Top 10 Tips for Selecting Domain Names!

1. Length of Domain Name: Keep the name under 26 characters (including hyphens, etc.). If possible you should keep the domain name under 16 characters. Ideally, you want the domain name under 10 characters but most of these names are taken except wild names like clogck which doesn't have any meaning but could lend itself to good branding. Our parent company picked thummas for similar reasons. It's a made up name and doesn't have any meaning in any language but lends itself to easy branding. Try saying it - Thummas Corporation. See, it's easy!

2. Trademarks and Such: Check for trademark infringement. This is a very complex topic but if you trying to start a small business and are looking for a good domain name for your website, you don't want to infringe on somebody else's registered trademarked name. There are various steps involved in checking this but once you have found a name that has not been trademarked, go ahead and trademark it for your business!

3. .com Extension: Depending on what you want to use the website for, you don't always need a .com extension. There are now several other extensions available and you will surprised that a great domain name still has a .biz, .info, .net, .org, .us, or .ws (stands for web site) still available for registration! Example - a cool name like FlowersEtc is still available under the .org, .info, and .biz extensions! Unbelievable, huh? We think so too. You just have to make sure that they are not trademarked for the type of business you are planning on using the domain name. Go ahead and use our search tool to check for the availability of some cool domain names with non .com extensions.

4. Catchy Additions: Sometimes it pays to use catchy additions like '2go', '4you', and '4ever' to find a non-trademarked domain name for your business. For example, if you are looking for a domain name for a business that sells boats, can you believe that pens4ever.com is still available? At the time of this writing, of course. After some of you have read this document, the name may be gone! At least, the .com extension!

5. Multiple Words: Sometimes, it pays to use more than one word in your domain name. For example, if the domain name with your last name Smith is taken, you can try a domain name with your first name and last name combined, like ElviaSmith.com! Don't forget to examine some of the additional guidelines for multiple words though.

6. Same Letter ending and beginning: If you are looking at a domain name that has multiple words, it is generally not a good idea to have the last letter of the first word and the first letter of the last word be the same. For example, if you want to name your business Books Source, then registering a domain name bookssource.com may not be a good idea even if available because it makes the visitor think twice about the exact spelling and if there is 1 or 2 of the letter s in the domain name. By the way, if you are wondering if anyone registered this domain name, check it out using our search tool!

7. Number of Words: It is a good idea to keep the number of words in the domain name to 2 or 3 at most. It is preferable to keep it to 2. This will help your site visitors remember the site address easily.

8. Greek or Latin Names: Be careful when you are using words from a different language in your domain name. It is exciting to use words from Greek mythology or Latin words that have a cool meaning but your audience may have trouble remembering the name! Of course, if you are using domain names that are easy to remember, you may want to take a chance. For example, ZeusAndXena.com is still available at the time of this writing and it isn't a bad name if you can justify having such a name for your business.

9. Sound after a 100 times: Remember that you shouldn't be convinced by just how the name sounds the very first time you say it. There is always an extra special feeling associated with new names. Think about how the name is going to sound after you have told a hundred friends about your web site. If it still sounds fine, the domain name is a good choice. You don't actually have to say the name a 100 times to know if it loses its power. Just tell a few of your friends and family to ask how it sounds to them. Ask them to keep it confidential as you are still experimenting to find the right name and you may not be ready yet to spread the word. But as you repeat the name a few times to different people, generally you will have a feeling of how it's going to sound after the 100th time and the 1000th time.

10. Humorous, Cute, and Interesting: Even though a domain name may sound humorous, cute, or interesting, remember the rule about how the name sounds after repeating it a 100 times. Depending on what the purpose of your web site is, you may eventually get tired of a domain name that at first sounded humorous, cute or interesting.