How to Choose a Domain Name

When you first decide to create your website one of the first things you need to do is come up with a domain name for your site. The domain name is how people will identify and locate your website on the internet.

The domain name should be easily recognizable as relating to your brand or business. It should also be catchy and memorable so as to not confuse people who are searching for your site. Using a domain name such as h-k69-4lo.com is neither catchy, nor memorable and would probably not be a good choice.

Domain names can be up 67 characters long and can contain all 26 letters of the alphabet, numbers, and hyphens, but cannot start or end with a hyphen. Domain names also use a suffix which is also called a TLD - Top Level Domain . A Top Level Domain is based on the business or organization it represents. The most common TLDs are:

• .com - Commercial
• .net - Network
• .org - Organization
• .edu - Educational
• .biz - Business
• .ca* - This is the domain suffix for people or buisinesses based in Canada. Every Country has it's own domain suffix.

Domain registrars generally have a search function on their site enabling people to see if their domain name is available. On the event that the name you had originally chosen is unavailable due to another person or business previously registering it, you must now be prepared to come up with an alternative name. The name you choose should generally be short, reflect the core content of your website, your business name, or, in some form, be easily associated with your website. This will make it easier for your target audience to locate your website on the internet