Domain Questions and Answers

Thanks for checking out the Domain Name Questions and Answers Page put together by our DomFind Team.  We’ve collected all of our past questions and have assembled them here in one place you can find out what others want to know about domains and the domain name industry.

Domain Name Questions and Answer:

Q: With all the domain names on your site and out there in general, how am I going to find the one I need? There are just too many choices.

A. Thank for the great question and you’ve come to the right place, now relax a bit. The DomFind team has put together a little Vlog about how to find a domain name on our site which includes some great tips on what makes a great domain as well.

Matthew, one of the great members on our domain naming team, talks about how you can use the category list on our webpage or even how to do a specific search if your domain name needs to have a specific word or partial word.

On a side note, this is the first of, hopefully many, Vlogs to come to our site. We plan on bringing more vlogs about domain names, what makes them good, what to look for, how to find them and much more, so keep checking back.

Q: Is a short domain name is always better?

A. Yes and no. I hope that helped. If you’ve read our Domain Name Questions and Answers in the past you’ll know that we’re always praising the merits of a short domain name. We always say the shorter the domain the better but that may not always be the case for everyone.

If your company is built on one word or one product it wouldn’t be a bad idea if you incorporate that name into your domain. So if all you do is wood working and you only work out of Denver than DenverWoodWorking.com is not bad at all or PatiosLongIsland.com is not bad either.

We just want it to be known that you will be locked in to your domain name with both of these cases but if you’re fine with that then, you’ll be fine.

Q: I saw something on TV recently about domain names being stolen. My question, I guess is, can you really steal a domain name and there was something about Trademark infringement involved as well, do you know what they were talking about and can that happen with a domain name?

A: Yes, you’re right there was quite a dispute lately involving domain names lately; we saw it on TMZ as well. The case does involve stealing domain names and domain name Trademark Infringement.

Briefly, the two stars and business partners went their separate ways and when one partner departed, so did the domain names. To add insult to injury, the one partner registered domain names of the other person’s name and business, that’s the Trademark issue.

To learn more about this riveting domain name dispute, please check out our domain name blog. It’s really kind of funny to see a few celebrities fighting over domain names.

Q: You’ve got a great website with so many different domain names, and I’m sure I can find a great domain name for my business on your site but, I must confess that I’m a bit overwhelmed by the size and number of your catalog.
How should I search your site for a domain name that will work for me? Thanks for your help.

5 Ways to Find a Domain Name

A: That’s a great question and we’re really glad you’ve asked it. There are a few different ways for you to find a domain name on our site. We’ve broken it down below.

1. The first and most straightforward way of finding a domain name on our site is to search through our Categories list running down the left hand side of every one of our web-pages.
2. Here we have broken down our domain name inventory by the different categories. Just click on and industry or category which you feel best describes the business you’re going into and you’ll find all of the domains from our inventory which we feel will work. As you search or domain name categories, you will find that many domains will be on multiple pages as many will work well in different industries.
3. Just as we feel that our domains will work in many different industries, we suggest that you check a few different categories. You may be suppressed that you’ll find domain names which work well in another industry will work perfectly for your business as well.
4. We also recommend that you check out the feeling and emotion categories. These are categories like Creative Domain Names or Intelligent Domain Names and even Interesting Domain Names. You’ll find all sorts of domains that you may not have considered before but just may be exactly what you’re looking for!
5. If you’re looking for a domain name that contains a word or fragment of a word, we have a great search feature at the top of our site which will search our catalog and pull every domain that contains what you’ve typed in. This is a great feature if you’re looking for domain which contains the work “dog.”

I hope that this brief breakdown helps you. We have created another page which will break down how to find a domain name on this site more, including examples, so please have a look if you would like more info.

Lastly if you’re still having issues, we’re here to help. Just send us an email or drop us a call, you can find all of our info on our Contact Us Page.

Thanks for the great question and we hope we help! 

Q: You say that great domain names use a keyword that describe what your business does or what you do better than other businesses in them but, all the great domain names with dictionary words in them are already used, what should I do?

A: Great business domain names can contain a word or words which describes your business or what your business does but, you need to keep the domain name short.  You’re also correct in saying that almost all dictionary words are taken but there is something that you can do.

Try and be creative and develop a new word to become your domain name; instead of strong, Strongerer, with an extra “er” or Smarters or Smarter with an “s” or Safers, Safe with an “s.”

These are just some quick and dirty ideas and probably not the best but you can get a good idea of what we’re talking about. Remember a creative domain name can grab some attention for your new business so don’t be afraid, just remember you have to communicate the domain name to your customers and they have to be able to type it into their browser later.

Q: So, I have found myself with a really long domain name for my business. There is nothing really I can do about it now, so what can I do to break it down or make it easier to remember?

A: The first and easiest thing you can do, is just like you said, break the domain name down to its simplest parts and you that by capitalizing the first letter of the separate parts.

Domain names are not case sensitive, so that means it doesn’t matter if you spell your domain name, domfind, DOMFIND or DomFind. If you find yourself with a longer domain name, although that goes against everything that we preach against, but sometimes there is just nothing you do, you can break that domain name up with capitals.

You tell me whichiseasiertoread.com or WhichIsEasierToRead.com? The second is still long and hard to read but it is much easier.

Q: How difficult is it to find a good domain name for my business? There must be thousands of domain name that would fit my business perfectly.

A: Well, that really depends. You can find a great domain name, which is really short and catchy for your business really easily.  One way is to spend a lot of money for it but, never fear there are other ways as well.

Since the development of the internet many, if not most, short dictionary words were snapped up and registered, leaving long tail and confusing domains and with all of the great domain names on the secondary market but for a really high price.

Don’t despair, while it can be quite difficult to find a domain there are still quite a few resources where you can find a develop one.

The first and well, a shameless plug, is that we have thousands of great domain names on this site DomFind which are well priced and quite memorable. With that out of the way, don’t despair there are other great ways to find a domain name for you new online venture.

You can always try to develop your own domain name. Try smashing up letters, making sure that the new word sounds right, has a good flow and is easy to communicate. Finding a domain name is one thing but don’t underestimate the power of developing your own.

Be sure to check out our Domain Name Blog for more ways to find a domain name for your new online venture.

Q: Somewhere on your site, you wrote about the importance of the cadence of the domain name, what do you mean by that?

A: The cadence or flow of your domain name and flow of your business name is very important. Are people going to be about to sound it out when they’re reading your domain on the side of a building, billboards or even your product?

In general, your domain name should be vowel, consonant, vowel, consonant and so on. There are of course, exceptions such as “sh” go together or “th.” Make sure there are not too many consonants together.

You’re going to want people to tell others about your domain name you’re going to want people to know how to pronounce it.

Q: Somewhere on your site, you wrote about the importance of the cadence of the domain name, what do you mean by that?

A: The cadence or flow of your domain name and flow of your business name is very important. Are people going to be about to sound it out when they’re reading your domain on the side of a building, billboards or even your product?

In general, your domain name should be vowel, consonant, vowel, consonant and so on. There are of course, exceptions such as “sh” go together or “th.” Make sure there are not too many consonants together.

You’re going to want people to tell others about your domain name you’re going to want people to know how to pronounce it.

Q: I’ve got a couple ideas for my domain name / business but I’m not quite sure which one to use yet. I’m thinking about buying all my domain name choices but, here’s my question, what do I do with the domain names that I don’t use, can I sell them?

A: The short answer is yes. There are a few different domain name resellers including Godaddy, Sedo and Afternic. For a commission, these companies will resell your spare or extra domain names.

I would really like to point out that what you’re doing buying all the domain names that may be possibilities for your business is a great ide

A. Don’t let those great domain names slip through the cracks while you’re trying to decide which you’re going to use for your business!

Q: My company was thinking about using a number in their domain name, how do you feel about that?

A: Thanks for the question about adding a number in your domain name but I’m already confused. Do you mean add a number like “one” or “1?” Are you going to write it out or are you going to use the actual number, and that is exactly the point.

Our research has shown that incorporating a number into your domain name can be interesting but you have to be really careful that when your domain is communicated from person to person, that they have to say, “the number 1 not spelled out.”

Recently we’ve been seeing a lot of real estate project using the address of the building at the domain name, for example 555MadisonRd.com. The team here finds those domains are really interesting, they’re easy to communicate and they’re exact and you know what they’re talking about.

To make a long domain name answer longer, we think incorporating a number into a domain name can be interesting but you have to be really careful and we would probably try to keep that number at the beginning or the end.

Q: I need a domain name for my business but my business has been around for many, many years. I know I’m late to the boat and all the domain names around my name have been taken.

Reading you other tips, you’ve said not to have a long domain name but, what do I do, thanks.

A: What a great question and we’re sorry to hear about your troubles finding a great domain name for your business but, alas, it can be done.

Most business now a day don’t even start a business unless they can obtain the exact match dot-com domain name and well that leaves you in a unique position. Now, I wish I know what your business name was so that I could give you better examples but as is, here are some ideas.

If you’re a clothing store, try adding store, clothes or shop to the domain. These are simple words, short and easy to spell. If you’re auto dealership try adding auto, car or rides.

A local business who has no desire to move or expand could use the town or location; perhaps a state even or state codes like “CA, NY, ND” or even “LA” for “Los Angeles.” If you’re near an airport with a unique airport code like “LAX, SFO or JFK” that might work as a descriptor for your domain name as well.

Then you always have articles! An article can be added to your business domain name. How about “the,” “an,” “a” “new” and the list goes on. You can be “THEclothingstore.com” or “Acarwash.com” or “NEWfishandtackel.com,” the list goes on and on.

It seems that you’e going to have to add something to get a domain name while keeping your business name in it. Basically the rules go that you’ll have to find a word or words that convey what your business does but, here’s the but, these words HAVE to be short, clearly express, and easy to spell and describe your business.

We understand that you don’t want to lose business or brand equity by changing your business name but now you’e stuck with the consequences of not getting a domain name earlier.

This goes against everything that we normal preach, that domain names should be as short and interesting as possible but, desperate times call for desperate measures and you can’t miss any more business by not being on line. That is really the only reason we’re even suggesting any of these ideas.

We hope that this article was helpful and we’d love to know what you decided on.

Q: So I can create my own domain name and business name by inventing a word but you’re saying I shouldn’t just misspell a common word?

A: Yep, you got it. When you create a completely new and invented word for your domain name and business name there will be no confusion. In fact you want to steer clear away from actual dictionary words so people don’t get confused and think that dictionary word is what you said / they heard.

Inventing your own word is a great way to secure a short, powerful and interesting domain name, you just have to make sure the makes sense (has both vowels and consonants) and has a good flow to it.

Get going, get creative and get that powerful domain name and business name you’ve always wanted.

To see some great examples of invented domain names, check out our page. You’ll see hundreds of five, six and seven letter domain names that we’ve created just because they are powerful and will make amazing domain names and business names!

What’s a Compound Domain Name

Q: I heard horror stories about company names that when pushed together into a domain name mean something different or gets confusing, what are they talking about?

A. You’re exactly right, sometimes when you smash a company name together, when it is over one word, into a domain name, unfortunate results may occur.

What do we mean buy that, well take a look at some of the more popular examples below:

Choose Spain choosespain.com Chooses Pain?

Teachers Talk teacherstalk.com Teacher Stalk?

Childrens’ Wear childrenswear.com Children Swear?

These are just three of the very many examples, and safe for work examples for that matter, where pushing your company name for a domain name may have an unfortunate result.

It is incredibly important that when you’re looking working on your domain name that you look at it from all different angles. Look at your domain name and think about how it can be broken down just like these examples.

You may want to ask several people, ones unrelated to your project, where they can have an unbiased look at your domain name, to see if they see any possible problems that you may not see.

Thanks for the great question!

Q: What’s the big deal about the dot-com domain name extension, I could always get another extension?

A. The dot-com domain name is the most have for any business or any venture for that matter. Say what you want but, the dot-com domain name is the king of all domains.

I’m not really sure if it is because it was most popular first or what exactly made it the must have but it is the truth. It is sort of like the English language.

Most business in the world is conducted in it and it is currently the international language of business and you or someone in your company must be able to communicate in that language.

If you are opening a business on another domain name extension other than the dot-com you’re sending people to the wrong business and that other business may be your competition, and they want to thank you!

Q: What are you talking about, avoid difficult letters in your domain name?

A. Thanks for the great question we were a bit confused about “letters to avoid” when we first heard it as well but once we heard what we they were talking about it makes sense.

Some letters on a keyboard are more difficult to reach or get to with the fingers. There’s no doubt about it, some letters like the Q or the P and X or a Z are difficult and therefor are more prone to mistakes when typing. In this case people are trying to type your domain name and if they misspell it in the browser they are not going to find your site.

Makes sense right?

That said, this is only a theory. At DomFind we really like the letters x or z included in a domain name as they make them interesting and can grab the attention of your potential clients and future customers.

We want to present you with all the great information regarding domain names so that when the time comes for you to purchase one or develop one you have everything you need to make an informed decision!

 Q: Is every great domain name taken already? I keep thinking of great names for my business but I think I’ll never find one where the domain name is available!

A. Creating the name for your business may actually be the easy part of company naming, it’s finding the corresponding dot-com domain name that may be the challenge.

How many times have you tried to develop a company name just to go and register it and find out it’s taken? We all know how important a dot-com domain name is for your business so you know you have to find another name.

You try and you try and every great name you think of has already been registered. Well don’t look any longer.

DomFind has hundreds of domain names perfectly suited to work as business names as well. Just find the category that your business would fall into and check out all the great domain names that will work for you there.

Stop wasting your time looking for domain names that are all registered and start your business off right.

Q: What are you talking about, making up a word for my domain name? How is anybody supposed to know what my website is about?

A. Ok now, when we say make up a word for a domain name we don’t mean to just slap a bunch of letters together or pull them out of a scrabble bag, we mean develop a new word or words based on your core goals and strategies or develop an entirely new word that sounds right.

Think of Quicken as in Quicken Loans. They developed a new word based on their strategy of being quick to approve loans.

You can also create a wholly new word like “Auxby.” This name doesn’t mean anything and you can develop it into just about anything you would like. This domain name sounds right but means nothing.

People can learn about your site by adding a tagline. Remember your domain name should be as short as possible there are other ways to get people to know about you.

Q: I was thinking about getting a domain name that has hyphens in it. It looks fine and I can get a bunch of SEO rich words in there?

A. It’s a good question but we’re going to have to say there are a few different troubling concepts with it; we’ll have to answer them separately.

Firstly, hyphens are never good in a domain name. People, too often, get confused as to where they go. Do they go between the first two words, second two words, between all of the words, where do they go?

People may leave out the hyphens all together and then where are you sending your customers? Who’s at the domain name without the hyphens, could it be your competition? If so you’re just sending you clients to them.

Secondly, a bunch of SEO rich words in there, this makes me fear that your domain name is growing by the minute, it’s alive, it’s alive! Your domain name should be as short and succinct as possible.

Thirdly, Google said years ago that they don’t use domain names in consideration for SEO ranking. Now there is some debate whether they’re telling the truth or not but, long domain names are just off the mark.

We’ve prepared 7 Domain Name Creation Tips that you should have a look at. It will go through all the basic concepts of how to develop a winning domain name. If you follow these directions you’ll get a great domain for your next website.

Q: So what, my domain name may be long but everyone will know what my business does, what’s the big deal?

A. This is a great question. In general, the longer a domain name the more ability there is for something to go wrong. What can go wrong?

The longer the domain name, the more words there are, the more letters that need to be typed, the more chances there are for someone to mistype, misspell or get wrong a letter or word and get directed to another business possibly your competitor.

Longer domain names are also more difficult to communicate. This can be between people or even from media to you. Your customers may have only a few seconds to comprehend your domain name and tell someone else or remember to contact your business later.

Shorter domain names are better.

Q: I need to get my business up and running now. Can’t I just start my business on a domain name now and switch it later when I can afford something better?

A. No, it’s really not a good idea.  We know you may be really excited to launch that product or get that business off the ground but it can be really costly and a bit risky to change your domain name later.

When you launch your business you’re looking to build brand equity in your company and in turn your domain name. All the money you spend on advertising and marketing now will go to waste when you change your domain name later.

Also, if you switch your domain name, you’re going to have to switch your company name and you’re really just asking for trouble!

Q: I can’t get the domain name for a company I’ve already established, I’m too far in to change my bussines name and you’ve said short domain names are better so, I’m not sure what to do? Please help!

A. We’ve received this question and similar ones like it before so let’s take this opportunity to get to the bottom of it.

In general, shorter domain name are better. They’re easier to communicate and less restrictive. Also, in general, the longer the domain name the more opportunity there is for someone to misspell or mistype your domain name but it’s not the end of the world.

We completely understand the position you’re in so there are a few things you can do. First off, you can add a key word to your domain name, making sure that key word is short and easy to spell.

For example, if you are a hardware store, you can add the word “tools” to your domain name or “wear” if you are a clothier. Just make sure your key word is short and easy to spell.

If your business is really long, you can abbreviate it or turning it into an acronym like ATT is really Atlantic Telephone and Telegraph.

Shorter is better but it’s not the end of the world!

Q: Is a short domain name is always better?

A. Yes and no. I hope that helped. If you’ve read our Domain Name Questions and Answers in the past you’ll know that we’re always praising the merits of a short domain name. We always say the shorter the domain the better but that may not always be the case for everyone.

If your company is built on one word or one product it wouldn’t be a bad idea if you incorporate that name into your domain. So if all you do is wood working and you only work out of Denver than DenverWoodWorking.com is not bad at all or PatiosLongIsland.com is not bad either.

We just want it to be known that you will be locked in to your domain name with both of these cases but if you’re fine with that then, you’ll be fine.

Q: What’s wrong with getting a domain name like my competitions, I like theirs?

A. We’ll there’s a few things with getting a domain name too similar to your competition. We know we get it, you love their domain name and maybe you’re just not that creative type and think that you can do it yourself but there are a few problems.

If first problem with having a similar domain is that your customers may end up going to your competitor, thinking that it’s you.

The second problem is that so many people these days will come to your website through a search engine and when they see you’re domain name next to your competitors, how are they going to know which one to pick?

Lastly, having a domain name that stands out does just that stand out. People may be curious or intrigued by a creative or different domain name. So when your competitors see your domain verses your competitors they may click on it to check it out!

Q: Should I try to incorporate my key words into my domain name?

A. Yes, but… If you can incorporate into your domain name, your key word or one of your target key words for SEO purposes that’s great. Please do remember that Google, claims that it does not take that into consideration but a lot of talk on line says they do.

Also be cognizant that stuffing your keyword into your domain name may just make that domain longer.

Make sure your key word fits and sounds normal. Make sure also that you’re not just making the domain name longer.

Q: I came across a term the other day that I’ve never hear of, Internet of Things, ever hear of it? How will that affect domain names?

A. At its most basic level the Internet of Things is the connectivity between us, our things and other things. It’s about getting the things around us interconnected.

For example, you are able to turn on your air conditioner from your smartphone, turn on your car from inside the mall or even turn on your water heater before you get home.

The Internet of Things is the connectivity of devices to devices from devices.  Soon your entire house will be talking to itself to regulate heat, water consumption, the TV, your computer all to make things more efficient and easier for you.

That said, the Internet of Things goes well beyond my example so we’ve created a blog about the Internet of Things, with more information if you’re interested and have included a video explaining more about it.

Q: What’s the connection between SEO and my Domain Name?

If your domain name is your business name, and it should be, make sure that name is search able.

Your company name and domain name should be search engine optimized, or SEO friendly. That just means your name should pop up to the top of the list when someone types a description into Google, Bing or whatever.

You can do this by being descriptive with your domain name and company name. If you’re starting a business, learn all you can about SEO and incorporate that into your name.

Q: I was thinking about adding the town’s name where the business will be in my domain name, should I do it?

A: We get this question all of the time. The research has shown that this is not a good idea.  Adding the town name into your domain name will not only make the domain longer (domain names should be as short as possible) but will prevent you from moving away from that geographical location and may discourage people from other towns purchasing from you.

Unless you live in a small town, have a small shop, and never plan on expanding, moving or selling your business having a town included in your name is never a good ide

A. There is one exception to this rule… People may want to add names like Beverly Hills or New York, Chicago or Miami as these are places that have a certain brand behind them. Even then you’re still making the name longer.

Q: Did you know that most symbols are not allowed in a domain name?

A: Dashes, spaces, breaks or most symbols aren’t allowed to be included in your domain name. Don’t even think about having a percentage symbol, dollar sign, star or any other symbol that you can think of.

The only non-letters that are allowed by the domain authority are dashes and dots or periods. At DomFind, we would never recommend that you use any of them!

There is just so much confusion as to where the non-letters go, don’t even think about it.

Q: Did you ever think of contacting the owner of domain name it check if it’s available?

A: If you’re looking for a great domain name and everything that you’ve developed or thought of has already been taken, you could always write the owner to see if it’s available.

You can check with either GoDaddy or you could also see if there is a Contact Us Page where you can write the owner. Our research has found that when you ask, simply ask if the domain name is for sale and don’t make an offer.

You may find that the owner of the domain name is ready for a sale or you may also find that you get no response or the owner telling you no.

We must say (here comes the shameless plug) that you should save your time and choose one of the great domain names off our site, as they are available for immediate purchase and ready to be made into an amazing website and business.

Q: Did you know that it’s easier to resell a short domain name?

A: The research has shown that shorter domain names are just easier resell. We know that we almost always talk about buying a domain name for your business but what if you’re in the business of reselling domain names?

In general the shorter the domain name the better the price you can sell it for and the less time it sits on the market.

If you’re not interested in reselling your domain it’s just easier to remember a shorter domain name!!

Q: Is there only one way to spell your domain name?

A: You may think your domain name idea can only be spelled one way but it never hurts to ask a few other people. We suggest that if you develop your own domain name from your own idea, ask a few different people, preferably in your target market, to write down your domain.

Are they able to spell the domain? Could they spell it correctly or were there any tricky words, hidden consonants or vowels?

If they can’t spell it, it’s time to reconsider that domain name before it’s too late.

Q: Did you know that everyone needs a Domain Name Register?

A: Often when we transfer a domain name, people ask, well where do I put the domain? What most people don’t understand is that, in order to transfer a domain name from our account to yours, everyone needs to have a domain name register for us to put it into.

Domain Name Registers are, in general, free and you probably already know a few. If you watch NASCAR or any sports program you’d have heard about GoDaddy, HostGator or 1and1. These are three of the most popular Domain Registers.

These registers are just holding places for the domains, much like a warehouse and are easily set up; it just takes a few minutes. You will need one whether you purchase a domain name from us or anyone else.

If you have any questions about what is a domain name or how to transfer a domain name we have quite a few article prepared for you to help you along the way.

Q: What happens if all the domain names that I invent are already taken?

A: You’re not alone and don’t stress out. The fact is, that since the internet was invented and domain names became available to the public, most if not all, of the great domain names have been already taken.

This really leaves you with only two choices. The first, you invent your own word and in turn domain name. You may have luck quickly or you may have to play with the name or letters until you find one where the domain name is available.

The second option is that you have to buy a domain name on the secondary market and if you’re reading this, this may be no surprise. There are plenty of great domain names at great prices on the secondary market, especially DomFind, (couldn’t help the shameless plug).

Don’t worry about not being able to develop your own domain name there are plenty of great domain names at great prices out there.

Q: What’s really the benefit of an invented or created name?

A: One of the first benefits of an invented or created domain name is that, when the time comes, it will be easier trademark.

If you have a highly descriptive domain name and company name you’re going to find that other people in your specific industry have already staked a claim to that trademark.

The problem is that the US Patent and Trademark Office has been open since the American Revelation and a lot of company names have been taken but and invented name will probably still be there!

Q: What’s the problem with having a hyphen as part of my domain name?

A: We’ll it’s the hyphen in the domain name that’s the problem so much as to where the hyphen goes that’s the true problem. Remember your domain name has to be communicated from one person to the next and that’s where the hyphen problem comes in.

When your domain name is communicated, will the person telling remember to mention that your domain even has a hyphen? If they do, will they remember where in the domain the hyphen will go?

Then when the person listening gets to their computer some time later will they remember the hyphen and where it goes?

Your domain name needs to be easily communicated and as clear as possible adding a hyphen is just adding more possibilities of that going wrong!

Q: Why does it matter how long my domain name is?

A: Many people wonder why the length of a domain name matters. People believe that the length of their domain name doesn’t matter because they are just sending a link or people are just going to use their app.

What about the other people?

Our research has shown that, in general, the shorter the domain name the better. People will see your domain name / company name and A) need to write it down, B) type it into a web browser and C) get the name correct.

The longer your domain name the better the chances for someone to get it wrong and miss your site. Each letter equals a stroke of finger which equals another chance for someone to get it wrong.

Get a short domain name, decrease the chances of someone missing you site!

Q: Does your domain name clearly define your company’s competitive advantage?

A: You might be missing out on one of the best domain names if you’re not telling people what it is that you do better than your completion.

If you are faster, smarter, more caring, have great customer service, you give more product, you’re a better value, whatever it is, consider having that as your domain name and company name.

Tell people why they should choose you over your completion with your domain name.

Q: Do you know what the most popular domain name extension is today?

A: We get this question all the time and to be honest, we were a bit confused in the beginning as well so, we’ll break it down to the simplest definition we can.

It’s really quite simple once you get the hang of it. A domain name register is simply where you keep your domain name. It’s like a hanger for airplane or storage locker. You buy a domain name and this is where the domain name is transferred to.

If you sell the domain name or move it to another account it would be done through your domain name register.

Your domain name host is where you would build your website. Often your domain register and host is the same but it does not necessarily have to be. You may find that the platform to build a website is better at one host but it may be cheaper to keep it at a different register.

Just remember, register to keep a domain but a host to build the domain name into your website!

Q: What’s the difference between a domain name host and a domain name register?

A: We get this question all the time and to be honest, we were a bit confused in the beginning as well so, we’ll break it down to the simplest definition we can.

It’s really quite simple once you get the hang of it. A domain name register is simply where you keep your domain name. It’s like a hanger for airplane or storage locker. You buy a domain name and this is where the domain name is transferred to.

If you sell the domain name or move it to another account it would be done through your domain name register.

Your domain name host is where you would build your website. Often your domain register and host is the same but it does not necessarily have to be. You may find that the platform to build a website is better at one host but it may be cheaper to keep it at a different register.

Just remember, register to keep a domain but a host to build the domain name into your website!

Q: Should I go with a longer domain name if it’s SEO friendly?

A: No! Don’t worry about designing your domain name to be SEO friendly.

For a long time people were promoting longer domain names because they were getting more traction in the search engines but Google, Bing and the rest have caught on to that a long time ago.

If you do that now, all you’ll have is a long domain name that no one can remember and will misspell. Don’t fall for that old trick, shorter domain names are better!

Q: Can I keep my domain name forever?

A: Yes, as long as you keep your domain name registered you can keep it forever. Theoretically you can pass your domain name down to your children and as long as they keep it registered, they can pass it down to their children.

Domain Name Registers are in the business of keeping your domain names with them so they make it quite easy to keep names registered. Domains are registered yearly with most registers offering multiple year options. When the time comes up, as long as your contact info is current, you receive quite a few emails reminding you that it’s time to renew.

Most Domain Registers now also offer a auto renew feature, basically once you’ve ticked the button they just charge your credit card yearly, again as long as your credit card info is current, you’re set to go.

Don’t worry about letting your domain name drop and someone snapping it up, it’s not that easy to do.

Q: Can I forward a domain name to another website?

A: Yes! Domain name forwarding is a great way to keep your existing website and web content but get another product specific domain name.

If you’re launching a new product and you want that specific domain name but feel that you’ll lose existing customers if you move your existing site, forwarding that domain name may be a great ide

A.  You can advertise the new product specific domain name and forward them back to your original domain or a specific page on that site so people can see the rest of your great products.

Don’t lose people my moving your site just forward the domain name.

Q: What’s the connection between SEO and my Domain Name?

A: If your domain name is your business name, and it should be, make sure that name is search able.

Your company name and domain name should be search engine optimized, or SEO friendly. That just means your name should pop up to the top of the list when someone types a description into Google, Bing or whatever.

You can do this by being descriptive with your domain name and company name. If you’re starting a business, learn all you can about SEO and incorporate that into your name.

Q: Should I buy the other domain name extensions for my current domain name?

A: If you’re a larger start up or company and you want the security of no one being able to obtain the other domain name extensions, then yes, you should.

If you’re just starting out and don’t have the extra money to spend at the beginning then don’t worry about it. It sounds cheap, $7 to $10 but it adds up, especially once you start accruing those charges yearly.

Yes someone can get the .net and .org or .whatever but what are they going to do with it?

Starting a similar business as yours on the .whatever domain name extension, won’t hurt you as long as you are the dot-com. The dot-com domain extension is the go to for business and if anything, you’re the one to benefit, as anyone looking their website, might come to you instead.

That’s just one of the many reasons why you always need to get the dot-com domain name extension.

Q: How am I supposed to know if someone is using my business name / domain name somewhere else?

A: There is only one of each domain name in the world so no one else is using it but, that doesn’t mean someone isn’t using your business name ideas.

There is nothing worse than getting your business going and just as you’re getting into the groove with it, when out of the blue, here comes a letter telling you, that you can’t use your business name anymore.

All this could have been averted if you had just check with the US Patent and Trademark Office, just click here, and drop your name in a trademark search. This will be a big help in making sure your business name and domain name are clear.

Q: What happens if I can’t get the domain name I want?

A: To know when you’re beaten is a good thing. If you just can’t get the domain name you want, your you’re trying to rework it or keep adding letters to it, or adding hyphens, numbers, odd spellings or whatever you’re just asking for disaster.

Know when you’re beaten and realize that you just can’t get the domain name you want and move on. Don’t try to make it work and don’t try to keep throwing things at it, realize it’s not going to happen and it’s time to find another domain name.

Your business name and domain name should be the same and if you can’t get the domain, it’s time to rename!

Q: What is a domain name really?

A: Recently we’ve had a lot of questions about what is a domain name and if there were more than one of each.

We’ve prepared some information with everything you’ll want to know about domain names and DNS servers and IP and everything in between.

First check out our article What Is a Domain Name and we even have a great video What is a Domain Name .

Check out all the great info!

Q: Do you think it’s ok to use a Hyphen in my domain name?

A: We highly discourage people to use hyphens in their domain name.

We’ve heard people say that search engines can better distinguish the keywords in their name or that they can’t get the name they want without it but there are just too many problems with a hyphenated name.

The first is where does the hyphen go? Is there a hyphen between every word or just between the first words? People may also mistakenly put an underscore or slash or any other character.

When people sit down to the computer they may forget the hyphen all together or your customers may forget to tell their friends about the hyphen.

Hyphens complicate your domain name and make it harder to communicate and that’s the true goal of your domain name, easy to communicate.

Q: I have a few ideas for my businesses domain name, who should I ask about them?

A: Everyone, would be the short answer to that. We advise that you ask as many people as possible about your business domain name ideas. You never know who’s going to say something that will make you look at your ideas differently.

However the most important people to ask would be the ones in your target market and the people at your brand touch points.

Ask people who are going to be coming across your brand and ask what they like or don’t like about your ideas or even if they have any ideas of their own. You never know where a good suggestion or inspirational idea will come from.

Q: Should you consider any domain extension other than a dot-com domain name?

A: To keep the answer short, NO.

That said, short of you being a college or secondary school where you would get the .edu, everyone doing business online, should have the dot-com domain name.

The dot-com domain name extension has become the de facto extension. If you don’t have the dot-com domain name, you are going to be sending people to the wrong site and that wrong site may just be your competitors.

Q: What’s wrong with getting a Web 2.0 domain name?

A: When you’re getting the domain name for your business or product, don’t just think about today.

You should consider what your business will be doing not only today, but tomorrow and the future.

An overly specific may limit you to one product, one service or even one state, country or even town.

Think ahead, especially if you plan on expanding!

Q: What’s the big deal if my domain name and company name doesn’t really match my product or services?

A. Your domain name and business name is your brand and your brand is like an introduction to your customers. This makes us think of the old adage, “You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.”

If your domain name and business name doesn’t match your product or service then you’re name will just confuse people. If you confuse people you’re only going to miss or lose customers.

Q: What happens if my domain name and company name are too close to my competitors?

A. Well, “Don’t Tread on Me” isn’t just a banner made by Ben Franklin; it’s the motto of every business owner who feels that other businesses are getting too close to their business name or idea.

The next thing you get is a cease-and-desist letter letting you know you have changed your name.

After all the time and effort you’ve spend building brand equity, you can lose it all when you have to change your name.

Q: Does is really matter what my domain name sounds like?

A. Yes it does!

When you’re starting your business you have to think about what you domain name is going to sound like when you start advertising.

Assuming that your domain name is going to be your business, product or service name (it really should be, or a shortened version) you want to get your name out there. You want people talking about you.
If your name sounds confusing, people are going to misspell it, mispronounce it and miscommunicate it. How do you ever expect people to find you? How do you expect people to tell their friends, family and coworkers?

Pick a domain name that is easy to communicate and is easy on the ear.

Q: How important is a memorable business and domain name?

A. Well, answer that question with another question, how important are customers to you?

If you’re domain name is unmemorable how do you expect people to remember it when they need you?

Say you’re going to start advertising with billboards or even a TV commercial. You only have a few seconds to grab your target markets attention.

Now they, your potential customers, have to not only register that they need your product or serveries but, they need to remember your business name and domain name so that they can contact you, go to your website or get your product off a shelf at the store.

If your name is dull, boring, long or worse, just like all the other businesses in your market, how are they supposed to figure out which one you are?

Be the white rock on a black sand beach!

Q: Can you be too creative with your business domain name?

A. Yes, while we love creative business names and creative domain names, we don’t love creative spellings. Have fun with your business name if you have a creative or fun business, don’t be creative with the spelling.

Think about your clients trying to communicate your business domain name to someone else, will they remember that you left out the vowels or will they sent people to your competitors site.

Web 2.0 names are thing of the past, a fad; everyone realized you need the vowels.

Q: Should I consider an Acronym for my business?

A. Yes, when naming a business or product you shouldn’t leave any options off the table and an acronym may be the way to go. An acronym is a new word made up of the first letter or letters of other words. Don’t know what we mean? Think about AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph), SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus), or even GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company).

If you can create a new and memorable name, it may just be a great way to go. Check out some Acronyms Here.

Q: When I buy a domain name on your site how do you transfer it to me?

A. Well the domain name transfer process is rather quite simple but the process itself is really determined by the domain name register you have. To learn more about the domain name transfer process and how it all works please click here.

Q: I’m looking to find a domain name for my business and I’ve checked a few sites and the prices of the domains vary wildly and that got me to thinking, “why are some domain names so much more expensive than others?”

A: Great question and it’s one that we get more times than you think and there are more answer than you may think. Below are some of the reasons why some domain names are more expensive than others:

1. Priced is based on domain name extension. In general the dot-coms are more expensive than well, everything else. The dot-com domain name extension is the international business extension so they’ll be more expensive.
2. Like business names, domain names are better short because short business names are easier to communicate and remember.
3. Some domain name companies are actually brokers and pay for domains. The more they buy them for, the more they have to sell them for.
4. Great domain names are like waterfront property, there are a limited number of them and that’s going to drive up the price.
5. With a limited amount of great domain names available, as they get pulled off the market that will raise the price of the others.

Those are a few of the reasons you’ll find that some domain names are more expensive than others. There are others but I hope these helped.  If you’re looking to find a short domain name for my business, just follow the link and you’ll find some great domains ready to go.

Q: What should I look for in a domain name?

A.  Wow, now that’s a question! There’s so much that goes into a domain name no matter what is that you’re looking to do with it. With that in mind and not knowing more about what you’re looking to do with the domain name here are a few things to remember when you’re looking to find a great domain name:

1. The domain name must be a dot-com domain. With all of the new domain name extensions entering the market the dot-com is the universally and worldly recognized domain extension.
2. Length, generally we say that your domain name should be fewer than 8 letters long.
3. Your domain should represent what you’re looking to with it. For example is you’re starting a fun business, a fun domain name is in order and if your business your domain name should be serious.
4. Your domain name should be memorable.
5. Don’t include any dashes, underscores or hyphens in your domain name. In general, they will just confuse people and that means a loss to business.

We hope you find the perfect domain name for your business, blog or whatever and please let us know if we can be of any further help.