Your brand name and, correspondingly, your domain name are important brand assets that you own, that reflect your company’s niche or values, and that can eventually make or break things for your business. This is why naming and choosing a domain name is so important.
Depending on the particular case, you may want to make your domain name a variation of your company name. If the company name is too long, or too hard to write or pronounce, or too generic, or an abbreviation, you may consider a variable domain name for yourself.
For example, please be aware that, according to statistics, all the four-letter abbreviations for domain names are officially taken; there are no available four-letter abbreviations as free domain names, unless you buy one from the current owner.
Choosing a variation of your company name for the domain can also work well for you if you want the website to expand the niche, offer a broader context for your product or service, or otherwise modify your existing company name. If you feel the current name does not do the work for you, creating a website and choosing a new domain name is a perfect moment to fix things.
If you are creating a new business from scratch, the task of choosing a domain name is easier for you. But you should pay attention to some recommendations, mostly to avoid some widespread mistakes.
General Recommendations
There are four of the most basic recommendations for every domain name to make it user-friendly. Firstly, make it stand out, avoid generic ideas where possible, and evaluate your options from a long-term perspective with your business. If you want to sell workout equipment, naming the company “Workout Equipment” is not the best strategy.
Secondly, opt for a shorter domain over a longer one. The easier it is to remember, the better. Thirdly, make sure the domain name is easy to type – this recommendation is directly connected to the previous one. You definitely want people to instantly remember your brand and your website address. For example, any no wagering casino Canada will highlight that you can play, bet, or win there, by using these words in its name.
And fourthly, make sure the word you eventually use as a domain name is easy to pronounce. You may want a second opinion on this one; if you believe the domain sounds beautiful, ask someone else’s opinion, and you may be unpleasantly surprised.
Now, if you manage to get an abbreviation domain, and you are excited about it, take a moment to double-check the meaning of this abbreviation that already exists online. Some abbreviations may be really nice, but they are either too broadly used (like “INC”) or mean something totally out of context for your business.
If you would like to use funny spelling or misspelling of words to attract attention to your domain name, this seemingly winning idea can turn out to be a disaster. Instead of checking your website out due to a unique name, people may view your domain as a fraudulent site or malware and avoid it.
Now you are aware of what to look for and what to avoid. So, what words should you use for domain names?
The Name Reflecting The Niche
The perfect option for any business is to use one or two keywords reflecting their niche online. However, the obvious problem is that the number of businesses in every niche exceeds the number of keywords reflecting the niche.
Many companies have a hard time choosing a keyword-related name. If this is the case, think of a combination of your desired keyword and another word from a different niche.
Think of your brand and niche, and consider what twist you can add to your brand by combining the keywords.
A Random Word
Choosing just a random word and making it your own is a cool idea. The most famous example is, of course, Apple. However, there are two main issues that should be considered. Firstly, make sure the domain with such a word is free, and if it is, grab it quickly before someone else does. If there is no such option, think of combining two words as described above.
The second issue is more about long-term strategy – you will have to make your company stand out without relying on a unique name that would support your image, or attract attention to itself.
Try Generating Wordoids
Generating a list of relevant wordoids to choose from for your domain name is one of the best options a new business can opt for. Wordoids are invented words that contain your desired keyword as a basis, building a unique word around it. This way, you have a keyword for your niche and a unique spelling.
Wordoids are easy to remember and fun to use. If you are lucky, you can generate a really outstanding one. But stand the temptation of using a word resembling the name of the already existing brand (like “Challel”).
Final Thoughts
Choosing a relevant and nice company name and domain name can be a real headache, and can take lots of time and effort. However, please remember that there is no perfect name, and having an acceptable or average name for starters is better than having none. If the name turns out to be inefficient for you, you will need to change it, but at least you will be able to make the first steps!