"What
was the name of that website? It was good. It has something
to do with..."
Is
your web site like many others?
Domain
names always on the tip of a visitor's tongue, but not
quite memorable enough?
Your
choice of domain name needs to be easy to remember,
as well as focused enough that your visitor will know
right away what your site is about.
A
Few Rules
Some
rules do apply when deciding on a domain name:
Domain
names must be at least two characters long but no more
than 63 characters, not counting the TLD.
You
can use any combination of letters, numbers, or hyphens,
but you can't use a hyphen as the first or last character.
Domain
names are not case-sensitive, so my-home-based-business-advisor.com
is the same as My-Home-Based-Business-Advisor.com.
Choosing
A Domain Name
Choosing
good domain names is almost as important as choosing
your actual business (see our Startup Ideas page).
There
are many different schools of thought when it comes
to picking good domain names.
Some
say to choose a short, concise name.
Some
like numbers in the name, some don't.
Hyphens
and underscores -- as opposed to words all running together
-- are another debated topic. It's mostly a matter of
easier reading for your human visitors. Which do you
find easier to read?
myhomebasedbusinessadvisor
my_home_based_business_advisor
my-home-based-business-advisor
Generally,
the hyphens between words make domain names easier to
read for most people.
While
search engines don't rank domain names, a keyword-rich
name will let your visitors know what your web site
is about before they get there. This makes them more
comfortable because they know what they're getting in
advance.
Also,
when you get other sites to link to yours, that link
is usually based on your domain name. This means that
your main keyphrase (which you used as your domain name)
will be the actual anchor text and search engines do
give additional ranking for that.
Domain
names play a major role in making your dream memorable
to the world.
Take
the time to do it right and your dream of a home-based
business will be seen all over the world!
For
a more detailed explanation of domain names and domain
registration, and more great advice for your home-based
business, please visit My Home-Based Business Advisor.
Terry
Nicholls
My
Home-Based Business Advisor
About
The Author
Terry Nicholls writes from his own experience as someone
who wanted to start his own home-based business. Now
that he has, visit My Home-Based Business Advisor -
Helping YOUR Home Business Start and Succeed for free
help for YOUR home business, including ideas, startup,
and expansion advice.
my-home-based-business-advisor.com
Copyright
© by Terry Nicholls. All Rights Reserved.
