It’s possible that you can strike it rich in the Internet with just a domain name alone. Some people called, domainer, are making serious money with domain names: creating them, holding on to them like prime real estate, or trading them for top dollars to interested parties.
Consider the following domains and their corresponding price tags:
- Sex.com. This is perhaps the most controversial domain name ever. It made it to the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive domain name when it sold for 13M USD in 2007.
- Insurance.com. Not as sexy as the first, but it sold for 16M USD in 2010. The domain is currently in the good hands of Quin Street.
There are a lot of other examples, but as you can see, a good domain name is already a valuable asset by itself. In fact, it is the single most important resource for your presence in the Internet. Whether it’s for a business website or for your personal use, when crafting your domain name, make it worth your while.
Listed below are some tips to consider.
Tip 1: Domain Name Extension Tips
First, get the .com. Make it a priority to get the .com extension first before you get the other extensions. If you are saving a little bit, you can stick with just the .com.
Optionally, buy other extensions also especially .net, .org and other domain extensions which your competitor might try to get and use against you.
Tip 2: On Strings and Characters
Stick with Alphabetic characters. Though it is now possible to use other strange characters from the UNICODE system, you are better off just using the letters of the English alphabet.
Avoid hyphens. I was guilty of violating this one. I own the Davao-Real-Estate.com domain, which I still maintain up to this day. What makes it stupid is when I share this domain verbally to someone: it sounds awkward saying “dash” two times. Note, however, that that is an SEO-value in doing this, which was what I wanted back then.
Avoid Numeric Characters. Numbers on domain names are another things you want to avoid. It makes it difficult to type, especially on Internet-enabled mobile devices.
Tip 3: More Than Words
Keep It Short. They say two heads are better than one. But when it comes to domain names, one word is better than two. As a matter of fact, a single word domain is a rarity these days. I suspect all of the words in the English dictionary have their corresponding domains already. You have to be really creative in crafting one.
Mean what it says. If your domain name includes the word job, make sure your site is related to career and job opportunities. If it has travels in it, then your website should deliver travel-related contents.
Tip 4: Think Branding
Make it sticky. It should not only be easy to remember. It must be difficult to forget also.
Make it easy to type also. Think about users who might be browsing your website using their tablets and smart phones. Some users of these devices don’t know how to switch between QWERTY Keypad and Numeric Pad modes; others are simply too lazy to make the switch
Keep the above tips in mind as you begin to think about the possible domain names for your next online project. You may not be in for domain speculations like the domainers do, but remembering these pointers at least gives your useful insights in coming up with a valuable Internet asset.
Related Links
- Learn how to create your own website in 5 easy steps.
- Check out my recommended Domain Name Registrars: GoDaddy and NameCheap
- Get free domain name when you host with Fatcow. Click here to know their on-going promos.