Guidelines for selecting an engaging domain name.

1. HOW TO SELECT A DOMAIN
NAME
What Is In A Name? (Follow Hyperlink for Answer!)
Saturday, September 15, 12

2. DOMAIN NAME GUIDELINES
(FOLLOW HYPERLINK!)
• Brand, Organization, or Company Name
• Naming is Strategic, NOT Tactical
• Shorter is Better
• Easy to Pronounce
• Distinctive
• Avoid Copyright Infringement
Saturday, September 15, 12

3. BRAND NAME
• Domain Name is (Usually) Your Site/Blog Title
• Purpose of Site Indicated by Domain Name
• Use Your Name or Close Variation to Promote Personal
Brand
• Use Name of Your Business, Product, or Service if you
already have a content focus/niche in mind
• Use Best Extension (.com or .org) even if need to go with
second or third choice
Saturday, September 15, 12

4. STRATEGIC NAME
• Select a Name You Can Live With
• Select a Fluid Name: Broad, Evolving Content Focus
• Incorporate Key Words Someone Would Use to Find the
Information on Your Site (name)
• Use Name Allowing for More Than One Blog Focus
• Do NOT Pick Trendy or Cutesy Name
Saturday, September 15, 12

5. SHORTER IS BETTER
• Name is First Impression: Keep it Simple
• Easy to Remember, to Type, and to Say
• Long Names Annoy Potential Visitors
• More Visually Pleasing (on resume or card)
• 12 Characters or Less is Best
Saturday, September 15, 12

6. EASY TO TYPE
• Use Easy-to-Spell Words or Sounds
• Avoid quirky Spellings: Thom, Waneta, etc
• Keep Your Brand Name in Mind
• Careful Using "q," "z," "x," "c," "ph," “gh,”
Saturday, September 15, 12

7. EASY TO PRONOUNCE
• Choose a domain name you will not need to spell when
speaking
• Careful of homophones: sound same, but spelled differently
(realize, real eyes, real lies)
• Avoid hyphens and numbers
Saturday, September 15, 12

8. DISTINCTIVE
• Choose Memorable and Distinct Name
• Make Association Between Domain Name and Brand Name
Clear
• Do NOT Choose “Confusable” Name
• No Plural, Hyphenated or Misspelled Versions of Established
Domains
• NO StuffingtonPost.com, Painterist.com, etc
Saturday, September 15, 12

9. AVOID COPYRIGHT
INFRINGEMENT
• Do NOT use name already registered by another
individual or organization as a brand
• If using business name, check trademark/copyright status
before registering domain name
• If using your name or close variation, copyright
infringement is unlikely, but may depend how close name
is to other organization or individual
Saturday, September 15, 12

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Saturday, September 15, 12