A Domain Name for your New Website or Platform: Should it be long, short, a real word, unique, simple or complicated? We'll show you the important things to consider when making this first step toward your online presence.
Choosing a domain name is an important first step, but don't worry, it's not the main item that will decide on the success of your website. Many people anguish over choosing a name, but the important thing is to pick something that is clear and easy.
Remember, you can always change your domain later if you have to. Although, you do want to brand your site or platform, so if you choose a great name to start, it will save you some time later.
What should you look for when choosing a domain name? Let's examine the 5 most important considerations below.
Consideration #1 - Should it be short or long?
Ideally, if you can get a short name, that would be great. But the reality is, almost every3, 4, 5, and 6 letter word in the English language is taken as far as .com domain names go (but if you have one in mind, it is good to check anyway). A site like GoDaddy.com will let you type in any potential domain name and search to see if it is available or not (believe me, I've spent hours typing in short names without finding a single one that was available).
However, don't be obsessed with only looking for short domain names. If you build a successful company, you can change it later, (but it could, however, cost you later). For example, there is a company that you may be familiar with, that was originally called doorbot.com, that eventually changed it's name to the shorter ring.com. They paid over $200,000 for the domain name ring.com, but by that time, they were already a well established company with plenty of money to rebrand. You shouldn't be worried about that, as it would be a "happy problem" to be that successful.
But, even if shorter names are available, is it better to have a shorter one? It depends on your website, business, or platform that you are trying to build.
If it is something unique (i.e. a disrupter idea), then obviously names like google and Uber were great selections as people will remember them forever. They will essentially become new words in the English language (I will "google it" or I will "Uber" to my location)
However, if you are making a website that is more informational, like explaining an idea, then a longer domain name might actually be better. For example, one of my favorite websites is smartpassiveincome.com, and this domain name actually explains what they website is all about (i.e. smart passive income). It is easy for people to understand what this site is all about and then choose to go there if that is the information they are trying to obtain.
Another idea is to pick the longer name, and then if you are successful in the future (and making lots of $$$), you can purchase the abbreviated name for the website from the owner of that shorter domain (if they are willing to sell).
For example, their is another website called TeachersConncetTeachers.com which is a long name but easy to figure out what the site is all about. They also purchased the name TCThub.com, so it is easier for people to type it into the address bar. Both names point to the same website (smart).
So, back to the length of the name...these tips can help you decide....
Pick a short name if it is available (but most are already taken).
Pick a longer name if you want to describe the site within the name.
Buy both short and long domain names for the same site if they are available.
Pick a unique name if it is more of a platform than an information site or niche site.
Pick a short, unique name (or buy it from the owner) if possible, for a disrupter platform (ex: Uber.com instead of PeopleDrivingService.com)
I will leave you with this important note. The domain name is not as important as the information (content) or usefulness of the site itself.
Some of the best domain names ever purchased have resulted in failed websites or platforms (think MySpace.com, Nupedia.com, Digg.com). Some of them still exist but are insignificant compared to what they aspired to be.
On the other hand, some of the longer domain names have succeeded enormously, think (Facebook.com (who only recently changed to Meta) , smartpassiveincome.com, and of course, BarstoolMillionaire.com)
Consideration #2 - Should the Domain Name Consist of Real Words?
This depends if you can think of a unique word and if it's available (Uber, Reedsy, Meta, Wix, are all short but none are available). There are website name generators but usually the owners like to think of their own domain name (it's a sense of pride if you become successful).
If the name is just your "real company name", then there is no choice (and it owned by another person, you must purchase it from them if they re willing to sell). This is true in the case of actual restaurants or stores (think McDonalds.com or Walmart.com)
The advantage of using real words for a website domain name is that it describes exactly what your site or platform does. For example, if I wanted a website that gave you information on becoming a firefighter, I might look for the domain name Firefightercareer.com or something related to that idea (maybe firefightertraining.com, etc).
Having the exact words of "what your site is all about" will also help it rank higher in search engines. This will drive more traffic to your site just by picking a domain name with applicable search words. And it will work forever, without any additional cost to your marketing budget.
"Descriptive words in your domain name can be beneficial, even if they lengthen the domain name itself" – SEO Experts
Consideration #3 - Should I choose a .com, .net, or .org?
It is probably a good idea to choose a .com as it is generally what customers assume when they type in a domain address. However, if it is a non-profit, or an organization (such as a club or union), then a .org would be appropriate. The .net is not used as much, but some people purchase it if the .com is not available for the name they desire, but the .net is available.
Personally, I would choose another name if the .com is not available. This is to avoid confusion when people try to get to your site, and avoids them from getting frustrated when landing on a different site (they might not realize that your site DOES actually exist, but under the .net or .org extension.
If you are feeling like money is not an issue, and you find a .com name that you are happy with, I would recommend purchasing all 3 versions of your domain name (.com, .net, .org)
The final extension I should mention is if your website is country specific. In that case, if you only do business in that specific country consider buying that country's extension. Examples of these are .ca (Canada), .uk (Britain), or .au (Australia). If you want to do business everything, I would still recommend going with the ,com version.
Domain Name Golden Rule
So remember, the length of the domain name depends om the type of site or platform you are building (disrupter, informational, business, or shopping). Don't worry if you have to go with a longer domain name than you planned on (due to availability) as your content is the most important aspect of whether your site will succeed.
Good luck, my friends!
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