1. Proper names VS Common Names. First of all there are two different kinds of names, proper names (unique words, person, place), or common names (things like cars or cheese.) The types of names that will have good lasting effect on the internet are proper names. Think of some of the biggest sites on the internet, such as yahoo or google, why are they the most popular search engines in the world and not searchengine.com Simple, the average consumer will group names of things with there .com names. If the names are too similar they get lost in the mix. That is why no one names there car dealership cars. Sure cars are what they sell, but image the conversation, Frank asks what dealership did you buy your car from Jim replies cars as you can image it would get really confusing. A lot of dealerships use proper names such as XYZ Motors. That is why a lot of sites such as cars.com arent doing as well as say vehix.com.
2. Real world Brands. The most successful brands on the internet are not real world brands. That is why amazon.com does over three times as much business as Waldenbooks.com or Borders.com combined. Internet branding is something completely new. In my opinion, the sites that are going to last on the internet are the ones with proper names. Proper names can be anything, names, and unique words. Use your imagination just as long as it is catchy and unique. It was a good idea to put www.what you are selling here.com back when the internet was young. People used the URL as a directory tool. This is a dying fad.
3. KISS Method. Keep It Simple Stupid. The best sites out there have simple easy to remember names. Alexa.com Excite.com you dont see many popular names like incrdiblesearchingpower.com
4. Shorter means better. If there is a shorter way to use your name do it. There is a reason cnet.com isnt computernet.com and schawb.com isnt charlesschwab.com. The less I have to type in the search box the happier I am.
5. Spelling 101. Make your .com easy to spell. Back when your product was mailed by the postal service spelling wasnt as important. You could get away with misspelled words and it would still be delivered. But now you have to enter your .com name exactly right for it to work.
6. What is in a name Words that are better for search engine names and brand names all together have less total letters. That is why Datsun which has 6 letters to make there name changed to Nissan which has 4. As general rule brand names do better with the lower this number is. Such as Yahoo it takes 4. Google, it takes 4.
7. Abbreviate. Take a look at America Online. They didnt make there site www.americanonline.com they made it AOL. Other abbreviated names include, MSN and Cnet. This goes with the keeping it shorter rule but it is another possible helper.
8. Name it after a person. In 1987, PCs Limited changed its name to Dell Computer Corporation. In 2003, the company became Dell, Inc. Dell, Inc. became the most profitable PC manufacturer in the world. Dell sounds a lot better than PCs Limited.
9. Hidden meanings. Most names have hidden meanings such as Amazon which is the largest River on earth, is the largest book store on earth. I recommend you take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_company_name_etymologies
10. Run names by friends and relatives. They can be your best source for ideas, and best of all they will tell you if something sounds good to them or not. Ultimately what ever .com you choose it has to sound good to you!
I decided to pursue my passion, internet marketing. I have spent countless hours reading books, and listening to lectures. I finally decided to take the plunge. I created June of 2005. I hope in time to be a webmaster and internet marketer full time. I hope this article was helpful and informative. Email me anytime. I am always happy to help.
Thanks Ryan Churchill
It begins as an idea -- a company name, a business venture, a personal project. You research available domain name options, choose the one you want, and finally register it. Or perhaps the perfect domain was in use before, and you register it after it completes the domain deletion cycle.
After going through the selection and registration process and then using the domain to brand your business, do you want to risk losing your domain
Of course not.
THE LIFE CYCLE OF A DOMAIN NAME
To avoid losing a domain after youve registered it, lets look at the stages that each domain goes through.
Its available
When you look up the domain in Whois records, its available for registration. It may never have been registered before, or it may have already been through one or more domain name cycles.
Its active
Someone has registered the domain for the current time period. Domains can be registered for a minimum of one year and up to 10 years at a time. Some country-specific domain name extensions (e.g., domains ending in .uk and .au) can be registered for only shorter time periods. When a domain is nearing the end of its active period, an email notification is sent to the address in the record for the domain name registrant.
If the registrant renews the domain before it expires, it stays active. Otherwise, the cycle moves to the next stage.
Its expired (on hold)
A registrant had the domain name registered but didnt renew it before the expiry date. The domain name registrar may hold the domain to allow the registrant to re-register it, which would return the domain to active status. This time period is typically 45 days, but it may be longer, shorter, or non-existent, depending on the registrar.
The website and email for the domain might still work for a few days after a domain enters this stage. The domain cannot be transferred to another registrar at this stage, however.
Its in the Redemption Grace Period (RGP)
The domain is held in a 30-day redemption period, during which the registrant can still re-register it, perhaps with an additional service fee at this point. The website and email for the domain no longer work. However, the domain is not yet available to the public.
Its pending delete
This registry hold period, the last stage of the cycle, is five days.
Its available
Anyone can now register the domain name. The cycle can begin again.
THE BENEFITS OF LONG-TERM DOMAIN REGISTRATION
Its more convenient
When your domain is registered for several years, you only have to renew it once every several years. You also avoid the inconvenience of possibly having your site and email go down if you miss an annual renewal deadline.
Its less expensive
Some domain name registrars offer a discount when you register a domain for multiple years. In addition, you reduce the number of occasions when you might have to pay a service fee for renewing your domain late.
Its more secure
The chances of your losing your domain because you were away, busy, or didnt receive the email notification about its due date are reduced.
Its more legitimate
Its believed that Google weighs the length of the domain registration when ranking a website. A site with a domain thats registered for several years would benefit from the long registration time over a site with a domain that expires in less than a year.
Savvy customers will also notice how long a domain is registered for. A company with a domain thats registered for a few years is more likely to be around in a few years than one with a domain thats registered for only one year.
THE MANAGEMENT OF A DOMAIN NAME
To keep your treasured domain name from going through the above cycle after you register it, take these preventive steps:
Register it for several years at a time.
Register it with an email address that doesnt go with the domain name --- you need to be able to send and receive email about the domain if you accidentally let it expire.
Keep the address in your Whois records current so that you can receive renewal notices from your domain name registrar.
Set up a reminder in your calendar to renew your domain at least two months before its expiry date.
These security steps will help protect your domain name:
Use a complex password with a combination of letters and numbers for your domain name account.
Turn on the lock feature if the extension allows locking. When a domain name is locked, no changes can be made to it. Some domains (depending on the registrar or extension) cant be locked, but other security measures are usually in place to prevent unauthorized transfers or other changes.
Lois S. is a Technical Executive Writer for and with experience in the website hosting industry.