.

Make it Keyword Rich

While this does not significantly impact SEO, it can help. For instance, if people are searching for “New York motor events,” newyorkmotorevents.com could be a great domain to buy for the mere fact that it is exactly what people are searching for.

Avoid Numeral Substitutions

Numeral substitutions just really do not work. Tell someone your site is “advanc3.com” and you are guaranteed confusion.

Avoid Slang

This is for the same reason as avoiding numeral substitutes. For instance, ursite.com is a bad substitute for yoursite.com.

Make it Brand-able

In the early days of the internet, no one knew what Google, Yahoo!, or Facebook was going to be. But now they do, and those domains are highly brand-able. It doesn’t hurt to get creative with your domain name in anticipation of future branding.

Avoid Copyright Issues

This is just common sense, really.

Use a Thesaurus

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.

And lastly… Brainstorm

Take your time and put some real thought into it.

If you have a business partner or someone you closely trust, work together to brainstorm a name.

Make it fun!